Dear diary: I've really got that summertime sadness

You'd think by now people would be smart enough not to question why they have to wear masks, but we still have people not caring. I just want to have my normal life back, and I just think it's a little bit selfish that some people are over the virus. The virus is not over and it won't be over if people stop caring.

As I write this article, I am thinking about the last time I had an interaction with a human; that was March 27. Yeah, I don't know how I haven't gone insane either. There are some silver linings, however. Because I have been stuck in the house, I managed to finish The Office in three weeks. That's right, a whole nine seasons of a show took me about a month to finish. That's honestly a personal best. I have also been making more playlists for music. I have a lot more time to sit there and actually listen and enjoy music. I love listening to music, but I never have time to actually analyze the songs that I've been listening to.

I've also picked up journaling again. This is ironic because I think my whole Odyssey account is one big journal, but it's also really nice to use a pen and paper to express my feeling.

So yes, I have summertime sadness but I am trying to channel that sadness into other things. I sometimes sit there and think how am I going to be a journalist when any bit of news about the coronavirus now makes me sad, but I've learned that that's just part of being human. My duty is going to report fair and accurate news to the people, but that doesn't mean that sometimes I have to take some time away for my own mental health. A big thing that I have learned this summer as I am with my thoughts is that I sacrifice my own mental health quite a lot. I usually never sit there and think about my own happiness and I spend a little too much time wanting to make everyone around me happy. I've learned that sometimes if I want to be successful and follow my own passions, that might not make everyone around me happy, but if it makes me happy then it is worth it.

So I recommend this. I've realized at the bottom of every diary entry I actually give a little "try this!" advice and this is my advice for today: Sit down with yourself and think about the things that make you happy. After you do that, don't try to manipulate your happiness by considering others. I know that sounds a little selfish but sometimes the people around you don't have the same ambitions as you and they might not like the decisions you are making. You have to be okay with that because in the end it is your life and you know what is best for you.