The good, the bad and the ugly of lockdown

JHANRE PRETORIUS WRITES:

They say change is a good thing, but who would have thought that one thing would change so much.

We all had big plans for 2020.

I was going to graduate. This was going to be a year of happenings, joy and great achievements.

It turned out to be a year of hypersomnia and over-eating.

The night that they announced the closer of schools; we laughed. “Yeah, no more exams.” All fun and games 'till we realised that this meant maybe not graduating in 2020.

The Covid-19 lockdown was a huge lesson to me. It taught me to appreciate the normal, not take for granted what I have.

I learned to love school for one. E-learning is the worst thing to happen to a matric student.

Aside from the studies, this lockdown ment isolation from my family and friends but the hardest was not being able to go to church.

No one saw Covid coming, no one knew when the clock struck 00:00 on the 1st of January 2020 that this year was going to be a year of face masks, hand sanitizers and self-isolation.

Yet, I can say that Covid was not all bad. Apart from the lives it took, Covid forced families to bond. It made me humble and helped me get in sync with God.

Corona virus didn't infect me but it did affect my life. It changed me. It taught me that not everything you plan is likely to happen. Always expect a curve ball.

I got to know myself. I discovered new talents and helped change people's lives through the Holy Spirit's guidance by sending biblical voice notes via whatsApp to my peers since church was closed.

Life is always so rushed. Lockdown paused us. Made us stop and listen, feel and experience. It calmed our heart beats.

I had to sit down with myself and ask myself what's wrong. I had to face my demons in my head. Clear away the stress and worries and thanks to lockdown I had nothing but time to do so.

It gave me the answer to questions that made my head ache. After staying up for numerous nights, the answer was simple.

All I needed was to talk to God. Thanks to lockdown I could fight my insecurity demon without having to worry about my biology homework.

My region was the first to go into lockdown and today we are still in treated different than the rest of the country. Yes, it is hard and depressing.

I had four days of school before we were told to close, again. That is 24 hours of school. One day.

I use to hate going to school, seeing the same people, day after day. Use to hate it while I had it.

Now there is nothing else I want more than chemistry homework or endless assemblies. Break times in the library, helping a grade 4 learner. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing their faces light up to a cover of a great book.

I'll be honest, I miss waking up at 05:30 for school. No matter the weather or circumstances. School is the one constant in my life, has been for 11 years. Well at least it was, before March.

This was my year of memories; 40 Days, matric farewell, stay awake and many other milestones. Covid-19 decided otherwise and I have been on lockdown since the 15th of March 2020.

I'd give up all those events just to be able to write my end of year examinations.

This uncertainty is a vicious tiger eating me from the inside. So I ask this virus to please stop infecting my fellow Namibian brother and sisters and let us write our exams.