Dispatch: Finding Normalcy During Global Chaos

by Malec Fahmy ’20

Three weeks ago, our life was altered forever. For seniors, Friday, March 13 may have been the last opportunity to walk through our high school hallways, and there may never be another chance to soak it all in one last time. For the freshman, sophomores, juniors, a chunk of their high school experience, gone. For spring athletes, missing out on the opportunity to represent their school, achieving goals they have worked toward all year. For teachers, losing a grasp on their control to teach students. No person can prepare themselves this moment. To follow a routine, day in and day out for six months, all for it to come to a screeching halt. 

Monday morning, March, 16, my scheduled alarm sounded at 6:30. I woke up, only for me to realize that there was nothing to get ready for. Usually, this just feels like a long weekend, but in this instance, I felt lost. Watching the country go into full panic, with no clear path back to normalcy. 

Over the last three weeks, and at least through the next three, I do my best to make the most of my days. I have taken all this free time to try and better myself. Each morning, I work out in my basement with what little equipment I have for one to two hours. I make myself my usual eggs and bagel before getting along with my not-so-busy day. 

The biggest activities that I have been doing are all family oriented. This break has allowed me to spend more time with them before I leave for college in the fall. Up until the latest stay at home mandate, I would play tennis at the local court during the afternoon with my mom, and then complete puzzles with my family at night. Each evening, my family does our best to eat dinner together and talk about anything but the scary times we are living in. After my sister and I clean up dinner, she travels up to her room, and I watch a new series on Netflix with my parents. After a few episodes of that, I go up to my room, write the next day’s workout, and get ready to do it all again. 

I have found it important to try and establish a daily routine. It helps me bring normalcy in a time when there is nothing normal to be found. Finding activities such as making my college schedule, emailing advisors, doing puzzles, or even writing out my workouts, allows me to take my mind off of all the wonderful memories that I am missing out on in my daily life. Although many are down, missing their friends, and looking for positives, I have done my best to find light at the end of a tunnel. Finding things to be my out, and doing my part in helping the world come out of this a better place, has helped me get through such a tough time for everyone.