By LOGAN MERIWETHER
The coronavirus has changed many things in the world. The way people live has completely changed.
I used to spend every week in Waynoka, making my usual drive to school every morning and then going to work for Stan Bixler to help feed cattle every afternoon. Once the weekend would arrive, I would pack my bags and drive two hours to work on my family farm and spend time with my girlfriend.
Now I find myself spending most of my time on my family farm working, checking cattle, working with show heifers and helping break the new colts to lead. When I’m not working, I take my grandpa driving in the evenings so we can enjoy the countryside.
I thought that, once the summer started and school was out, my life would start to get back to normal.
I usually work for an oilfield contracting company all summer, but now that the oil market has crashed, the contracting company I work for doesn’t have enough work to take me on this summer. I’ve been working for this company for five summers in a row, and now I’m going to have to find a job somewhere else or work for my family all summer.
The coronavirus has also taken away a lot of the fun things I’ve had planned for this summer. It’s kept me away from a lot of my friends and other family members. I also had two vacations planned this summer. I was going to Mexico with my girlfriend’s family, but the trip was canceled. I’m hoping I can still go to Red River this summer to fish and enjoy the cool mountain air. My family has made a tradition of going to Red River every summer. This is something we all really look forward to so we can get away from work and just enjoy ourselves.
I’ve been doing my best to keep up with friends through FaceTime and Snapchat. Usually during this time of year, my best friend, Draven Smith, and I are at the golf course, possibly skipping class to play 18 holes.
Sometimes, we might even find ourselves in a little bit of trouble.
Since the virus started, I’ve only gotten to hang out with my friends in Alva once, which is weird because we are used to seeing each other almost every day.
There are some things I’ve gotten to enjoy since the coronavirus. I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with my grandpa and other family members I don’t get too see much. I also have gotten to spend a lot of time in my hometown of Binger.
My grandpa is 80 years old, so he has a hard time doing a lot of work by himself. Since I’ve been around, it’s made things a lot easier on him. I’ve helped build and fix fence and fed most of his cows for him.
My grandpa doesn’t like sitting at home, so he always comes with me to work. Usually, he tells me funny stories from back in his day or we talk about the different kind of grasses in the pasture.
I’ve always been close with my grandpa. He has taught me a lot of things in life and is still teaching me some things. The time we’ve gotten to spend together driving around the countryside, working on building fence or just watching movies at home – we have both really enjoyed it.
Binger has had more than 20 cases of Covid-19. When I have to go to town, I wear a mask and gloves and keep my distance from other people. I catch up with the old farmers at the feed store every now and then, seeing how they are doing since the recent drop in the cattle markets.
A lot of things have changed for me since the coronavirus, good things and bad. I am doing what I can to make the best out of this situation. I am trying to keep busy when I can. I also enjoy going out and having fun, taking a few road trips to different places I’ve never been.