The Perils of Buying a Calendar

April 24 2020 Caitlin Brosnan Transition Year

It’s funny to think, sitting at my desk writing this, that we have been social distancing for 45 days now. I find it hard to believe that for six weeks I have been at home, not able to see anyone outside of my family and not even able to go to school and see my friends. It’s ironic now, but at the start of this year, I got myself a calendar for the first time because I was so busy at the start of TY with all our activities and the sports I play so I thought I would get organised. Now, on my calendar, from March onwards there’s nothing I can write on the calendar except an ever-shifting date when this is all supposedly due to end. Every time that date gets closer and closer all I can see is it being pushed out further.

Now I’m not saying that the lockdown is driving me absolutely mental and making me go insane, because parts of it I am enjoying. I might not be able to see my friends and play sports, but I am able to do things that usually I wouldn’t be able to do because I wouldn’t have the time for it. I’m able to bake, go for a run every day, read and spend more time with my family.

At the start of the lockdown one of my friends said to me that she couldn’t imagine how I was dealing because I normally never had time to myself. It definitely got me thinking about what I was going to do. In a way the lockdown happening now has been a blessing, because I’m always worrying about hypothetical events in the future, but now these events are happening. If it happened during my Leaving Cert I don’t think I would be able to survive! All I would be doing would be stressing and studying!

Another blessing is that we have been so lucky so far with the weather. There were a couple of bad days where it was raining, but other than that it’s been warm and sunny. I have been able to enjoy going outside and watching the sunset. I love being able to go outside on a walk, run or playing basketball. Obviously, I’m looking forward for this to end, but at the same time I am nervous as I don’t know what way things are going to be like because of the economy and everyone globally being affected. Thankfully though, I feel lucky that no one close to me has suffered from the coronavirus.