Sophi Reynolds, 12Lexington, KT No Time To Go On Walks Sophi Reynolds, 12 There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. With everything going on, I had not one moment to spare. If I did, it would have been used to do something other than taking a walk to clear my mind. I always had something to do. Cheer practice, voice lessons, dentist appointment, homework, tumble class, my brother’s practices, musical rehearsal, and so much more. It seemed I would never have a free moment, because every second of my time was always filled. That day I had school, a voice lesson, musical rehearsal, and then cheer practice. I didn’t even know if I would have time for dinner until after 9 o’clock! I barely got to see my family that day, or the next day. Or the next. I was so tired, tired of doing homework in the car, eating more meals in my car than at the table, and tired because of lack of sleep. It seemed I would never again get to go on a peaceful walk in the park with my family, until the Coronavirus struck. At first, I was sad to leave school and all the activities that went with it behind. But soon I realized that this break was just what I needed. Once again, I was eating dinner with my family at the table and going on peaceful walks with my dogs. I realize more than ever, now that school and activities are starting up again, that I need to make more time for dinner at the table with my family, time to relax and read a book, time to hang out with my friends, and I need to make more time for going on walks.
personal narrative
Stuck, a personal narrative by Ismini Vasiloglou, 11
Ismini Vasiloglou, 11usually Atlanta, GA; currently Athens, Greece Stuck Ismini Vasiloglou, 11 I write this sitting in the kitchen sink while pondering the recent news my mother just shared. I stare at the various colors of cat hair on the floor from my grandmother’s multiple cats, trying to distract myself. Our flight’s been canceled. In a way I expected it, but finding out is still a shock. We should have been leaving in six days, but now we might not be able to leave at all. I look out my grandma’s old, small, kitchen window at the sprawling city. The tall apartment buildings that desperately need new coats of paint. The beautiful, clear, brilliant blue sky. The edge of the vast, cool ocean, just a short drive away. That familiar picture that speaks of family. Athens, Greece. We come to this beautiful country every year. My father was born here. I speak the native language. The majority of my family lives here. Now we might be stuck here with them. We live in the US. Atlanta, Georgia to be exact. My parents met when they came to study for their degrees. My dad studied at Georgia Tech and my mom went to Emory Law School. They met through a friend and ended up staying there and visiting Greece annually. This is the first time we might get stuck here. Corona is the reason is at least partly at fault for this disaster. We don’t know for sure exactly why our flight was cancelled, but I know this sudden advancement is somehow COVID related. After corona began, I used my money to buy a subscription to the New York Times and signed up for multiple daily newsletters from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and CNN. I read everything and things are bad. Our president seems to have absolutely no idea what to do. He’s confusing everyone and going against the advice of some of the world’s most trusted health officials. The entire world is slowly falling apart and no one knows how to stop it. It’s hard to know who or what to believe. I’m just sticking to my news stations. I already trust them so I’m hoping I’ll hear the truth. The United States is really doing badly. Somehow we’ve managed to bring back the 1918 pandemic, the 1929 Depression, and the 1968 Race Riots all at the exact same time. Honestly, I’m pretty scared. At least being stuck in Greece isn’t the worst situation. Things could be better, but we do have good options. Greece is currently doing really well with the pandemic, and if we do end up having to stay, we have family here to help us. A few of our friends know people who are airbnbing their houses long term so we’ll have a place to stay at least. I want to go home. Don’t get me wrong, that is my first choice. But, if we do have to stay, I’ll be fine, I guess. Getting to live in a foreign country, even if it’s just for a few months, is a once in a lifetime experience. We’d only stay until December and by staying, I’d get to go to school here and meet a lot of cool people. I’d get better at speaking Greek and I’d learn a lot more about Greek culture and history in general. For now, I’m watching the news like a hawk. I’m checking headlines and newsletters and blogs as well as checking every other news place that exists for any unexpected advancements. We’ve managed to get onto another flight that leaves in 13 days. It isn’t as soon as our previous flight which was leaving in six days, but it’s something. Our fingers are crossed, and we’re hoping that this time our flight actually happens. As I write this, sitting in our grandmother’s tiny kitchen sink and staring out the window, I understand the severity of our situation and pray to all the gods out there that we make it home unharmed. The world is in chaos and right now I need some normalcy. Staying might be the experience of a lifetime, but home is my comforting lifeline and right now, corona is enough of an adventure for me. This story was entered in the Flash Contest based on Daily Creativity Prompt #91, in July 2020.
My Television Screen, by Enni, 13
In thinking back to when I was younger, I only have vague memories of a miniature TV we used to have. It was so small that if my dad stood in front of it, I could have sworn that you wouldn’t be able to see the TV behind him. In fact, I recall that it was even smaller than our computer (which isn’t very big). The quality was horrible too, but I never really noticed. I just remember being enthralled in being able to watch our 20-year-old DVDs on this tiny screen. Watching TV was a treat for me as a young child, since we probably watched something only about once every month or so. We never watched shows, just DVDs. That was something to look forward to; something to provide me with mild entertainment. Then, one day, it was gone. My parents gave our TV away to goodwill, just like that. I was confused, but not upset. It wasn’t like we watched it everyday. Still, I wouldn’t have minded having a TV in the house. “We’ll get a new one,” my parents assured me. “A bigger one. A better one.” But we never did. So, I turned to a new form of entertainment. Whenever I was bored; so bored that I could not bear to read another book or even play outside, I stared out my window. Like magic, my window transformed into my very own TV screen. It had practically every channel a child like me would ever want. I watched my younger neighbors squabble over their games outside. I watched squirrels chase one another up trees. I watched leaves dancing in the wind. In June, the towering jacaranda tree in front of my house would bud dazzling purple flowers, which drifted down with the wind and blanketed the ground. Once, I even watched two neighbors yell at each other over nothing. When I was around eight years old, some wasps built a nest right on the outside of my parents’ bedroom window. This was the beginning of a brand new channel on my TV. I watched, captivated, as the wasps buzzed around, building a nest. Whenever I had nothing to do, all I had to do was stare out the window and see my very own nature show. As far as my concerns went, it was far better than any TV. Meanwhile, my mother was constantly teaching piano downstairs, providing the perfect soundtrack to my shows. Every so often these days, my family reconsiders getting a new TV. But I never get too involved in those conversations– because I’m perfectly content. While everyone else was busy watching strangers act out scenes on their emotionless black screens, I found out a secret: The best source of entertainment is right outside your window.
