OPINION: LETTERS TO MYSELF: QUARANTINE DIARIES SERIES

02/31/2020

My Spring break ended before it could even begin. I was set to go to Atlanta the week before they had shut down Texas Southern University. It was definitely in my mind at first to not go on my trip, but with the President first saying that it was okay, I thought it would be okay to go. One thing we are learning though, with this news coverage, news develops rapidly. In one instance when it was okay, by the end of the day or week; it can very much become different ball game. The world around me didn’t just change for myself, but also for those around me. Schools started to close and my mom’s job quarantined her to her home after two employees were diagnosed with COVID-19. Before I knew it, I received a letter in my e-mail explaining online classes for the rest of the semester. My brother received the same email, and dozens across the nation followed suit.

Since then, it has definitely been an adjustment for my family and I. I was so used to having a balance between work, school, and home. Now I feel very overworked and very much violated. As everything is now at home and there seems to be no separation. I was so used to a structure that I didn’t realize I had until it was taken from me. I don’t take online classes for a reason so this is definitely not very beneficial for me. I want to say that the school didn’t prepare us for this transition, but with as little time as they had, they did what they could. But now, everything that was very disorganized at the school is even more frustrating. I still haven’t heard from Kevin Adams or any counselors about me graduating and the mess that I was dealing with before all this crap happened. So once again, it’s a mess and frustration is amplified. However, I’m not allowing that from stopping me from just doing my work as best as I can.

My family, on the other hand is doing okay. We definitely have been spending more time as a family since the quarantine. My mom has asthma and is a risk factor to all of the stuff that is happening, after her job had two people test positive for COVID-19, she has been working from home. With me working from home as well, and us both having to be in meetings a lot of times, I have to go outside or find a quiet place to take calls. My brother just started his online classes as well. So far, he hasn’t had any complaints. It seems to be going better for him than me. Overall, we are all just trying to get used to this new found normalcy.

Hope all is Well,

Maiya Turner