Surviving The Virus
If I'm being honest, it's taken me more than a few days to process my emotions and gather my thoughts, especially to be able to put it on paper... for lack of a better phrase. After the news of the rapid spread of COVID-19 broke, athletics took the forefront pretty quickly. What started as a very normal week, quickly escalated into an overwhelming amount of breaking news stories and cancellations. And with every update, my life became less normal, like so many others. Obviously millions and millions of people have been impacted worldwide. But for me, in our little world of athletics, it's hard to imagine life without it. You grow accustomed to working on a football field, developing relationships with student-athletes and coaches, and always discussing wins and losses, the potential for bowl games and championships, and ultimately, knowing who players are, on and off the court.
REALIZING MODERN PRIVILEGE
The other day, I was talking to a friend who is living in South Korea, about how overwhelming it was when we first found out about the extent of the virus, being quarantined and not necessarily knowing the next step- I think that's the scariest part. As a millennial and a US citizen, I think it becomes so easy for us to be dependent on technology, food sources and so much more. But what if within a week's timeframe, you find yourself unemployed and unable to find even the simplest living essentials. Waking up every morning to an increased number of cases, high death tolls, closures, hysteria and hatred that is happening all over the world has humbled me in a way that it never has before. Like I said, you get used to living your life in a certain way, your "normal"... and when that pretty much goes out the window, you don't really have much of a choice but to look around and realize all of the things in your life that you are so lucky to have.
STAYING SANE
I feel like I have been completely uprooted from my day-to-day routine. And for the past week and a half that I've been at home, I've been trying to find ways to get as close to "normal" as I can. For the past few days... When I wake up, I get out of bed and make myself a cup of coffee. Then I read for a little while and sometimes watch an episode or two before I workout. 9Round did me a huge favor by creating virtual workouts to do at home, so that I don't miss too much of a beat. Exercising has been a good distraction from the news and getting out of my own head- and it gives me a reason to shower. Then I usually have a snack (or three) and talk to my family before I start making dinner... But I've also been trying to reach out and keep tabs on my friends for my own sanity and theirs. I cook for myself all the time, so it's good for me to keep this up, even if it is with more limited grocery runs. After that, there's more tv time... I've been watching a lot of movies and starting new shows, so I've been making popcorn and drinking wine on a much more regular basis. Not a bad thing, if you ask me. I definitely want to create a more structured routine when I get back to my own apartment in Bloomington, but really the only thing that will likely be added is more re-organizing, an increase in online shopping, walking outside and spending more time in the kitchen.
BEING GRATEFUL
Above all, living through this has made me grateful for so much in my life. I am so blessed to still have a job and a steady income for the next few months, among many other things. You just never know the last time you will be able to cheer someone on, spend time with your friends and family, or have dinner at your favorite restaurant. Not to be dramatic, but the question I've been asking myself repeatedly over the last few days is, would I be satisfied with the life I lived if everything was wiped away tomorrow? Did I take care of myself? Would I know that I left a mark on something or someone? Did I tell my family and friends that I loved them? What is truly important to me? It's crazy how rarely I think about some of these questions, but I should... we all should. Too often, we make excuses for not taking the time to value, and reflect on, relationships and experiences that shape us. So while time seems to be slowed down, I want to encourage you to sit down, reflect, and answer these questions or others that you've been meaning to ask yourself. There's no time like the present, after all.