Lydia, May 2020
The past few months have been both the most enjoyable and the most frustrating. When we first were told that school was closed for two weeks, it was an exciting change from the busy schedule of our usual lives. It forced me to take a step back and allowed me to do things that I had been putting off for months or things that I always wanted to do but never seemed to find the time for. I was able to try to learn guitar, bake, draw, spend more time outside, catch up on sleep, and be around family. Even though it was fun to have all this extra time, there was also of course the concern of what was going to happen and when it was going to end. Each time the date for reopening was pushed back it felt like it would never end and was kind of frustrating. Of course the reason for pushing the date back was very important to keep us safe, it’s still hard to have the finish line in sight and then have it keep moving back.
Now that it’s been a little over two months, it’s harder to find things to do. In the beginning there were so many things to do because it was a pile up of things I had been wanting to do, but now that I have done them it’s a little more difficult. I miss being able to see my friends, I miss going to work, I miss being able to go out, and I even miss going to school. This period of time has certainly taught me not to take anything for granted. In math class we were talking about how when we are in school, we wish that we could sleep in, that the weekend was longer or that it was Summer. Now, we are basically living that way, but we wish we could go back to school to see our friends and teachers. We talked about how either way, we will be wishing for something else unless we take the time to appreciate the way things are in the present and find the good in it. I think that is very true and that is something that has been really important during this time because even though sometimes it seems never ending or boring, there is still so much to be grateful for. I am even more grateful for everything I have because I know there are so many people in the world who are having a much harder time right now. I hope we learn a lot from this experience so that if this ever happens again we will be prepared and be able to prevent more deaths and have less people suffering.
Lydia, June 2020
The recent events that have occurred in our country have been heartbreaking, horrific, and unjust, but they have also been eye opening. For far too long people in the black community have been oppressed. It is hard to believe that the freedoms Abraham Lincoln was fighting for in the 1850s are still something we must fight for today. Whether people are speaking out on social media, going to the protests, or educating themselves and others, there is currently a lot more awareness of the flaws that still exist within our country. When we all come together, I believe that change can happen, however, I think that we should do it with love in our hearts, not hate. During the Vietnam War, American protesters gave flowers to the guardsmen and urged other protestors to “make love, not war” while others threw stones and taunted the guardsmen. This seems a lot like the situation that our country is in right now. While some people are peacefully demonstrating others are rioting and looting. I think when there are issues of injustice or disagreement there are bound to be different ways people want to address them in order to bring about the most change. I think Martin Luther King Jr. said it best when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I think there are many examples of this in action in our country right now even though the media tends to portray more of the negatives. More importantly, there is a lot of love and support for the Black Lives Matter movement right now as protests for justice for George Floyd have occurred in all fifty states. There are people handing out cold water and food to protestors. There are people cleaning up the mess after riots and working together to rebuild businesses that were destroyed. I know that we have a long way to go, but I see a lot of love in our world right now even in all the darkness. I sincerely hope that this time will be different and that real changes will be made. I understand that change does not come overnight, but this is an issue that our country has been facing for over four hundred years and that is four hundred years too many.
The past few months have been both the most enjoyable and the most frustrating. When we first were told that school was closed for two weeks, it was an exciting change from the busy schedule of our usual lives. It forced me to take a step back and allowed me to do things that I had been putting off for months or things that I always wanted to do but never seemed to find the time for. I was able to try to learn guitar, bake, draw, spend more time outside, catch up on sleep, and be around family. Even though it was fun to have all this extra time, there was also of course the concern of what was going to happen and when it was going to end. Each time the date for reopening was pushed back it felt like it would never end and was kind of frustrating. Of course the reason for pushing the date back was very important to keep us safe, it’s still hard to have the finish line in sight and then have it keep moving back.
Now that it’s been a little over two months, it’s harder to find things to do. In the beginning there were so many things to do because it was a pile up of things I had been wanting to do, but now that I have done them it’s a little more difficult. I miss being able to see my friends, I miss going to work, I miss being able to go out, and I even miss going to school. This period of time has certainly taught me not to take anything for granted. In math class we were talking about how when we are in school, we wish that we could sleep in, that the weekend was longer or that it was Summer. Now, we are basically living that way, but we wish we could go back to school to see our friends and teachers. We talked about how either way, we will be wishing for something else unless we take the time to appreciate the way things are in the present and find the good in it. I think that is very true and that is something that has been really important during this time because even though sometimes it seems never ending or boring, there is still so much to be grateful for. I am even more grateful for everything I have because I know there are so many people in the world who are having a much harder time right now. I hope we learn a lot from this experience so that if this ever happens again we will be prepared and be able to prevent more deaths and have less people suffering.
Lydia, June 2020
The recent events that have occurred in our country have been heartbreaking, horrific, and unjust, but they have also been eye opening. For far too long people in the black community have been oppressed. It is hard to believe that the freedoms Abraham Lincoln was fighting for in the 1850s are still something we must fight for today. Whether people are speaking out on social media, going to the protests, or educating themselves and others, there is currently a lot more awareness of the flaws that still exist within our country. When we all come together, I believe that change can happen, however, I think that we should do it with love in our hearts, not hate. During the Vietnam War, American protesters gave flowers to the guardsmen and urged other protestors to “make love, not war” while others threw stones and taunted the guardsmen. This seems a lot like the situation that our country is in right now. While some people are peacefully demonstrating others are rioting and looting. I think when there are issues of injustice or disagreement there are bound to be different ways people want to address them in order to bring about the most change. I think Martin Luther King Jr. said it best when he said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I think there are many examples of this in action in our country right now even though the media tends to portray more of the negatives. More importantly, there is a lot of love and support for the Black Lives Matter movement right now as protests for justice for George Floyd have occurred in all fifty states. There are people handing out cold water and food to protestors. There are people cleaning up the mess after riots and working together to rebuild businesses that were destroyed. I know that we have a long way to go, but I see a lot of love in our world right now even in all the darkness. I sincerely hope that this time will be different and that real changes will be made. I understand that change does not come overnight, but this is an issue that our country has been facing for over four hundred years and that is four hundred years too many.