Positive Things

There are many things people can complain about during this time. However, I am a bit of an optimist. I like to see the good in bad situations. And there are some good things that have come out of this situation. For one, it is a chance to relax. School and work can take a major toll on people's mental state. Doing the same thing over and over again can become boring, even if it is something you enjoy doing. So being able to spend time at home and just have time to themselves is a good thing. Also, it can be a good time to spend more time with your family. Again, work and/or school can keep us from spending quality time with those that we love. Another thing that can come out of this is that saving money is easier. With everything being closed, people are not as tempted to spend money and therefore it is easier to save.

AMI Week 4 - Katie Towery

Positives About The New Normal

Family Bonding
Due to being stuck at home because school and work are closed, I've had to spend more time with my family then I ever really had before. On a usual day, after we have all gotten off work or school, I would usually read in my room or do homework instead of spend time with my family. The only time we would spend together would be during dinner, our weekly game night, or if we went out during the weekend. However, because we have been cooped up at home, I've been spending more time with them now than ever. My dad and I have started to play Halo again and have been watching a marathon of the Marvel movies, which we haven't had the time to do, but now seem to have too much time. I've also seen my nieces so much these past weeks. I figure other families are likely spending quality time with each other, even if they don't like it.

Relaxing
I've been able to read books to my heart's content and watch as many shows as I want. With no school, I have had an abundance of free time. I stay up late reading and wake up probably way later than I should, but I like the fact that I get to sleep in more. I've started to play games again, which used to be an old hobby of mine. It has been really nice to relax at home and spend a lot of time just doing the things I enjoy.

Saving Money
Places have been closed because of the COVID-19 spread, so that means people are saving money because they do not have places to go. I don't know if this is true for every family, but so far we have only been spending money on essential things. We haven't been able to go to the movies or eat out as much, so we have more money than usual. Also because there is nowhere to really go, I have been saving a lot of money on gas. I'm sure other families have been able to save money as well.

Positives- Eli George- AMI Week 4

     The first four months of this year have truly been ones to forget. It has appeared that nothing has gone the way we expected or wanted to. The coronavirus has caused everything to come to a halt. Although it may seem like a negative time in our lives, this is a time where we can better ourselves and find the positives in life.
    The first positive that can be taken in this new life is the fact that we can grow great bonds between immediate family. Sure, sometimes it gets annoying seeing the same people, but it is something we are all having to learn to deal with. Towards the end of the quarantine, we will all have a better respect and understanding of each other.
     Another positive is this can bring the country closer together. This may not seem true to some of you guys, but to me I believe this hiatus will bring us closer. We are starting to see celebrities donate thousands and thousands masks, gloves, and other equipment to the nurses and doctors. Also, this could possibly even allow some people to have better respect for our president and other political figures.
     The last positive is the fact that we can save money right now. We aren't out spending as much as we used to. This allows us to spend on essential items. Plus, gas prices are really low right now. Might as well take advantage of it now.
     This year has been one many of us are wanting to forget. With all that's going on with the coronavirus, we always somehow seem to overlook the positives it brings along with it. I'd much rather be playing baseball right now, but I also know that God always has a plan.

Week 4 Blog - Briley Douglas

In the midst of everything going on, it is very hard to see the positive things in our life. I will admit, at the beginning of all this I had myself a big pity party. I was mad because I couldn't hang out with my friends every day, couldn't go to Jonesboro to shop, and couldn't go to eat out every Friday with my family. Also if I'm being brutally honest, I was most upset about not getting Shadrach's every Tuesday and Wednesday, a tragedy I know. Despite all of this negativity, I have found some positive things that came out of it. One thing that came out all of this is the increase in family time. I used to be so busy with school I didn't have time to visit my nephew, spend time with Remi, or see my grandparents. Now with all my free time, I get to see them whenever I want. I can play with Remi all day until she gets tired of me, go to Madison's and harass Ian two days out of the week, and I can visit my Meme and get spoiled three times out of the week. All jokes aside, I really appreciate this family time because I am a big family person. Another positive is not being stressed about my school work.  When we had to go to school every day, I was constantly stressing over all my school work and getting everything ready for college. Now I have all the time in the word to get my belongings together because I have seven days of no plans to finish it. I no longer fear about submitting anything late or worry about time management. Another positive of this "new normal", is the fact everyone is having the time to better themselves. They no longer have the excuse of "not having time", so now people are able to read more, meditate, start working out, learn new skills, etc. In the last three weeks, I have started to run because that's my chance to get out of the house. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!!

Gage Crews-AMI 4-Positives

Though Covid-19 has been a very pandemic situation, there are few positive things to take from it. One positive I have noticed throughout my time social distancing is how beautiful nature is. I have been to Hardy several times visiting Spring River since we've been out of school. Every time, the nature up there stops me in my tracks. The river and hills are so pretty. Another positive for me personally, is I have made money on this time off. I've been doing my classwork at night, and working during the day. The last positive thing that I think we can all do during this time is stay close to our loved ones. By close I mean keeping in contact with them, not close enough to spread the virus. With this life threatening thing going around, you never know when you or a loved one can be diagnosed with it. It is important to spend this time wisely, and tell those loved ones how much they mean to you.

The Positive Things -- Melanie Cheesman

Although there is a lot going on in the world and Jonesboro right now, it has actually been somewhat easy for me to find the positive things going on. One thing that I am so grateful for in this corona virus stuff is that everything is closed. The fact that the mall was closed on the day of the tornado is actually such a good thing! On a normal Saturday, there would be hundreds of people in the Turtle Creek Mall like workers, shoppers, and security. There would have been so many deaths in Jonesboro that day if everything hadn't been closed. Another thing that is positive in all of this is that most people are having to stay home. This gives everyone, including me, a chance to find and better ourselves. Personally, I have been able to work on myself and college. When school was going on, I was so stressed out because I had schoolwork along with trying to fill out scholarship applications and everything for college. I have really had a chance to get everything in order and sorted out. Lastly, social distancing is positive because it is keeping so many people safe. There are already so many cases in Arkansas because we are one of the only states not on a stay-at-home order, and I think the states that have them are saving a lot of people. I hope everyone stays at home and continues to be safe and healthy!