WE’RE LIVING THROUGH FUTURE HISTORY LESSONS

Summer is slowly slipping into fall. It will go down in memory as a period in which we had a lot of time to reflect, in which we learnt new ways of doing things and perhaps, also a few new things about ourselves. Brampton Libraries asked for youth submissions on the summer that wasn’t.

A selection, below:  

Rabia Ahmad: In quarantine, I have realized how much of a privilege every day really is. Even though at times it feels like our lives have stopped in motion, there are many things to be grateful for. During this time I learned to really think about things from other people’s perspective and to check up on them. Everyone has a difficult time in their lives and it is very important for someone to be there for them. I have set goals and am making the best of quarantine.

Khushboo Patel: One thing that I learned about myself was that I must improve on motivating myself as simple tasks such as getting out of bed require me to use a lot of energy. The most amazing, but the shocking thing that I learned was that we take so many things for granted. I always took my privilege to walk outside whenever I wished to for granted. I now miss going outdoors very much.

Pooja Patel: To get through these times, I have been channelling my inner creator and used creative outlets such as knitting, colouring and painting to pass time. In addition to keeping my mental health up, I have been working on staying healthy by ensuring that I am staying active. I  have been working out daily and growing my passion for yoga. I’ve never done yoga, but there are many resources and tools online that have helped me start my journey and can help you start yours, too, for whatever it may be!

Diya Sharma: As if something had cast a shadow over our world, the shadow continued to grow and get out hand to the point where staying inside was defined as being a hero. COVID-19 is much more than a health crisis and has definitely given everyone time to reflect upon their actions. Focusing on the positive side is allowing many to understand that the root of the problem may have been how we were all taking everything for granted. I learned how with success comes patience and it has helped me to cope with the current situation and spread more love.

Parul Sharma: Our daily routines began to shut down, our favourite hang out spots turned deserted, our friends and family members soon distanced themselves. Our lives have been impacted, some might say for the good, others might say for the bad. I personally think it’s a life lesson taught by nature, to preserve what we have, with love and care.

Mohid Siddique: Personally, I’ve used the lockdown as a chance to reorganize and finally get to reading an ever-growing stack of books. The situation has also made me realize just how much I enjoyed the basic routine of going to school and having an average day with friends. It truly is the simple things that I paid no attention to before, that I now miss the most.

Mahekpreet Sra: As scary and upsetting this situation is, we all can take something positive away from it. “Look for something positive each day, even if some days you need to look harder (Unknown)”.  By thinking of the good, we can change our whole outlook on life, and it can help boost our self-esteem, happiness, mental health, and make others’ days a little brighter. I have learned  so many online platforms that are on the Brampton Library digital library page. I was recently introduced to Creativebug, and I enjoy looking through it to find fun crafts to do in my free time. This pandemic has really shown me the core values of hope, love, and support.

Vajran Sugunanavalan: A valuable lesson I took away from this was a video editing journey, as there will always be something more to learn. No matter how hard you work to get everything done, there will always be another challenge waiting for you. The virtue of patience and the resolve to continue to work hard is what will get you anywhere in life, whether it be in school, at home, or even in the workplace, these two things are truly the key to life. So even though COVID-19 has caused tremendous issues and terrible changes to society, it still allowed for me to truly see what life is all about – not video games, but the resolve to learn, and work hard.

Jassimran Suri: Never would I have ever thought that I would be living through a world pandemic. As some may also say, we’re living through future history lessons. Crazy, right? I’ve been able to improve my dancing and it’s my New Year’s resolution to learn to play the piano and ukulele, so I’ve been able to do that. I’ve also been catching up on my ‘Netflix life’. Finally, I have also learned a lot about myself. Especially about stuff like my patience level. It can get hard to deal with life at a time like this, but you have to have hope and know it’ll come to an end. Patience is really key at a time like this.

Kethusha Uthayakumar: The COVID-19 pandemic is an occurrence that has truly stolen the books of global history. Out of the blue, we are all confined within the walls of our homes, similar to how Elsa and Anna were isolated within their castle in Disney’s Frozen. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to stay home for the betterment of our communities. I have learned to look at the positive side of things.  As stated by someone, “When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine”. We should all step over the negativity, and be the sunshine to the gloomy days that prevail upon our society. With everyone’s sunshine in conjunction, it is guaranteed that our normal lives will reach back to us.

Sriya Yalavarthy: Sooner or later, schools will reopen, the library will reopen. Life will eventually go back to how it was before COVID-19 drew us all into our homes. I might not have the amount of time I have now to devote to my passions, but if there’s one thing I have learned, it is that every minute is invaluable and there is so much that I can accomplish if I set my mind to it. As Michael Altshuler put it, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Now that I’ve learned this lesson, I know I am going to be the best pilot I can be, steering time in the direction I choose.