47 Fortunate Through Uncertainty: My COVID-19 Journey

Anonymous

When it was announced that we would enter an extended March Break back in 2020, all the students at my high school were ecstatic. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy an extra week of their much-needed relaxation? As one extra week turned into two, and two weeks became one month, our joy was slowly replaced by uncertainty as our “March Break” turned into an indefinite period of quarantine. Every day I would turn on the evening news with my family at the dinner table and watch as the City of Ottawa would issue yet another update on the rising cases of COVID-19 in the community. Like many other cities across the nation, my hometown of Ottawa was struck heavily by the disease, especially in vulnerable populations such as the sick and elderly. 

I was in Grade 10 (a 14-year-old student) at the start of the break, and I came out as a 16-year-old once restrictions were lifted in Grade 12. From March 2020-June 2020, schooling was completely virtual, and I took advantage of every chance to sleep in (from avoiding a 1hr commute to school) and partake in more hobbies outside of school. In Grade 11 (September 2020-June 2021), schooling was hybrid (class would alternate between in-person and online to minimize contact during in-person classes), and finally, in Grade 12 (September 2021), schooling was fully in-person with mask mandates and extra sanitation measures. Because of these regulations, I never contracted COVID-19 throughout my high school years. Furthermore, I do feel extremely lucky that I was well taken care of at home during the quarantine period. My parents were isolating at home with me due to workplace restrictions, not to mention, they still maintained their employment, so we didn’t have trouble putting food on the table. Ultimately, although lots of our family outings (e.g. sports events, social gatherings) were cancelled, we were able to remain healthy and spend more time with each other than ever, which was very fulfilling. 

I felt that my personal “COVID-19 experience” progressed far more positively than most, and that there was a lot of “good” that came out of it. I didn’t care too much about my schooling at the time, nor have I ever been hugely dependent on the social aspects of my life. As such, those two aspects of my life that were taken away by the pandemic did not leave much negative impact on my life. I found much more freedom and time to engage in things that I wanted to do. I would spend a lot of my time playing some of my favourite video games, but I also picked up some new hobbies, as well. More specifically, I decided to take advantage of the great weather during the summer to get started on fitness. I began by picking up a huge branch from a nearby park and bringing it to my backyard, where I propped it up between two trees to create a makeshift pull-up bar. I combined this with a couple of light dumbbells I had at home to plan home workouts — I realized that I enjoyed this new hobby so much that I continued to advance it from the end of Grade 10 into Grade 11/12. I would progressively purchase heavier and heavier weights as I got stronger, and eventually, once the pandemic restrictions lifted, I purchased my first ever gym membership. I continue to be a regular at McMaster’s gym (The Pulse) to this day, and I’m extremely thankful that I got the chance to begin this hobby back during the quarantine, due to having excess free time.

One course theme that I felt was present during my Covid experience is the theme of stigma. As a second-generation Chinese immigrant, I felt more directly impacted by a lot of the hate that I would see on the news. I recall directly seeing headlines of yet another Asian American elderly person assaulted on the news, and I would worry that this hate would spread to Canada and the people that I care about. Thankfully, I didn’t experience many instances of violence or harassment during the pandemic, but I do recall one instance where it did happen. In Grade 12, I was running a food drive station outside a local grocery store to collect donations to address food insecurity in Ottawa, when a customer entering the store made some remarks as he passed by. Although I didn’t catch the details, I noticed an American flag on his face mask, and I heard him utter the word “China.” Despite not hearing the full comment, I felt that I understood the contempt that was present within his message. I recall feeling a little unsafe and uneasy for the next few minutes until he left the store with his groceries. Although I’m grateful that this was the only hateful speech that was directed to me or my relatives throughout the entire pandemic, I realized how difficult it must be to live in an area where these stigmas are more prevalent. Associating the COVID-19 disease with individuals of Chinese descent allows people to shift blame, which is a natural response, as it provides a sense of control and reduces uncertainty. When faced with unprecedented circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, people often look for a tangible cause to direct their frustration and anxiety, and unfortunately this led to harmful stigmas being perpetuated about Chinese populations and cultures. This leads to a decreased emphasis on actually effective public health interventions and furthers divisions within society. Ultimately, I’m glad that these harmful views were not extremely prevalent in my hometown of Ottawa, as myself and my family enjoyed a sense of safety throughout. My pandemic experience was very fortunate — not only was I able to uphold my cultural identity in a time when many others were oppressed for it, but I also gained the freedom to engage many new activities that are still integral components of my life to this date.