Lockdown Life From a Teen Perspective

May 12, 2020

This virus has left us with shaken feelings and shattered dreams but also taught us many new values to live by during the current lockdown. You can think of it as the worst or the best time of your life.

Life changed for me ever since the lockdown had been announced. Everyone has changed ever since this virus entered our lives. I think all of us have learned to be more humble, patient and understanding.

When one day of the curfew was announced, I did not mind the fact that I would have to be inside the whole day. Surprisingly, that one day went by in a flash. Not long after, I was notified about the extension of lockdown for two more weeks. In this way, the lockdown has continued to extend and is still on today as well.

Well…. How did I spend my time?

At first, I was bored but as the days passed by, I tried productively spending my time, doing things I had never thought of doing before. I slowly started helping my mom out with cooking and now I am creating my dishes and I am trying out a cooking challenge. I decided to advance my art skills and now have a drawing book of my own filled with creative ideas. I even began to eat more healthily and therefore have recently lost a lot of weight by living an active lifestyle since I have started exercising every day. Soon, I mastered the art of playing the keyboard and learned many new songs as well. I also studied more during this period, read new books and helped my mom teach one of her students in the morning. In this way, I also improved my work. Most of all, I learned the art of appreciating the littlest things I got and I
am thanking God for the blessings I received. I reminded myself that I was still alive and that luckily, I was not suffering from this deadly virus. Boy, was I happy that the virus was not in town!

However, as the days passed by, I began to count how many more days were remaining for the lockdown to end. Life became worse and worse for me. My AC remote was taken away from me due to the faster spread of the virus in the cold and I began to have sleepless nights because of the scorching heat of the summer. My piano stopped working when I had grown attached to it. My legs became sore because I played too much and over-exerted my body. I stopped teaching and studying and started shouting at the people in my house. Slowly, my ideas of artwork never entered my head anymore. I longed for some delicious food every night. I could not read books on my Kindle due to no access to the internet connection. Tears rolled down my eyes as I missed my grandma who I was supposed to stay with for two weeks while my parents went to Bengaluru together. I got bored with doing chores. Cases began to increase and very soon our town had become a red zone. The lockdown felt unending and it felt unbearable to be stuck at home in such devastating conditions.

How did I manage to be like this? Well…. I adjusted.

I managed to sleep only with a fan on even though my skin was very sensitive to heat from the beginning.

I learned to live without the piano until it got fixed and cried tears of joy when I played it after it was fixed. (Do not worry…. Nobody saw me). I lost some more weight and made myself eat the food that was given to me. I called my grandma every day so I did not miss her that much. I resumed teaching and continued to improve my mental ability. I learned to be calmer instead of shouting at everyone. I played just enough so that I would not feel weak later. The death toll in India became the least compared to other countries. I continued to help my mom cook and made new dishes. This time, I wiped away my tears instead of just crying.

This lockdown became a time of healing for me. I bled and I healed. I cried and I smiled. Life taught me that lockdown is not just being cooped up inside your home. There is a lot more to it indeed. Now, as I write this in the comfort of my own home, I relive all the memories I made during this lockdown. This situation might not have changed but it changed me. It is better to always look on the bright side of life. Hey! Do not blame me for copying the catchphrase of the bright side channel.

 

 

By Bhavna Pais
Bhavna Pais is currently studying at St Theresa’s School, Mangaluru. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut and later resided in Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Mangaluru, India in 2015. Currently, she resides at Urwa, Mangaluru. She has a keen interest in writing and has won laurels in creative writing contests. She is inspired by her aunt Renita D’silva who is an author.
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Comment on this article

  • ROHAN FERNANDES, Udupi/ Dubai

    Sat, May 16 2020

    Dear Bhavna,
    Congratulations
    Very Well Written
    Beautifully expressed

  • Anil Danthy, Shirva

    Sat, May 16 2020

    Though I read it late I feel I was lucky that I didn't miss it.. Exactly..as it has been rightly said the virus Corona has been analysed by many categories of human life in a different way. Looking at it the 'teen' way was something unique and interesting thought... Congratulations Bhavana ...Wish to see you here very often...

  • Judith D'Souza, Bangalore

    Fri, May 15 2020

    Congratulations !! Bhavna
    Very well written !
    I really appreciate your positive outlook
    You are an inspiration
    Good luck ! Keep writing

  • Namitha Pais, Mangalore/ Texas

    Thu, May 14 2020

    Dear Bhavna,
    So proud you! Very well written indeed!
    Mischka, Mana, uncle Roshan send their best wishes.
    Keep writing!
    Aunty Namitha

  • CECILIA FERNANDES, DURHAM

    Thu, May 14 2020

    Awesome Expression of all your feelings put into such an amazing narrative!
    Thank you for expressing and please continue to do so in the most honest manner...you are a gift to the world dear Bhavana. Lots of love- Ceci

  • Dr Gerald PInto, Kallianpur

    Thu, May 14 2020

    Nice artilce, positive outlook. Congrats Bhavana. Beautifully written. Try to compete with aunty Renita.

