A little over two weeks ago our nation started to hit a bump in the road when universities, especially Stony Brook University decided to go online and have remote classes for the rest of the semester. This decision was calculated because of the global pandemic of COVID-19 to stop the spreading of this new and unknown virus. Since then, the government has been making precautionary measures for this country to help stop the spreading of this virus. Here in New York we have been advised to stay in as much as possible and only essential work places should be working.
Unfortunately, I work at a grocery store where my work is considered essential. Everyday when I work I am posed with the stressful analyzation that I might get exposed to the virus today and I may not know it. This is a problem that most, if not all Americans have faced during this pandemic. This is a situation that no one in their lifetime has ever really dealt with. The type of questions of will I get infected today, how long will this last, will I know anyone who will suffer in this virus are all stressful and anxious ridden questions. The fact of the unknown is causing a very tough time for Americans, and on top of it being stuck in your house and practicing social distancing are very unknown measures that are causing a confusing and scary time for people.
This being said, the last thing I have been thinking about are my deadlines and projects due for school. My university gave me two weeks off and then basically shut down the campus. My mind is completely else where thinking about school. I purposely never chose online classes because I knew I wouldn't be the best at handling them, and now after two weeks of stressful thinking and dealing with the public in more extreme matters, I have to go back taking classes full force since we are now in the middle of the semester and time is running out. This just adds to the difficulty of the day to day here in America right now. Maybe I am taking this time to vent to you guys, but we also have to think about all those students that had to move back home, those with time differences, those who's home life isn't quiet at all, those who relied on the library to get their work done. It's all these tiny things that put together can make a huge impact on the extra changes in out lives. This is nothing that we can control and we need to adapt to this new lifestyle for some time, I think I am just hoping that professors, universities and students can all be strong enough to handle the rest of this semester, including myself.
Please be safe and stay home.
