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Monday, April 13, 2020

" My Abstract Idea of Social Distancing" by Reginald M

     On March 30, 2020 there were currently over 5,700 confirmed cases of the coronavirus connected to the state of Florida opposed to the 160 cases recorded about 14 days before, according to an interactive dashboard from the Florida Department of Health. If the symptoms are estimated to become apparent roughly two weeks after an individual was initially exposed, what happened two weeks prior to March 30th? Spring break happened. NBC News stated that the population of beaches in Florida began to surge around March 17th. All of this occurred despite the local authorities already suggesting its communities to reduce their amounts of social activity and the duration individuals spent outside. This means we as a society must temporarily practice a way of life referred to as “social distancing”. By the standards of Merrium-Webster, social distancing translates to, “the practice of maintaining a greater than usual physical distance from other people or of avoiding direct contact with people or objects in public places during the outbreak of a contagious disease in order to minimize exposure and reduce the transmission of infection.” This implies keeping physical socializing to a minimum and, ultimately, staying home. Many seem to get this confused with “solitary confinement”. Florida assumed social distancing meant they couldn’t enjoy themselves and their spring break, resulting in the nonessential trips to the beach regardless of a pandemic.

      The nation may appear to be as though we are all under house arrest, completely devoured by boredom, but that couldn't be more on the contrary. Social distancing can be more than just a lockdown. While this is obviously a precaution to keep all United States residents healthy and safe, as well as prevent any excuse for society to break out into anarchy, to distance oneself means much more than simply safety. Social distancing is an opportunity to be productive. Having little freedom to do as you please in an event like this only allows for people to catch up on everything they didn’t have time to do before because they were too busy doing other things that involved going outside. Now there is no excuse for “not having enough time” to start working out at home or even to finish that book that’s been collecting dust on your desk. You can finally rearrange your room, watch that Netflix series all your friends keep talking about that may or may not be about tiger scandals, or even play all the video games you’ve had to sacrifice during a normal week of school. You can go through all of your old photos, learn new recipes, maybe even write poetry if that’s your thing, whatever it is you had no time to do before. If you’re missing the sun, now’s a better time than ever to put your backyards to use. No more waking up extra early to get ready and look good because now you have the pleasure of doing your notes and homework in bed. Sure, you won’t get to see a lot of friends or your favorite teachers anymore but at least now you can educate yourself in the comfort of your own home and put your focus into other things. Take this time to reflect on yourself, the goals you want to achieve during and after this quarantine, as well as appreciate the friends, family, and activities you are missing out on while we are confined to our homes.

      While social distancing may be an extreme inconvenience for those who are accustomed to their obligations outside of home, I see it as an opportunity to spend time with yourself and take advantage of the excess time and energy that the absence of many outside world
responsibilities has given us. The whole nation being grounded by the government doesn’t have to result in us being miserable. The whole idea of this isolation is to keep ourselves and each other safe, and to get through this drama as quickly and easily as possible so we can go back to how things were before. It is important that we are educated on this idea and understand that it is not nearly as terrible as it seems so we can combat the effects of the virus and the damage it causes to our society, all just by staying home. However you decide to spend your quarantine, try to make the most out of it, and if you cannot, know that social distancing most importantly means that things will return to normal much sooner than if we weren’t all staying home. 

29 comments:

  1. This was honestly so good and nice to read because the tone of your piece was uplifting and really motivational. Yes, we are going through a lot right now and I know that there is people out there that think nothing will go back to normal and that staying home is the worst thing. So, I love the positive attitude and how you encouraged people to do more than just sit and be mad. Good job :)

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  2. It is so nice to find someone with the same views as I! I know this isn't something to be taken lightly because lives are at stake but personally, I am having a great time because now I get to spend time on my old hobbies, not stress or deal with school anxiety, and I even have the luxury of spending more time on the classes I want to! This is really encouraging and I couldn't have said it better! AMAZING and stay healthy :)

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  3. I agree with you a lot throughout your reflection. Yes we are ordered to stay at home but it doesn't mean we don't have the opportunity to try something new. As much as I want to go outside I can't, but I've gotten to focus on my hobbies and try new things,so when things get back to normal I'll have some new skills. I really enjoyed you positive outlook and I think it's something that people should embrace more. -Katera Perry

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  4. Thank you for writing this! It's so refreshing to read some positive outlooks on our situation and I think it's important to understand that by staying home and missing out on a few beach trips, we are saving many people's lives and helping the country recover as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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  5. Yes, I definitely agree that this period of social distancing may seen as an inconvenience for many, but that it is necessary for us to keep our loved ones and others safe for the greater good. Although we may feel miserable or bored, we can catch up on certain hobbies that we've been pushing aside. Thank you for providing us with such an uplifting message at a time like this.

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  6. I found this piece to be very interesting to read and it really made me think about how life can be and how it is. There are many opportunities available right now due to this event and your piece has motivated me to do more than what I have been doing. Great work.