  • Allister Moreira, Mangalore Jeppu

    Thu, May 14 2020

    Very good work Bhavana...God bless

  • Flavia Almeida, Sastan/Matpady/New York

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Very nice article during lock down period Bhavna, Congrats, Keep writing. Best of luck in the future. God bless.

  • Annie Quadras, Mangalore/Bangalore

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Very well written Bhavna. Your are really talented. Congratulations and God bless you. Hope you will write many more.

  • Lumeena Fernandes, Mumbai/Mangalore

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Congratulations to you dear Bhavna for your beautiful & apt presentation of the lockdown.

  • Keerti, New York

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Bhavna , your article was moving and came by at a time when I wondered what I would do in this situation if I was a child/teenager. My son who is 8 is also fond of instruments and I cannot imagine what he would do without them. You really hit the right chords here for us in your article !

  • Steve, New york

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Great article Bhavna, we have a budding writer here! Looking forward to many more articles from you.

  • Evans C. Sumitra, Udupi/ New York, USA.

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Bhavna Pais, I have no words to express on your mind-blowing article. I don't know what to say, whether it is heart breaking or soothing for one's mind. This article should be pondered by both young and old. As everybody knows, this deadly COVID-19 has shaken and changed the entire world in many ways. God bless you abundantly and give you more ideas and inspiration in the coming years.

  • Anil Dsouza, Halealve

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Dear Bhavna,

    Very candid and free flowing article. Well written indeed. Looking forward for many more.

  • Bhavna Pais, Kallianpur/Mangalore

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Heartfelt thanks for all your lovely comments! Theye really lift me up.

  • Vincent Alva, Pamboor

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Dear Bhavna, it is a beautiful article written by a teenager with her beautiful thoughts. This article definitely would be an inspiration to other kids like you who find it very hard to spend time during the lockdown. You are an optimistic child, making the best use of the available situation around. It is always said you get thousands of reasons to complain about what is not around you until you realize that there are so many things around which you have not paid attention too. Life is beautiful and you have shown that it could be made more beautiful if you have the intuition to make it so.

    Congratulations on the beautiful article.

  • Dorothy, Dubai/Kemmannu

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Dear Bhavana,

    Well written article. You have God gifted talents. You are not only good in writing but excellent in singing as well. I have heard your songs and you have a very powerful, mesmerising voice just like your Dad i heard him singing other day. You have picked up writing skills from your Aunt Renita, Singing from Dad and of course Public speaking will come from Grandma. God Bless you and keep it going. You are an inspiration to the teenagers.

  • Ivan Saldanha-Shet, Mangalore. Rosario

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Dear Bhavana, Indeed your positive experience and article is a good one. Surely, it will help many, the young and not so young to benefit and reflect on the facts of lock-down and adjust better. It is going to be a story spinner and mixed memory for a long time to come. I pray and wish you and yours will do well in the future too. Thanks. -ivan.

  • Renita, Kallianpur/London

    Wed, May 13 2020

    So so proud of you Bhavna! It is no small achievement to be internationally published af thirteen! Such a well written, honest and brilliant article that takes us through a range of emotions and teaches us that the most important thing-is to be positive and make the best of circumstances. We should all learn from you . What a wise girl. So proud to call you my niece! Brilliantly written - the first of many!

  • Ivilla Monteiro, Mangalore / Abu Dhabi

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Very well written article Bhavna.. congratulations & keep it up!

  • Irene Sequeira, Derebail/CA,US

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Very well written Bhavna. Keep writing and someday you may compete with your aunt Renita.

  • Hilda D Silva, Kallianpur

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Am I not very proud of you Pillo.? You have penned down your feelings so well.Keep writing Pillo.God bless you.Lots of love. Hilda Grandma

  • Wilson Dsa, Kallianpur

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Very nicely briefed. I hope many teenager read this article and experience the lockdown positively. You have very good writing skills
    Keep writing and wish you all the best

  • Loy, London

    Wed, May 13 2020

    Bhavna,
    Such a well written article. Congrats, and may you write many more.
    Loy

    PS: You should add "writing" to one of the many useful things you spent time on during the lockdown.


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