I miss my friends— and cheeseburgers

Diary Entry 1

I miss my friends. That sounds corny, I know but it’s true. Before COVID, I was hanging with my crew every school day. Schoolwork was easier when you had a friend near you to give you the answers (don’t judge me— you try memorizing the Periodic Table). The homework assignments were always manageable during my free lunch period because a group of kids also didn’t do it. 

I miss the dumb conversations about girls and complaining about how long the 35 was taking. People always forget how important interactions are. High Schools hard enough, but throw remote learning in there with no chance of talking to your friends? Torture. I love my family, but seeing them every day from morning to night can be extremely tiring. Especially when you share a room with your slightly younger teenage brother who likes shouting into his gaming mic while playing Call of Duty. 

There’s always that feeling of losing the people closest to you. COVID has separated people from their families and has created ridges between friends. I know people feel the distance in their own lives. After this entry, I’m gonna call up my dudes and dudettes, and tell them how much they mean to me. It’s good to help people feel appreciated. 

Diary Entry 2 

I finished a meeting about the possibility of applying to college via early decision, and it got me thinking about how much school has changed since COVID hit. It used to just be about passing, and getting good grades. I’ve never really had to think about the next step in my life. College. Damn, even that word makes me feel nervous. I still have about a year left before I graduate, but the feeling is daunting… and exciting too. 

School was always about learning the basics of Algebra and Biology. While I was trying to figure out polynomials and variables, Juniors and Seniors in my school were having heart attacks thinking about the next steps in their lives. I never got it, but I do now. We’re becoming adults, and the next steps in our lives just got a lot more complicated. They don’t teach adult experiences in school. They’ll teach history, but making our own way in the world is many times harder than writing a 5-page term paper about New Imperialism. 

I find I’d rather write that term paper over and over instead of growing up. As much as I want to be like Peter Pan, we can’t always get what we want. Growing up is a part of life. COVID was just another chapter in our lives— one that I for one can’t wait to close. No, really. Can we get on with it? I’d like to eat a Five Guys double bacon cheeseburger with fries on the side in the restaurant.

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Diary Entry 3 

COVID really changed my mom. She used to hate the idea of having pets, so when she announced she wanted a dog, I was surprised. I’m pretty sure the pandemic fried some of her circuits, but I’m not complaining. We’ve had Eddie for a while now, and I can say with confidence, I dislike and like having a dog. The fact Eddie likes me is great, and his cuddles are awesome. His dumps, on the other hand, are atrocious. I won’t tell you the disgusting details.

This dog is a bottomless pit of hunger. I’ll feed him his portion of food, and when I start to eat, he’ll give me that wounded look. Jokes on him, I never share food. Maybe a little bit. Getting a dog is probably the only positive thing that happened during COVID besides Biden being elected and AOC just being herself. Other than that, COVID has just been a downward spiral of bad days or just days blending together.  

Eddie has probably kept my family sane. I know for a fact we’d be at each other’s throats. He brings a sense of calm with him. He never barks and is won over easily with food (much like me). I love that dog.