It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone else, besides my closest family. We’re not allowed to go anywhere, do anything, or see anyone outside of our household. Even for the introverts in my life, this constant isolation has been rough. This virus has everyone worried; although many won’t admit it, we’re all on edge. Even still, we try to keep ourselves busy, one way or another. Everyone’s taking this differently, so how they’re coping with this mess all depends on who you ask.
Most of the time, our day is filled with virtual learning and computer issues because the sites are being overworked; they weren’t meant to handle so many people at once. It’s nice to see friends through video call, but it’s not the same. Video calls come with their own set of risks; my school got to experience that firsthand when a Zoom meeting got hacked. Luckily, though, they were able to shut it down before things escalated. The calls still continue though, this time using our secure Google Meet server. Hopefully, there’ll be no more issues.Every day feels just like the last; wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, sit at the computer working, eat lunch, back to work, try to relax a bit, eat dinner, go to bed, then rinse and repeat the next day. With each passing day, it gets harder to tell how long we’ve been doing this, or how close we are to the end. The house is becoming more and more cramped as we long to leave, but know we won’t be able to for some time. We do try to go out into our own yard just to get out of the house some, but even that’s beginning to get boring. But we know that the boredom will be worth it in the end, because at least we’ll be safe. This will all end eventually, but until then, this is the best thing for us to do. As long as we’re safe, it’s all worth it.
Emma Wilusz is a student at Chariho High School in Richmond, Rhode Island. She is a 2020 Write Rhode Island winner.
WRITE RHODE ISLAND: OUR LIVES NOW 