Approaching the future

2021 was both better and worse than 2020. I was starting to feel fed up with all of the abnormalities to my life that Covid brought, and the anger that everyone had towards everyone. However, life was creeping back towards normal, and in the spring of 2021 I made an exciting discovery that made everything feel better – there were so many ways to braid! I think braiding may have changed the way I face the world more than anything else that happened during the pandemic. It gave me something to care about and get excited about and it gave me something to be confident in. It was a creative outlet in something I was both good at and loved doing.

In the fall I started dual enrolling during Covid rules. It hasn’t been easy – it’s hard to understand people wearing masks, and I hate not knowing what anybody’s face really looks like. That being said, it has been an overall fun experience, getting a glimpse of what college is like and discovering for myself that homeschooling really hasn’t put me at any disadvantage.

Maybe, when I look back at the hardships and the good things of this time, I will be able to have a better understanding of the world and how people are. And if I wish things had been different, Terry Pratchett can keep me looking at the future:

“You can’t say ‘if this didn’t happen then that would have happened’ because you don’t know everything that might have happened. You might think something’d be good, but for all you know it could have turned out horrible. You can’t say ‘If only I’d…’ because you could be wishing for anything. The point is, you’ll never know. You’ve gone past. So there’s no use thinking about it.” ― Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies

Blog #4(Part 3, Project 1)

During quarantine, I struggled with everything imaginable within my two-hundred-square-foot room. I had to deal with events from my family members dying, my work ethic declining, to spending my time learning how to make whipped coffee.  This may sound like a common thing occurring in people’s lives today (and probably still when you are reading this), going from being a “work hard, play hard” type student, I fell into a spiral that occurred of waking up late and procrastinating my assignments. The hard part was not living through quarantine but the after-effects of it.  In my senior year (current), life has felt as if I was a freshman all over again learning how to handle a bunch of classes with the benefit of college preparation and standardized testing.  

My first semester of the senior year consisted of trying to pay attention in my classes but resulted in panic attacks from not understanding the material. Volleyball used to be my happy place until this year.  It was added work that I didn’t enjoy as much as I used to.   The spiral continued, but as it went down farther I couldn’t find a reason to come back up. 

Being stuck at home became normal and no matter how much I hated it I had to get used to it.  I had to get used to “not-s0-good” habits; laying in bed for my virtual class on my Apple Mac 2020 computer, copying homework answers from my $20 a month Chegg membership, and not showering for consecutive days in a row.  Then we have the habits that at the end of the day have negatively impacted me to this day; after class, during quarantine, I could go straight to my club meetings online then five minutes later, I could be doing my homework or watching Netflix.  In reality (aka non-quarantine time), my routine consisted of the same but time was taken when driving to places and back, and talking to those people you run into even though you have your AirPods in (during this time having headphones in is a wordless way of saying “don’t bother me,” which takes more time and energy than virtually.  

2020 through 2021

  After the quarantine lockdown I went back to work and started to save up to move downtown for a while just to get a new feel out of life. The city was a more vibrant and fast pace environment as compared to being in Decatur although Decatur was not at all far from the city. I had been going to the city to network and hang out for about two years before I decided to move there so by the time I did move out there I already knew exactly what I wanted to do differently. I got acquainted with a distant friend I had met in the city, Ron, who was an event curator and was interested in making a comeback after covid had shut almost all events and parties down. I asked if I could DJ at his event and he did. I didn’t know it then but this would be the start of my career as a DJ in a way. 

  Ron was having his annual Halloween party which I had been two the previous year so I knew there would be a bunch of people there. It wasn’t the first time I had DJed at a party but it was the first time I would be DJing for Ron and I wanted to make a good first impression and I did. My set was so good they asked me to do two sets at that one party. For the next couple of months Ron put me on every single party he curated. This helped me expand my connections and soon I would be DJing for other people as well. This was a big turn around for me because it felt like it all happened out of nowhere. I had been DJing since the end of 2018 but it felt like it was so hard to get people to take me serious as a DJ until the pandemic. The pandemic went from the worst possible thing that could’ve happened to 2020 to being the best possible thing that could’ve happened to me. I was happy because it felt like I took advantage of opportunities that actually helped move me as an artist.

  Unfortunately, through out all of the change I was experiencing, my best friend Lawrence had also been going through changes but of different sorts. I could go into how close I was with Lawrence but that would be an extremely long story in itself. To say the least he was the only person I called my best friend since I was in the 3rd grade. On February 14th of 2021 my best friend past away. This was to date the hardest thing I had ever been faced with in my life. I hated the world and I started to involve myself with certain things that were not in anyway good for my health. I was still DJing parties which was making things a lot harder for me to cope with loosing my best friend. I started looking a lot of things differently, especially my future. Not long after that I lost the life of another close friend I had named Chrys, who was like an older brother figure to both me and Lawrence. I felt like I was dying in a way trying to cope with these deaths until I moved from the city back to Decatur and started to get booked for out of state shows. From April of 2021 to November of 2021 I had been DJing, making music, and traveling all while trying to figure out where I really stood in the world. My mom, being one of the only support systems I had left, encouraged me to go back to school which is how I winded up here.  

