I blame the quarantine for this situation we were thrown into on Friday, March 13, 2020. Students were sent home from school not knowing how long it would be until they could return. Any plans that we had were cancelled as everyone’s only duty was social distancing. Shelves of stores were like barren wastelands, completely rummaged through because everyone was rushing to prepare. Prepare for what? No one knew. Only time would tell. My initial reaction was not a great one. I was angry that my DECA trip to Nashville was cancelled, angry that I might not have a softball season, angry that I would not be able to see any of my friends for the longest time. As I blended into the quarantine life, I came to a realization. I could not change the situation, but I could change how I reacted to it. It diminished many opportunities, but there was a potential for it to bring me even more.
Opportunities to take a break.
Opportunities to catch up on my sleep.
Opportunities to eat healthier.
Opportunities to accomplish everything I had been wanting to do but had no time for.
Opportunities to become closer with my family.
Opportunities to reshape my schedule.
Opportunities to set a precedent for what my life will be like when everything becomes normal again.
Opportunities that I never would have had if it weren’t for this exact circumstance. I realized that the quarantine could have more positive effects for me than negative ones, it all depended on how I would decide to view it and how I would decide to act upon it. I blame the quarantine for opening my mind to a new way of thinking, and allowing me to look for opportunity in what had seemed like the worst of situations.
–Kaitlyn Pristawa, sophomore at Burrillville High School. “I wanted to share both my good and bad experiences with the quarantine.”