During this time, like others, my parents don’t want my siblings or I going out at all, which I understand. The only time I go out is to help my mom with grocery shopping. Seeing empty aisles and people lining up for toilet paper is something I will never unsee. We only go shopping when we absolutely need to; so at some points in the day I find myself sitting alone in my room with only my thoughts to accompany me. I’ve come to a point where social media has begun to get repetitive and I’m bored of it. My movie list is going down everyday and my baby brothers get crazier everyday. So my thoughts just continue to ramble on.
A local Walmart in Bristol, Pa shelves are empty due to the panic from the coronavirus. Photo via Ariel Simpson.
Aisles were either completely wiped or had very few ingredients left over. Photo via Ariel Simpson.
I think about my school and what’s going to happen with all our tuition money. I think about my grandma and how this could affect her. I think about how this is going to affect summer internships, how this is going to affect those looking for full time jobs. I think about how my older brother, a senior at Penn State, has just missed his last semester and may not even have a proper commencement. I feel for all of those who, like my brother, are the first in their family to go to college; where their graduation not only represented their own but it represented all of their family members before them. I feel for all of them and all of the class of 2020 as well.
With all of these thoughts running through your mind constantly, it can easily bring you down. So one may try to distract themselves from these with some sort of hobby or force oneself into their work; however, it may not be that easy. At least for me it’s not. I always find myself just constantly thinking about everything the coronavirus has impacted. What’s going to happen with future events? How many gallons of water can we buy per family? (It’s two by the way, at least where I’m from). Will our healthcare system be overwhelmed? The thoughts are hard to escape.
So during this time of isolation, I’ve learned two very important lessons. One of these is to never take anything you have for granted. I’ve learned this through watching what is currently happening with all of the seniors. I love Penn State, I do. I just never appreciated it as much as I do now. I also learned that mindfulness is an important thing. It is always important to practice mindfulness especially during moments like these.
Mindfulness is one of the most important things we must worry about during this time. It is easy to shut yourself out from the world and your emotions when you are quite literally shut out from the outside. Just because we are forced to close our doors does not mean we should close our minds.
This is something that I have learned during this time of crisis with the panic of the coronavirus. It’s easy to get swept up into the news and get carried away into the fear of the virus and the feeling of isolation that comes along with ‘social distancing.’ However, we must remember that with all the fear that may come in the world there are also many wonders. “To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life,” (Thich Nhat Hanh, 1987).
References
Hanh, T. (1987). Being peace. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.