March of 2021

After hearing the worst news possible towards the end of February 2021 that covid would soon force the U.S. the go into lockdown, everyone started to prepare for the worst by the month of March. At the time I was working at the Guess store inside of Lenox Mall. It wasn’t the best job but given my interests in fashion, I was just happy to be there. I will admit it wasn’t the most interesting job. I was working anywhere from 25 to 30 hours a week, but it definitely kept me busy and out of trouble, plus I had recently gotten a raise at the start of the new year. Although I did enjoy my job, I was not at all worried of being laid off as a result of covid. In fact I was kind of excited because I thought it would just bring me closer to my friends since I would have more time to hang out instead of having to work all the time. 

By the middle of March me and almost everyone I knew had been laid off from their job temporarily due to covid. People say the idle mind is a dangerous place to be left in, for me this was starting to be very apparent. I thought I was going to be spending most of my time with my friends but covid turned out to be a lot more serious than I anticipated and most of our parents wanted us to stay in doors. So I decided to start watching new anime series such as One Piece, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Prison School, as well as playing a new zombie game I had gotten called Days Gone. I tried to stay in doors for the first week of quarantine but playing zombie games and watching anime for hours on end just did not satisfy me enough to keep me inside. I then decided I would start going to the park to skate every morning, and I did. It felt good to get out the house and catch some fresh air. Soon my best friend, Lawrence, would start coming with me to skate at the park and in a way it was us rebelling against the restraints of covid. That felt good to us, so then we started to break even more quarantine rules. We were going out to eat, skating in the city, hanging out at each others house, and overall just enjoying the absence of the general population. It wasn’t long until we were all called out of lockdown. By April I had started back working at Guess like nothing had ever happened. 

Fitting in

Over the past year, I learned to live with the situation, I learned to live with wearing a mask everywhere I go, I learned to social distance from people outside of my house. But by the end of 2020, when I thought the situation was getting better, I and my family got covid. It was an awful experience. We were worried, especially about my nephews and nieces, they also got it. Thankfully, we recovered, we did not have to go to the hospital. We cured. Of course, everything has changed, nothing is the same anymore. We went virtual and going virtual was good for me because I am an introvert and staying inside is something I like. I learned so many tips on the computer I did not know before. Many good things have come like new skills. I learn how to bake, braid my hair, and drive. Also, at that moment I started taking more pictures and videos. I realized that’s something I enjoy.

 

This time period taught me a lot about spending time with people closer to me. Many people lost their loved ones during that period and if they could have only one chance to spend time with them, they would. So now, I enjoy spending time with my family. Even with people (love one) far from me. It also taught me how to manage my time well. How to be more responsible. Something different that I might do is wear a mask wherever I go, social distance from people, be mindful of other people.  

My Experience With Covid Part 3

  When 2021 began, I started to have the feeling things would get better.  Covid vaccines started to get distributed.  I got my first dose on March 15 and my second dose on April 7.  On April 18 and 19, I got to celebrate my little sister’s fourth birthday with a few of her friends.  I also didn’t have to wear a mask at the party.

  On May 14, I got to meet up with one of my friends at a dance for the high school we graduated from.  I was so happy to see her again after over a year.  We had a fun time at the dance.  We met up again on May 25 at a high school graduation for a few other friends.  I also got to go to another friend’s graduation party, and it was a lot of fun.

  On June 1, I went with my mom and my brother to Red Top Mountain in Acworth.  We were there from June 1 to 3.  We walked on a trail.  On June 5, I got to reunite with my friends at a Mellow Mushroom in Roswell.  It was great to catch up with my friends.  On June 11, I had a job interview at Dollar Tree and I got a job as a cashier.  I started working on June 18, and I’ve been earning a lot of money.  June 26 was my 22nd birthday.  I had a birthday party at the swimming pool.  I got to spend time with some of my friends that day, and it was fun!

  On July 14, I met up with a few friends at a swimming pool and it was a lot of fun!  On July 26, I went with my mom and my brother to Oakland, Maine.  We were there from July 26 to 31.  I got to see my grandmother, my cousins, and my uncles.  We did some swimming in the backyard pool, we watched the Tokyolympics, and we went to a minigolf course.

  On December 26, we went to Dallas, Texas.  I got to see my grandmother, my uncle, my cousins, and their lovers.  We stayed at a rental house.  The house had a pool, a hot tub, a game room with a pool table, and a music room.

  I learned that I should wear a mask when I go to a public place, wash my hands often, and social distance from anyone who has not yet been vaccinated.

  In conclusion, 2021 was better than 2020.

