By KEVIN FORD, student reporter
April 30, 2020
With finals just a week away, it marks the ending of another academic year at Northwestern. Perhaps the strangest year at Northwestern. Covid-19 is still the invisible enemy the whole country went into lockdown for, yet several states are reopening Friday.
Alva serves as a safe house from the rest of the world. Since the day the NBA suspended its season, I knew I would not be leaving the state of Oklahoma for a while. I figured the virus would hit the bigger cities before it would spread into the rural areas across the country. I got into a conversation with one of my teammates about going back home and visiting family.
“Why you don’t go back home to Norway?” he asked.
To my surprise, plane tickets to Norway were under half the price of the average cost to fly there and back. How could I not purchase a ticket, especially with school being converted to online format. My teammate was surprised to find out that even with an opportunity to return home to Oslo. I decided to stay in Alva until the academic semester is over.
During Spring Break, I had planned to visit family in Texas. The circumstances shifted, and the severity of the virus raised to a global pandemic, as declared by the WHO.
My cousin in Texas already knew what was going on. School districts closed in Texas on the final weekend before Spring Break. That was the indication for me to stay put in Alva. He was expecting me to come but understood my reasoning for not wanting to risk the spread of any potential illnesses.
The saddest part is that I don’t get to see my grandmother. She is older and at risk. My family in Texas is physically a lot closer than my family in Norway, but the threat of the virus is unfortunately present in both places.
I talked to my uncle on the phone the past week about how everything was going. I received news of a family member passing away. One of my cousins took his own life, a day before his 22nd birthday.
My eyes did not blink, as the truth settled into my head. I did not see how this was fair. Life is too short.
The truth is, you must treat every day like it’s your last. Being present in someone’s life means more than we can imagine.
My mom discovered the convenience of FaceTime on her phone. Now, she FaceTimes me almost every day. I think it is funny because my mom is not the technology, social media fanatic. Facebook is usually the hub for middle aged people.
FaceTime is better than Facebook for this instance. It is nice to see the person and have a causal conversation about food, animals, working out or just plain goofy stuff. She always provides me with good energy and positive thoughts.
Even when I look like I am not fully awake, she brushes negativity off me and challenges me to have a solid, productive day. Her words of encouragement are always welcomed.
On Tuesday I missed a call from her. I called her back after my workout. She told me in advance the next day that the energy and high spirit I had the previous day, motivated her and my aunt to go on a three-hour long hike. It is a good feeling to know that someone close to you is inspired by how you carry yourself. Positive energy is infectious, it brings the best out of people around you, my mom said.
The lock down has taught several lessons. First, I think the current crisis proves that people need to take more individual responsibility. School is a bit more complicated online. Some students handle online classes well, while others might not be as comfortable with it. I had struggles with staying motivated myself, as I would get distracted by how irregular my routine had become.
Second lesson is to be thankful for those people who are always there for us, regardless of the situation. It feels cliché, but it carries truth. Everything that happens, regardless if it’s bad or good, as individuals we need to worry about the things we can control. Worry about the things and people in our presence.
Hearing my uncle’s voice gave me a warmer feeling, particularly because he told me everyone is staying safe for the most part. I remember when my cousin introduced me to a backyard football game at a family reunion. My love for football continuously grew after that family reunion. I definitely view his death as an emotional turning point for me, and am more determined to make my dreams a reality more than ever before. I decided in that moment, I am dedicating my last football season to my fallen cousin.