There’s no need for me to start off by trying to explain or expatiate more on what COVID-19 is all about. We all are no stranger to this deadly virus.
It saddens me that everything turned out the way they are right now. It is very much obvious that we aren’t living the normal life we all used to few months back.
Since the outbreak of this virus, a lot of things have happened and time has not stopped running. Citing myself as an example, I honestly haven’t been the same as the usual me. Although, the difference is not too much but still, some things have changed.
Apart from being out of school for over five months (courtesy of COVID-19), I have been in a very tight situation coupled with managing my mental health and sanity. It is not so hard to deduce because this whole thing can be very frustrating. Being home doing nothing with little hope for what tomorrow holds concerning the pandemic is one big deal and I am very sure not everyone can deal with it.
To think that I had hope that the virus wouldn’t last few weeks, I already made plans in advance… Lol. But when I began to see that the virus came fully prepared, I had to sit tight and decide on what to do with my time. Deep down inside of me, I really enjoy being home but I must do something to kill time.
To start with, I began a free online class where I learnt about Podcasting. The class lasted for two weeks and I learnt how to go about Podcasting step-by-step. I finished the class even though I had doubts in myself (I never thought I’d last the first week… Lol). I got a certificate of achievement (check images below) and I began to figure out how to start my own journey in Podcasting. Although, during the classes, I ought to have started my podcast so as to make the teachings effective but I chose to wait till I was done with the course.
Later on, I started another online class but this time around, it was Catering and I learnt how to make different snacks and drinks using different recipes. It wasn’t free though (it’s hard to come by something free in this country, especially now that there’s a pandemic). I took this course very serious because it is something I have always been interested in. I am not totally clueless but I just wanted to get better at it. Trying out a lot of the recipes ( I failed woefully at some though) made me so glad, I must confess.
To be honest, I stopped writing until recently. During this pandemic, I have only written a few times just because I didn’t want to. Somehow, I got a mail asking me to register for a free class on Blogging (something I’m supposed to pay a few dollars for… Isn’t that nice?). I didn’t hesitate to register immediately and before you ask, yes, that gave birth to this blog. Although, I have always had the idea in mind, I guess I only needed a push and finally, I got it.
It is understandable that this whole situation isn’t what you want but how you make good use of this trying time counts too. Do not be afraid to birth your ideas. It might not work out at first but trust me, all it needs is a little more effort. Someone once told me that,
“Having an idea isn’t enough, it is your ability to bring that idea to life that matters. It is just like you wanting a house but you aren’t working towards it, I bet you will continue to live in your imagination. Where some are standing, strive hard to standout and where some are standing out, endure pain to be outstanding because that is where your gain is”.
This is forever engraved in my heart and I hope it will motivate you too.
– Victoria Deola Olatunji