Time, Space and Life

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend” – THEOPHRASTUS

“When will the pandemic end? When will we be able to go out freely?” these were the questions that haunted everyone’s mind last year. These very questions, that occupied the majority of our thoughts, explain the change in Time and Space that each and every person has undergone last year due to the pandemic. Although the lockdown started as a temporary step to stagnate the growing cases of COVID-19, as time passed it soon became clear that the lockdown was here to stay. A lot of changes occurred last year, the school was shifted to an online medium, staying at home became a permanent disability, not interacting with people became the norm. Time became abundant and at the same time a deterrent to productive work. It soon became apparent that time management should be the skill of the year for all students. The lockdown gave us a golden opportunity for studying and at the same time it gave us a distraction that we never had before – too much time.

“I’ll do it tomorrow” this became the mantra of my life, with too much time in my hand I became lazy and started to deflect work. This started my long journey of procrastination. I wince as I recall the days I have wasted on procrastination and the amount of work I could have accomplished with it, especially in such a crucial period of my life. Over the year I have subconsciously picked up bad habits that have shown their performance in my daily and academic life. Although so much time also gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and get to know myself better, it also gave me a long needed rest from the hectic life of a high school student. This year has truly been memorable.

Last year is etched into everyone’s mind, we narrowly missed a contagious apocalypse, and we made so many new discoveries about the little stuff that we had forgotten about, the things that made life enjoyable. Out of the things that the lockdown took from us, the thing that I miss the most are my friends. I took the time I spent with my friends as granted and never recognized the importance of friendship in my life. After not meeting my friends physically for about a year, I have come to cherish the little memories that I made with all my family, friends and classmates.

School, is the space that I have missed the most. The school was like a corner stone in my life and the absence of it has put my life off balance. School was a space, which I had begun to hate and going to school was almost like a chore, a task that was distasteful and unpleasant. I took every chance I could to miss school with relish and relief, but the lockdown was refreshing and a long due slap to the face. Staying at home for such a long period made me understand the significance of going to school in my life, there were moments where I almost begged god to push the reset button for last year so that I could enjoy the long walks around the track field and the fast sprints in the school corridors. Although studying continued through the online medium, no one really forgot the classrooms and the gratifying atmosphere of fun and seriousness it bought with it.

Both time and space have changed a lot for me last year. The year 2020 was full of suspense, self-discovery and most importantly, valuable lessons that have enabled me to see the world a bit differently. The constant adjustments and transitions have strengthened and clarified the sense of perception of the important things around me. The abundance of time taught me the lesson of time management and how important it is in day to day life. The limitations and restriction placed around me in terms of my personal space and the surrounding space has left a lasting impression in my mind, it taught me the significance of our surroundings in the matters of my thoughts and mind. All of them have given me a valuable lesson that for better or worse will have a great impact on my life.