Covid-19 hit all of us out of nowhere and forced most of us to stop going outside. With all that free time left, what other choice did we have then to stay at home and enjoy all this spare time? Of course, like many others, I still had to deal with online school, but after finishing all the needed work for it I was basically a free woman. For the first few days, I decided to spend all my time relaxing and scroll mindlessly through social media. Honestly, if I didn't have any other interests and responsibilities, that would probably be the only thing I'd spend my life doing. (It's an addiction, I know. Many of us suffer from it). But after those few days, I realized with all this time I should be doing something more meaningful and something that will benefit me in the future. And so, I opened up my laptop and began writing.
Throughout these five months alone, I've written more than I ever have in my life. Through many failed WIP's, I'm almost done the first draft of a story I started in April. Although quarantine has made many of us stir crazy, I have to give it the credit of forcing me to get serious about my writing. Even though I write as a hobby, the happiest I've been has been honing my skills as a writer and creating a story from scratch that came from my mind. I can see from my own sisters, that quarantine has greatly benefitted them too. My youngest sister has greatly improved her art skills and she practices drawing everyday. (My other sister spends most of her time on TikTok, but let's not talk about that). I have written so much, I look back on it and know that if quarantine never happened, this story wouldn't have even existed. I've even gotten into baking, using the skills I learned from the hospitality course I took last year to bake cookies, banana bread, and cupcakes. I found myself with a new hobby I never would've found the time to do if I still had to go to school.
Quarantine has also helped me open my eyes to the injustices in the world. With the Black Lives Matter movement strong as ever, I used the time to educate myself on the oppression black people have faced throughout the decades. I have learned so much and I have social media and internet to thank for giving us access the resources to educate ourselves. Another benefit quarantine has provided is that since everyone is social media, it is easy for everyone to spread the word about an injustice and for everyone to see it. While we are at home, we have the time to speak out against these issues and make our voices heard. Quarantine has given a boost to these movements, forcing everyone at home to listen and make a difference.
Overall, this quarantine has given many of us the chance to get back into old hobbies and figure out what makes us happy. It has given many of us the opportunity to speak out against issues and gain much needed attention. Of course, this doesn't excuse the fact that people have lost family and friends due to this horrible pandemic. But to those of us fortunate enough to stay at home in the comfort of our homes: make the most of it. Do some baking, do some writing, do some reading. Get on social media, make a difference. In today's world, there are so many things we can do to make ourselves better people and change the world, even if we are just at home. With all this time, what have you done to make the most out of quarantine? I know I'll come out of it, feeling like a new person.
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