A note from the editor
by Lily McInerney
To start out, I am simply a fellow high school senior who had expectations for this year. We’ve all had important dates on our calendars circled and starred, and in just a week we’ve seen these things disappear.
I, too, had trips, events, concerts, and even just hanging out with my friends to look forward to. It’s okay to be disappointed, and it’s important to give yourself time to be, but it is absolutely essential to accept our current circumstances and try to make the best of them.
It feels as if this happened over night. We’ve lost our plans, routines, and therefore our comfort in knowing what the next day had in store. Favorite stores are closing, college students are being told to go home, and grocery store lines are looking a lot longer. It almost doesn’t feel real.
For me and many others senior year is looking completely different, but I hope that we are all learning how to deal with our new reality.
This graph from The New York Times indicates how we must “flatten the curve” by avoiding contact and practicing social distancing or risk overwhelming the healthcare system and following in Italy’s current tragic trajectory:
So, take this situation seriously and do your best to stay home and protect others.
But this is also a time when we can all take advantage of the slowdown in our usually hectic pace. You no longer have to be in 100 places at once. Now is the time to go on a walk, ride your bike, binge a new TV show, or watch that movie that you’ve been saying you would watch for a month.
Your relationships don’t have to be cut off. FaceTime your friends. Check in with family. The good news is we now have the technology to see the people we miss. I know it’s not the same, but it’s something. Sit on the couch and talk to your family. It’s vital to not only maintain academic standards through the anticipated “distance learning”, but also to nourish our relationships as well.
Cook a meal instead of going out to eat. Read a book. Exercise outside instead. Go out for a run. Organize your closet. Look through old photos. Play a board game. Practice an instrument. Make Spotify playlists and discover new music. Make a photo album. Spend more time with your pets. Bake something. Decorate your room. Online shop. Go for a hike. Rearrange the furniture. Listen to a podcast. Catch up on your sleep.
Talk to your family. Rebuild and strengthen relationships. Or just sit down and enjoy the silence.
You are part of the solution. This virus is bigger than me. It’s bigger than you.
I’ll leave you with this quote I found fitting:
