The Back Porch Review 2021

Message in a Bottle
I wonder what year it is and where you found me. There are a few
things I would like to share with you.
It is the year 2021 and we are still in a pandemic; I wonder if it will
ever end. We may never know. It’s very annoying to wear masks
24/7.
I have lost most of my friends because of it but I guess I know
who was fake and who is real. I feel like I’ve changed a lot. I talk a lot
less than I did before. I stay in my room all day because we’ve all
gotten annoyed having to be around each other. Don’t get me wrong, I
do love my family but sometimes it’s hard to be near them.
I never realized how much things have changed, how much I
would regret, how many things I would miss. Like even human
interaction, just a smile from another person. Even having an
awkward conversation just knowing someone is there. Now because
of masks, you can barely see anyone’s emotions. It’s scary because
you never know if the person is happy or not. It’s hard to start a
conversation, too, because you’re afraid that if you do that person
might be sick and then, boom, you’re sick.
However, it could be way worse than it is now. I just hope by
the time you find this it isn’t like that anymore. I hope it’s much better
with more human interaction and less disease.
Sincerely,
Tabitha Sherwood, grade 10
13