BLOG 4 THEEE ALL STAR

Over the past year starting from March 2020. The world feel more normal before we even thought about a lockdown. Around 2020, I found out that  not everybody is your friend.  Through  the course of the lockdown I wondered who I will hang out with every day. Despite me not having a lot of friends in the neighborhood, it didn’t bother me as much but I was a little curious on who I hang out with. During the course of the months, I found out social media was a huge distraction. Through the lockdown, there was times that were boring and we just go on social media and see what our friends or others are doing. Throughout 2021, I found out that I have a bunch of hobbies and interest in life then I expect it. I always thought I could do one thing but then I learned that I love multiple things. When I stop playing video games on January 14, 2021. I thought I’d be super depressed. I learned that it actually make me happier. Presently, I’m balancing out everything from social media to reflection to work. I think going forward I will always balance on my work, my free time, and alone time. I also worked on during the 2021 PHASE that my ego was bad and I needed to be changed. The lockdown and social media made me look at the world differently. I saw the changes, accepted it, & worked on myself. I think the lockdown was a great thing to me, but also harmed others bad.

 

 

 

 

 

shut from the outside world

The month of March 2020… Everything was shut down. I could not go out, go to church, neither go to school nor meet with friends… It was frustrating and annoying. It was something new and people were dying all over the world. I was worried that I or a member of my family would get it and, worse, die. I would always check if I were sick or not. My family prepared ahead of time. We brought everything we might need in case things run out in stores. We brought cereals, milk, rice, water bottles… One of my sisters was a nurse at the time, she would always tell us how cases were rising at the hospital. She had to wear a mask all day and wash her hands all the time.   

 

 

What comforted me was my relationship with Jesus. I got closer to Him during that period. I read the bible to make me calm about the situation. I did not watch any tv shows or movies on Netflix at that time. Yet, I would always be on my phone, talking to my friends and family. I would watch funny videos on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok. This is how I spent most of my days. As we could not go anywhere, I had to spend time with my family. We did a lot of activities together like walking on the street (we would wake up in the morning and go for a walk in the neighborhood), we played board games, we talked a lot. At that time, I was so bored that I almost tried everything. I would do my hair every week, do my nails. I did a lot of baking too. I baked cake, crepes… I also learned how to braid my hair and other people’s hair. I read somehow cartoons like Webtoon and Episode on my phone.

BLOG POST #3

Blog Post #3

English Composition I

Tony Moore

 

 

I don’t remember March 2020 vividly, but the events months after caused terrible experiences. I knew to start taking the virus seriously when my mom went to the grocery store every day to make sure my little brother and I had enough food and supplies we needed to prepare for quarantine. I didn’t believe things could get affected quickly and thought everything would be fine in a couple of months; who knew we would still deal with Covid years later? Everything around me started changing from being forced to stay in the house to doing school online. Those days were the worst because I’m a terrible virtual learner. When my grades started to slip, that’s when I was worried the most. I had to worry about that, but I also had to worry about the upcoming football season and how Covid was going to affect it. I’ve always been tough tho’ so, I didn’t let these tragic events take a toll on me, but they definitely had me stuck in certain situations. I felt like everyone around me was panicking; my mom would freak out if I didn’t wear a mask to certain places or if I didn’t wash my hands before I touched something. I think what scared her the most was the news; her seeing thousands of people die weekly really freaked her out. It seemed like it was all she would talk about during those times.

When Spring turned into Summer in 2020, the main thing I set on was preparing for the football season. I didn’t care what rules or regulations Covid had implicated; I just knew that I wanted to be playing on that field on Friday nights. When I wasn’t focusing on football or working out, the main thing that kept me entertained was taking care of my 3-year-old brother and playing video games. I also loved binge-watching shows all week throughout the summer; it seemed to keep the time flying by considering that I wasn’t allowed to leave the house most of the time.

 

BLOG POST #4

BLOG POST#4 pt three

Today we are still in this pandemic from 2020 to 2021, and now things have changed so much. At first, in 2020, everything was closed down. We were locked down for a while; restaurants, schools, clubs, airports, etc., were closed down to the public. We were doing school online; everything was virtual court meetings, church sessions, classes, etc. During this time, I learned many new things like eating and baking. After all, I had to know because I was home and I could go outside much at first. As time went by, they reopened schools. You could come to school in person, or you could finish online. Courts were still on zoom meetings. They came out with the vaccine to help fight against the virus if you caught it. Many places require you to be vaccinated, as health care workers must, and traveling out of states, you must be vaccinated.

To get on a flight, you must have been vaccinated or tested negative for covid 19. Today things have reopened with mask-required signs for entry. When we returned to school, things were strict; we had to walk only one way to class and go up and down the stairs one-way shopping. We still must wear masks, but some people don’t enforce the overcapacity rule much longer. We are wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Some people don’t even wear masks. Some people never did because of the belief. Many have seemed to go back to regular living without wearing masks, and more people are now coming back outside. Then some people are still being cautious with this by still wearing masks and face coverings out in public, shopping, work, and school. Hence, there is still some positivity in this; we live life somewhat normally again but with masks and hand sanitizer. I learned many lessons from this. To be cautious. Keep my hands washed. Use hand sanitizer after touching things like the gas pump, keeping everything disinfected with disinfection spray, keeping everything clean, making sure the kids keep their hands washed and ut their mouths, and practicing social distancing. We should continue to prevent the spread of any virus..now it’s a new virus out named omicron variant. They did even know much about it yet. It’s very frustrating because we don’t know what is happening or how dangerous this new virus is. other than that, we are somewhat back to living a regular life, still wearing face-covering and social distancing.