THIS IS MORE FREE TIME THAN WE WILL HAVE EVER AGAIN

Brampton Libraries asked for youth submissions on how they coped during social distancing and cancellation of the school year.

A selection, below:

Aleena Mughal: Although the virus brought us to a dangerous situation and a long quarantine, we can use this time to work on new hobbies and do things we normally don’t have time for. I learned  that it’s very hard to find motivation to do courses online from home. The most amazing thing I did during this time was studying a new language that I’ve always wanted to.

Yasleen Multani: The most amazing thing that I learned during this period is how much the Earth has been impacted by this virus. With social distancing, air pollution has gone down by a large amount. People have been fighting global warming and climate change for decades, yet no one took the steps to change it. Some people made excuses that it cannot be reversed, but now, when people are staying inside, the Earth is healing! Although this is a terrible situation, we all need to keep our heads up and not give up hope. This is more free time than we will ever have again, and we should use it to the best of our abilities.

Niranjana N. Nambiar: COVID-19 is what scientists have named it.  We have named it a ruthless pandemic and the cause of an unprecedented time. I feel like society’s perspective on life has indeed changed. I have improved my artistic abilities and learned how to be a lot more quality-oriented with the abundance of time I have now. I’d like to encourage you all to use the time you have to learn something new. Rediscover yourself and be sure to put effort into all that you do! This current situation is not permanent, but our dedication and passion for the things we learn at this time, let alone any time, should always be!

Karsha Nanthakumar: I have learned the importance of talking to extended family and friends every day. I have also taken this time to learn new hobbies. The most amazing thing I did was spend time with family and take the time to get closer. I would like to say thank you to the front line workers and would like to spread love to all affected by COVID-19.

Akanksha Panda: My family and I played board games and I also called my cousins in India and we talked about the “shutdown” of the two countries. I painted a beach view on a canvas, baked desserts, and I started learning to knit. Overall, there are some advantages and disadvantages – mostly disadvantages – of this whole situation, but following the rules and being safe will get us through it.

Gursimran Pannu: I learned a few things about myself. I usually find myself as a not very social person and I don’t really want to go to school because of that. But now I think of myself as a little more social than before since I want to go to school so I can talk to my friends.

Ayush Patel: COVID-19 is very deadly to the older ages. Also, I am concerned about the virus because it has already been spread across the globe and it is very easy to get it. My positive take on this situation was to make sure to focus on my studies so I don’t fall behind. I learned that I am also very interested in chemistry.

Esha Patel: The COVID-19 situation is a stressful time for all. However, despite all the bad there is still some good that has come from all of this. Around the world, pollution and carbon emissions have decreased along with many animals returning to their natural habitats. Self isolation has given me time to take care of myself and take up new hobbies, such as baking and painting. I am also learning a new language. With all that’s going on, make sure to stay safe and take care of yourself and your families.

Ganesh Ramanathan: As a 15- year-old, I found this time is also useful for many positive things such as reflecting on our lives and what’s happening around the world, learning new things about ourselves, and learning new skills. I learned that I’m good at adjusting to new situations. I do school work, play video games and board games, do chores around the house, and do work-outs. I decided to look ahead to the upcoming year and improved my English vocabulary and learned trigonometry.  I also worked on my digital editing skills using iMovie and I think I am pretty good now!

Gurleen Rangi: I’ve learned a lot about myself in this time. I’ve learned that it was never my lack of time that stopped me from learning something new, it was simply my lack of willingness. I have been appreciating nature a lot more now. Exploring my own backyard suddenly seems a lot more appealing when we aren’t allowed to go outside. I have been getting much more done than I have gotten in my whole life. Overall, it’s important to focus on the bright side of things.

Avneet K. Saini: This isn’t just a spreading cold, it is a dangerous virus that’s escalating rapidly and aggressively. It was on everyone’s lips and the news. I learn and adapt to new knowledge, my personality traits and patterns in some of my negative thoughts in the day, through journaling and taking some online tests. This along with reading a lot of books and learning more about God and some of our Gurus through singing religious hymns was one of the most amazing things that I did during this time.

Aqueelah Samsudeen: I’ve come to learn so many things about myself. I’ve created so many art pieces and decorations. I’m a very introverted person with many more traits and qualities, but I’m really grateful for the time that I’ve been given to learn new things. I’ve learned how to be more productive in life. That, so far, has been my biggest success out of this.

Arpit Sandhu: We were all told to stay inside for our safety, which gave us a lot of free time to explore our passions and do something fun as a family. I learned how much I love the outdoors because I miss it a lot, although I go outside in my backyard. During this time, I made lots of paintings, such as a sunset, some tropical scenes, etc. I did some gardening in my backyard and grew some vegetables.

Abhinayan Sayanthan: All this time being indoors has pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone, learn new things and most importantly, approach everything in life positivity. This has been my most significant lesson. My most positive take from it all is to enjoy  the time you’ve got with your family. Although it can be irritating at times, the coronavirus has shown us that time is limited and life can be cut short unexpectedly. So while living in close quarters with your loved ones may seem tough sometimes, enjoy it because you don’t know when you’re going to be gone.