MY PANDEMIC STORY

Good morning lovely Steemians, I'm very happy to be a part of this great family. Every contest on Steem Inspiration actually offers me the opportunity to express myself, beyond ways I can even imagine. The last pandemic taught me meaningful lessons, in ways I never imagined. I profoundly had the opportunity to experience both the interesting/ fun part of the lockdown that came as a result of the pandemic , and also the borrow/ uninteresting part of it. The last pandemic was as a result of Corona virus outbreak, which took the lives of millions of innocent people, leading to the whole world coming into a halt, and uniting in a scramble to find a cure for the disease.

Source: Google images

Although I had learnt about the outbreak of since early January 2020 when the disease was still far and beyond the shores of Nigeria, I never expected nor neither did it cross my mind that the outbreak will be of much profound impact, eventually leading to lockdown. The first case of the case of the disease in Nigeria was recorded in February 2020.
Source: NCDC

By then, I was still in school, preparing for the most anticipated final year exams and still undergoing my research project. Rumours of the severity of the corona virus (also Covid-19) became the headline for every discussion and gossip you can get from students. Although I had been of calm demeanor throughout the period of events unfolding, I was still convinced that the outbreak will not significantly affect the normal activities in the school and beyond. But I was wrong, the outbreak hit our country badly that she had to follow the steps of other countries, in embarking for a lockdown. I still remember that particular evening, I was in the class room, encapsulated with the several textbooks and notes I had to read in order to write exams I had the next week. I heard shouts and somewhat yells from students who I supposed were also reading in the next class. Still trying to wrap my head about what had really happened, I heard a male voice which happen to be moving from one class to another on that block, screaming 'Go home, them don close down schools'. On hearing this, I hurriedly checked for my phone ,of which I rushed to the WhatsApp app. It was then I saw a post by my SUG President, which was a follow up post from CHANNELS TV Twitter account, stating that schools are to be shut for about a month. Still confused, I packed my books with mixed feelings and zoom towards the hostel, where I was welcomed by jubilations from other students. A day later, the University released an official circular informing all students to vacate the school for a period of one month. It was then I realized that a lifetime story has found its way to the start ,and unwillingly accepted this fate. But little did I predict that the story will be longer than the usual. Little did I ever think that I was about to be cut out from my daily routines for about a year. So carefully give out my experiences during the lockdown to you fellow Steemians, the things I had done, the things I didn't do, the things I shouldn't have done, the things I wish I had the courage to do.
First, my social life became worse, I broke connection with friends and colleagues, I lost touch of the discussions and gist that we used to have, and missed that particular school life sensation. Life became hard as I went broke while at home, and the lack of electricity made things even worse. Although I was at my hometown, eating sufficiently was not assured since the family had to manage the limited available food resources and the closure of market places led to the inability to get food items when required.
Second, the stoppage of Sport activities and the halt of Football leagues across the world made things more frustrating leading to an insufficient entertainment and a complete reliance on the social media and Netflix for entertainment.

Source: SKYSPORTS

I resorted to playing indoor games for fun and playing games on the phone.
Source: Channels TV

Thirdly, the inability to go to church led to a rapid decline in faith and a decline in the urge in Christianity. Although I felt I was drifting away from faith, I definitely knew it wasn't so severe , so I eventually found my way back through the assistance of my family. I was brought to the realization that I was lucky to count myself a living, despite the death experience during the time. Therefore I owe God the responsibility to serve God, even in times of despair.

Source : Christian Association of Nigeria

Fourthly, I realized that I had became more safety conscious and law abiding. I became more hygienic, washing and sanitizing my hands more frequently, and involving myself in daily cleaning and sanitation using disinfectants.

Source: WHO ARCHIVES

I became more acquainted with the use of nose mask and avoided contact with people more frequently. I gave myself the much need needed discipline to stay home and away from public gatherings.
Last of all, my school life was on a lockdown during the pandemic. Although I tried to continue my reading routine during the first month of the lockdown, the news of an indefinite strike by the Academic body of University lecturers (ASUU), shattered all the vibes in reading school books. Although I lazied around for some weeks, I began to get in touch with literature and motivational books when I discovered that I was drifting away from my true self , of being a disciplined and forward looking individual. This also led to me thinking about ways I could add value to myself beyond the school system. So I start engaging in finding beauty in the little things I didn't see much a deal about. I ventured into music writing (as a source of patience), poetry, Disc jockeying,artistry and literature the things I saw as less important whilst in school. My love for Technology grew significantly, therefore I sought to improve my skills in tech. I then ventured into programming, using Python, of which I was wowed by the things I could do using the programming language. My interest grew enormously in the tech world, so I started watching YouTube videos on data science using Python, and also attending online classes , subscribing to courses and also engaging in meetups, zindi hackathons, and zoom meetings to guide in the chosen career path. I also joined Data science Nigeria, a body with the goal of guiding upcoming Data Scientists to success.

Source: www.dsn.ng

My interest in artistry led me into venturing into the graphics design using my phone (using the CANVA app) and then progressing to Adobe Photoshop on laptops.

Source: Google images

My love for music led the first realistic in music development, as I begin learning how to use the FS Studio app on my laptop, making meagre music beats . My love for poetry also drifted me towards involvement in numerous spoken words videos, contest on poems about the Pandemic and global unity.
At the end of the pandemic, I had realized that I had actually gain much more than I lost.
The most important of them is that I learnt to put smiles on people's faces, learning how to reach out distant friends and relatives and even people I don't really know, encouraging them to stay strong even in the midst of despair and stay safe.

Stay safe

This is my pandemic story. Thank you