County Clare 2020:
A Day in My Life
Creative Writing Competition for children and teenagers
Shortlisted 13 to 15 category
County Clare 2020: A Day in My Life
by Ella Brody
Dear Ella,
How are you now? Are you happy? Well, I'm writing this to you in 2020 (I know, what a year right?). I want to tell you and whatever family you have now about what life was like for a 14-year-old girl during the Corona Virus pandemic.
I’ve been in lockdown since the 12th of March. Today is the 20th of April and restrictions don’t seem to be easing off anytime soon. When schools first closed, it finally sank in that this was serious. When we got the news, we were ecstatic! But little did we know that it wasn't going to be just a 3-week holiday of relaxing. Before we left school, my friends and I laughed, hugged and told each other to stay safe and well. Thank goodness we have phones and technology today because if I couldn’t text or facetime my friends then I know I would be going a lot more insane than I am at the moment. I feel lonely now and wish I could hug my friends again. It doesn’t feel the same laughing with them over a screen.
I miss my friends and grandparents the absolute most. I don’t know if you remember this, but we aren't allowed to go further than 2km from our homes unless it's for an essential trip, e.g. food shopping or medicine. That means I can't go to see my grandparents in Laois but they're cocooning just like all the grandparents in Ireland are at the moment. I miss my friends a lot too. I miss laughing until none of us could breathe or having secret conversations at the back of the class where nobody else could hear but us.
When Fridays came, it would either mean youth club or a disco. Youth club was great. All of us would sit together and just talk and laugh about everything under the sun. I've now gotten used to seeing everybody through a screen or just hearing their voice.
I think one of the hardest things about lockdown is watching the news and hearing them say that more and more innocent people are dying every day. I hate hearing about new cases being found mostly in nursing homes. I am so thankful for all the nurses and doctors and any essential worker in Ireland at the moment. They are saving lives every day and will be remembered forever as heroes.
In lockdown, I am mostly by myself all day. My dad and brother work on the farm so they're kept busy and my mother was working full time at her job up until two weeks before Easter when she quarantined with me. She is back to work now but only three days a week.
I realized I get easily distracted by almost everything in my home which isn't a good thing when I need to do my schoolwork. I get hyper around 12.00pm to about 2.30pm every day and during that time, to let go of my energy, I usually either go out on my hoverboard and listen to music or go for a run or walk with Cola my dog. As I said, I'm by myself almost all day but it's okay because I usually have plenty of schoolwork to keep me going and if I need anything, I can call my family.
I think my friends have reacted pretty much the same as me in lockdown. They want to see their friends and family also and we all just want to be in one room together and not be scared to sit too close or to high five each other. I will remember all the lives that have been lost or damaged during this pandemic and having to stay inside for days on end not knowing when all this madness is going to stop.
I hope in 2040, when you are reading this to your kids, that life is happy and healthy for you and everyone around you. If you ever feel down, just remember you got through this pandemic so you can get through almost anything.
Lots of love from your 14-year-old self.
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