THREE YEARS ON

It was the most apocalyptic the world had felt. “Stay home”. But for many like myself, it was a different story. Six weeks off school sounded like a dream, and for us there was nothing to worry about. We would get away with doing minimal work for the cost of absolutely nothing. A teenager’s dream. How wrong we were…

Staying home was easy at first. It was one of the most beautiful summers we had had in years. The air was crisp and clean, since no-one was driving and the airplane flights were cancelled. The birds were chirping louder, the sky was bluer, even the ozone layer was repairing itself. But there was always that figure in the background, on the news. Eventually, I had to turn it off. For all of the delights that nature seemed to deliver us in those six months of lockdown, it came at a bigger cost than we could ever have imagined. Hundreds turned to thousands, until suddenly you lost count. Suddenly, you didn’t want to count. Three years on, most of us are looking back at how we’ve changed, what lockdown changed in us. Whether it be physical, emotional, or mental, we all saw the best and worst of each other during those six months. With no escape, there was always someone else in the next room. Doing the shopping was like a military campaign –although Operation Toilet Roll was clearly a popular one. It just proves that in times of crisis, we all look towards each other. Whether that’s bulk buying for your bathroom or for

A Lesson From Lockdown

In a world where the concept of time is only how fast it goes, where the rush of feet can be heard in our disturbed slumber, tormented by pollution of the air we breathe and the things we hear. In a world where we don’t have to wait for the Olympic Games, it all suddenly stopped. Our voices were muffled by our own front doors which magnetised us not just to our screens but to ourselves as our walls caved in. Claustrophobia spread alongside our jailer, bringing the turning cogs of society to a sudden halt.

Will the trees start swaying as they once did? Will the cynics return their stolen smiles, or will we learn to share? How will we emotional support, the media felt much more like a community in that time than I think it ever has and ever will. Clapping for the NHS was something that was unacceptable not to do, media trends changed drastically (for the better, of course – good skincare was finally on the rise), and at-home workouts became a so much more than a craze. 2020 was the year of ‘if only’s’ in many ways, but it was also a year for companionship.

For me every waking hour was spent with my family or texting my friends. My interesting stories became “remember when’s”, and novelty was forced out of almost every aspect of my relationships. Suddenly, interest gained a whole new meaning and a wholly different path was formed to get to it. In short,

I was bored. I felt boring. I became heavily invested in politics that year, mostly with the US. Shouting at the television over yet another one of Trump’s bad decisions became a hobby practised more than any other. COVID-19 was a tragedy for many families across the globe – it robbed them of things and of people that were held closest to the heart. In this way, it really was the worst of times. But COVID-19 was also a saviour. It taught us about our loved ones, not to take so many things for granted, and that time off school was actually extremely boring. Nature was healing in a way that it may never do again. In this way, it was the best of times.

Now, the question is posed. What next?

Téa U (11M) eradicate the dull grey which smothers the splashes of colour that once filled our souls? A monstrosity made to spread the very thing that it’s not, a challenge is presented. Our species must walk over the broken glass of its past, but just continuing to travel blindly, unaware of the connections that hold us together, is an unwise choice that will be the penultimate decider of our fate. The ultimate? Whether we stay true to our decision. We will forever wander through the endless embodiment of time and space, but our visions will be cleared by the intuition we have collected from our cages.

Téa U (11M)