The ball drops, and a new year is upon us. Everything is great, seeing friends, going to school, going out and getting food with everyone, seeing random people, and going to sporting events. Everything is NORMAL … until it is not … and there is just nothing. You are sitting in your bedroom alone, wondering when it will be over, waiting, and waiting. At least, that is how a dramatic narrator would portray the beginning of 2020.
Friends are great for many things, but they can also be detrimental to your self-being and growth. When the world went on pause, so did many friendships. The only way we could do anything was to see each other through a screen. For me and many, this was very unfortunate as they were used to seeing their friends in person every day.
As Smith said, he hit a block. He had to find new ways to write poetry because he did have that everyday interaction with random strangers he did previously. He was alone, and the one thing he needed was people, but this vacancy allowed him to grow his writing skills. In class, we discussed this, and many people felt the same. Along with our discussion, the podcast made me think about the things I did last spring, and this summer to stay connected. For me personally, I spent a lot of that alone time literally being alone. It allowed me to do anything and everything I wanted to do. I worked out a lot but also took the time to sit down and think. I learned to cope with a lot of things that I previously reached out for help for (don’t take that like I am not seeking help when I truly need it, I just found new ways of dealing with problems), I explored new ideas in the world of physics, things that have always fascinated me. Alone time was and is awesome because it allows me to be free from any distractions that friends create. I am not saying to never talk to your friends again, rather I am saying take some time for yourself and think about what you want to think about.
The moral of the story is although our current situation is far from ideal, there are many learning opportunities from being in such isolation. So I encourage you to take some time for yourself and think about things or do something you really want to do.
Constructions of Gender in Literature 