Dear me from 5 years ago,

Right now, you’re going through something terrifying. Something confusing and purely frustrating. You were expecting a two week shut down from but all of a sudden it becomes a month long. Sports seasons may have been postponed, important events and meetings have been canceled and you’re upset and scared. Or you may be on the other side of the spectrum where you think this is all being blown way out of proportion and that it’s really not that big of a deal. Well, let me give you a small reality check. You live in a very suburban area. Tucked into one of the many pockets of Pittsburgh. And for you, the severity might have not hit yet even though those right nearby you are being directly impacted. However, this isn’t just an issue your school, city, state, or even country is having. It is a global pandemic. Thousands have lost their lives and their loved ones are suffering through this. But I’m not here to scare anyone into isolation. I’m here as a glimmer of hope in a tough time. 

So hear me out.

It does end. You are let out of the cages you call home eventually. However, life as you know it no longer exists. You may be planning how once you’re allowed to leave the house you will be meeting up with everyone. But the harsh truth is that the fear of coming in contact with another human being that has a chance of being sick has been etched into our minds. The idea of casual high fives slowly declines. While the amount of people washing their hands and continuously using hand sanitizer is still at an increase (even though this should’ve been a given before the pandemic).

Along with this, the pandemic has shown humanity that almost everything can be done remotely. Keyword almost. With so many jobs that need to be done in person out of work, the economy came drastically plummeting down. And with that this gives us another chance to notice that our phones are definitely not our only saving grace. Just being away from school will lead you to realize that what you miss the most about it are the small daily interactions I have with other students. Students that don’t necessarily text or call outside of school but their small joking comments make any normal school day that much more enjoyable.

I’m gonna end this little message by saying how you are in the most interesting time in your life to be experiencing this sort of catastrophe because right now you are watching more and more schools trying to adapt to the new lifestyle. Luckily, at North Allegheny precautions for remote learning have already been taken. However, other schools in Allegheny County alone are having to make decisions about holding back whole grades a year back because they are unable to fulfill schooling requirements. So, smile. It’s going to be fine.

Basically, all I am trying to say is that you’ve come this far and that it’s your issue now that you need to deal with and there shouldn’t always be a finger pointing towards someone else. Everybody has to do their part. This is a  plead from the future. So please please stay safe, stay inside, and think of the greater things to come.

– 2025