Staying Connected During COVID-19

The way I cope with being inside so much is to keep busy. One way I cope is playing video games with my friends online. I also read a lot when I feel bored and don’t know what else to do. The only way I go outside is when I need to or when I’m forced to. I have two cats that I like to play with and I like to prank my sister too. My mom has been making me breakfast every day and that helps me stay busy because I am eating more than I normally would in a day. Homework is also keeping my mind off of COVID-19. I hate it but it does take up time during the day.

The most social life I have now is with my friends online. Me and my friends play a lot of fun games. The games are what keep me and my friends entertained, it’s the company we provide for each other. I don’t really talk to a lot to my family. I have always been a person to stay inside in my room so this virus hasn’t really affected anything I do, except having to do school online. It is nice because I can do my work in my pajamas and there aren’t other students distracting me. My sister misses her friends and is having a hard time with not being able to hang out with them. My mom says it’s hard to have us home all day every day. She misses her friends too and the only time she really gets out is to do grocery pickup at Wal-Mart. I know she misses her parents and her nephew too.

I talk with my friends online so that is how I keep in touch. My sister FaceTimes her friends all the time and it is so annoying. Sometimes she goes to the Falls with her friends to get out, but they stay 6 feet apart when they do. A lot of things haven’t changed for me because I don’t talk to a lot of them in the first place. The people in my family that only occasionally talk are me, my dad, my mom, my grandparents, and sometimes my sister; the rest are mostly distant. My mom calls and FaceTimes her friends. She has also gone to her best friend’s house and sat outside so they could visit.

I am not really helping anyone other than not going outside and having contact with people that don’t live in my house. I would help the community but I don’t know what I would do because I’m stuck inside. I guess I could help out around my family’s farm. I am also making sure I wash my hands a lot and don’t touch my face. I also wipe off the groceries with disinfectant wipes when my mom brings them in the house when she has been to the store.

In conclusion, I think it’s good that everyone is distant to stop the virus from spreading, but it is bad for those who love to go outside and spend time with people. The social distancing will help slow the spread, but I hope it ends soon because I like to be home alone and my mom and sister never leave. I do not want to see all these people die. My grandparents and dad are at the age where they could be more likely to contract it and I don’t want to lose them or my dad. I will follow the rules and do my part like I have been doing and stay inside and play with my friends online.

—Joshua

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