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  7. This gave me a positive outlook on what social distancing could be. Although I do miss being able to get out, I find myself having more time to spend on my schoolwork except it's more convenient because it's around a schedule that works best for me.

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  8. Your piece is very motivating! I find it very interesting that you included the things that we can do during this pandemic and for us to avoid getting bored. Great job on your positive piece!

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  9. I really enjoyed reading this piece, and especially like and respect your viewpoint of all that is going on right now. I like how you detailed some things we can do while social distancing and how we can truly take advantage of this situation for our own benefit. Thank you for this. Great Job.

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  10. It's so refreshing to see a positive perspective on social distancing; it is definitely making me more aware of my opportunities. I agree with you that safety is of utmost importance, and reading your blog has made me realize that once again. This was a much needed message. Thank you for bringing this positive perspective to our attention!

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  11. Lol one of the most funny part is when you said "Now there is no excuse for “not having enough time” to start working out at home or even to finish that book that’s been collecting dust on your desk. " But from personal experiences I've known a lot of people who are so bored they cannot find stuff to do and so they have more than enough time in the world for them. But for me, this is indeed a nice "break" to catch up on everything I want to do since I always like to keep myself busy and have things to do. Even during this whole thing I still don't have enough time for everything lol.

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  12. Alejandra AmezquitaApril 21, 2020 at 9:34 PM

    This was such an outstanding piece! I enjoyed that you included activities that can easily be done without leaving the house and looking at this sad time in a more positive perspective. I agree with your statement 100%.

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  13. You made it clear that all this excess time shouldn't go to waste and that we take it upon ourselves to "seize the day" even in a time like this, and that is the kind of positive energy we need during this pandemic. Well done.

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  14. Hi! So, I really like that social distancing for you is a positive experience. My dad and I were talking about the benefits of social distancing and we found out that California went on lockdown a week before it started to get bad here. Because we are social distancing, and if you look at the stats, California is doing way better than some of the other states. Thank you for such a positive outlook! It really is a nice change from the norm.

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  15. With all the negativity surrounding social distancing, it's really nice to see a more optimistic approach to the situation. You made really significant and necessary points in regards to remaining educated about the virus while also making the most out of our time in quarantine.

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  16. I love that you are seeing the bright side of something so globally bad, to tell you the truth we need more people like you to spread the postive side of this because like you said a lot of people see it as house arrest. This is something no one has been through before which is why people are so sacred but if you spread awareness and positivity then things can look better.

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  17. I love how serious you made the entire essay sound. Including your experiences of social distancing we a great way to connect with the audience. I appreciate seeing your thoughts of social distancing because it's a little different than mine - Hannah Colunga

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  18. Im really glad you were able to shed some positive light onto this dark subject. It really made this reflection a lot more relatable

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  19. i really liked your take on social distancing, it’s so positive and hopeful. although there are significant disadvantages to social distancing you bring up that this change doesn’t have to be as bad as we may make it out to be in our heads. great job on your piece

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  20. I love this piece!! Everyday I hear about the negatives of social distancing and it feels great to hear a positive perspective. People need to realize that this is a moment that could help you grow, whether it's physically, spiritually, or mentally. Great Piece!

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  21. I absolutely loved this it was so good and im glad to see we have similar views. the thing is the more we stay the faster we can go out because the numbers will drop. all these people protesting really dont understand that. they are going to make quarantine last longer - kate sainz

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  22. I really liked reading your piece. I love how we both have the same views of social distancing. I give this an A+.

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  23. This really put things in perspective and for us to not think of things so selfishly. I liked the facts at the beginning about Florida because they were really pushing their limits and not caring about others.

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  24. Wow this was so good! I really liked the different approach to social distancing you took. Most people problem see it as a time of boredom and being away from friends but I really appreciated that you took the other viewpoint of it being a time of productivity.

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  25. You really captured all the effects social distancing has in this piece. I love the positive perspective you have on social distancing and i'm glad we share the overall same viewpoint. You portrayed your opinions in great detail and in a way that all of us can relate too. Overall, great job! - Yuan Maneje

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  26. Isabel QuintanillaApril 23, 2020 at 3:43 PM

    Through this strange situation it is easy for people to be upset or bored but I love how you showed the positive aspects of social distancing and how to make the most out of this situation. Great work!

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  27. Sabrina MusharbashApril 23, 2020 at 6:15 PM

    I love how you included the facts about the Spring Breakers in Florida. If more people took this seriously we all honestly could return back to some kind of normalcy a lot sooner and I think your writing definitely portrayed that. I love how you manage to find the good throughout all of this and look at it as an opportunity instead of a social death sentence. Overall, great job, and I think more people should read this.

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  28. Yes I like how you put a positive spin on things relating to social distancing and the quarantine because commonly a lot of people only see the negative apsects with the situation that we are currently in.

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  29. I love this piece and I couldn’t have said it better myself! It’s been frustrating how many people see it as something so negative and can’t seem to find the good or be thankful for what they got. It was very positive and I’m glad you shared because I believe many people needed to hear this. -Aneika Madrigal

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