Friday, March 13, 2020- My Last Day of High School

March 13, 2020: One year and one day ago, was my last day of high school!  I do not know why but saying my ‘last day’ of high school was Friday, March 13, makes me happy.  I did not really enjoy high school because, other than the teachers, I did not have anyone to talk to.

March 7, 2020: This week feels like an eternity ago to me; however, I remember it clearly.  The weekend before my mom and sister were out of town.  I went to Mass on Saturday night and sat with one of my favorite people, it was nice catching up with her and hearing about her family.  I remember just wanting to be done with school, and she kept reassuring me that the 77 days until graduation would go quickly and would feel like a week.  Ironically, it did not just feel like a week it was a week. I prayed it would be a week instead of eleven more long weeks. Well, someone heard my prayer, and the whole world felt the effects!  

March 8, 2020: I went to work the next day unknowing that it would be my last shift there.  I worked in a hardware store for about a year and a half.  Just six hours a week if that, I cleaned and did miscellaneous odd jobs.  I had fun, there were a lot of good people who hung around that place.   I started my week as normal and no one ever thought our world was about to change due to a pandemic in big cities. No one thought COVID-19 would have any impact on our tiny town.

March 9, 2020: This week at school I was there every night until 6 pm.  We had a play that weekend.  I got a single line as a senior, and I was disappointed, frustrated, and tired.  We were not a big program either, 30 kids including some Junior High kids, some of whom had bigger parts than I did.  I helped in whatever way I could and stuck with it, trying to fight through the tiredness and jealousy by not complaining.  I was just trying to get through one more week of school.   

I was having 11-to-14-hour days away from home, and it was beyond exhausting for me.  Looking back, it was not worth it.  I was mad at the people who I should love and cared too much for the people who did not care about me.

March 11, 2020: On Wednesday rumors started going around about the school shutting down.  I felt like a kid anticipating a snow day, I just needed a break.  People were starting to notice COVID too at this point.  Teachers were concerned about me- cerebral palsy makes it harder to fight off sickness, a simple cold can take a month or more to resolve.    

March 12, 20202: Thursday our governor said that Monday was our last day of school for three weeks.  Everyone started to panic but was excited too.  That night was the opening night for the play.  It was canceled two hours before it opened.  TWO HOURS!  Even I was disappointed.

March 13, 2020: Friday the 13th was utter chaos – school was closing for three weeks, we were going to have school at home (remote), which no one knew how to make happen, the students were excited but nervous.  Teachers were stressed, but most were trying to make us happy by singing.  Every classroom had their favorite music going: Bob Marly, Billy Joel, Ed Sheeran, just to name a few.   Everyone was beyond stressed for going online for three weeks.  But only three weeks, so we could just pick right back up, in theory.  People were not concerned about stuff, they said three weeks that is it, and we had until Monday to get our stuff in order!  I, thank goodness, was reading at church that weekend, so I grabbed my only pair of church shoes that I have that I was using for the play.  I also grabbed my cello because I did not want to deal with it on Monday.  I did not pick up my hand weight, painting supplies, an old jacket that I kept in the band room, or my walker. I left believing I would be back. That was my last day of high school.  That day was a blur except for my last class of the day, band.  The teacher gave a pep talk and all the percussion instruments were not in the room, so I sat and listened.  Thinking that our small band was beautiful.  People were sad, about the play, about circumstances, I felt bad for the people who had a rough home life.  The teacher played “The Impression That I Get” as we left for the last time.  I left with my sister and we got ice cream. (This is ironic because this is our last day of school tradition, which is exactly what this day turned out to be!)  Overall, it was a good day at school, because I have survived a lot tougher school days.  It just felt like the Friday before a long weekend.

That evening I received a text not to come back to work until further notice, unfortunately, I have not worked since.  The day I found out I was not going back to school, I was taking a walk and my phone started beeping, I did not check it because walking + texting + crutches = terrible idea!  My principal saw me and pulled into my next driveway and said “LACEEEEYYYYY!  You do not have to go back to school!  Good luck kid! Congratulations on graduation!”  Then he pulled away.  I ran home as fast as my little arms and legs could take me and got to my porch and screamed “THANK THE GOOD LORD IT IS OVER!  I DON’T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL ANYMORE!”  (Yes, my neighbors think I am insane, no I do not really care.) 

Quarantine: I was much more disappointed than what I am making it out to be.  I was bored and mostly friendless, like everyone else in the world. I did not even get to go to my grandmother’s from March until June, in fact, I did not go ANYWHERE.  I was lonely, but I have always been lonely, so I knew how to navigate this.  On week three I pulled out the church directory and called everyone I knew and had plenty of awkward conversations with older people.  I sort of turned it into a social experiment, and even though it was the exact same conversation 17 times I learned a lot.  I also annoyed a lot of people too. 

School had ended unexpectantly, and no one was allowed to go in the building. We were not allowed to pick up our things.  My walker was at the school, this was an issue because even though I hated using the walker it is nice to have around.  We called and requested it so many times, and my lovely science teacher fought her way into the school to pick it up and she dropped it off at my house.  It was a headache, but once again, I realized that I had really great teachers!

Since I graduated during quarantine, I think I had the best graduation ever!  I watched the scholarship award ceremony on Facebook Live on my deck, in the sunshine, IN MY PAJAMAS!  On my graduation day, I put on my favorite dress; my family came to my house to take pictures.  We went to the school to pick up my diploma, it took 20 minutes, if that!  We then went to grandmas and ate a good meal.  IT WAS GLORIOUS! 

That was a year ago, and the last time I was in that building.  I was worried and slightly depressed at the time, and this past year has been a very good time for me to heal and become better at peopling.  I started walking every day to maintain my ability to walk.  Now, I walk about two miles every day it is nice outside.  It was fun watching all the seasons in close detail.  I have made good memories with even better people, and it was a bit too much sometimes, but I think I was able to grow in different and new ways.  I wish it never happened, just like the rest of the world, but I made the best out of it!

March 14, 2021: A year later. We are slowly getting back to “normal.”  Things are opening up slowly.  I have been able to visit with a few close people.  I have been going to college remotely, but I plan to attend in-person classes in the fall (I hope). We are going to church in person, had lunch at a restaurant, gone to doctor’s appointments, and a few other things.  This week, I will go back to high school to see the spring play — exactly when I left the building a year ago.