What was the COVID-19 pandemic to you? To some, it was horrible, whereas, to people as fortunate as me, it was a time when I was able to connect and bond with my siblings after they had been sent home from college. Sorry, but our individual experiences are not what I am choosing to focus on here. The topic of this month’s column is talents developed during COVID.

COVID tends to be a turning point in people’s lives, but the biggest problem that I have with the pandemic at this stage of my life is that I didn’t hone in on any specific talent. I know some slime connoisseurs and people capable of cooking meals that make me float to them like a cartoon character once they smell pie. To me, the pandemic is emblematic of sitting around and grinding Fortnite until my hands were able to crank 90s while I was asleep. I was an absolute legend when it came to Zone Wars, but my solo record may not be one to put on paper. Although I could lie and say that Fortnite zone wars helped me to improve my communication skills because I had to thoroughly communicate my frustrations, ultimately, its subpar effect on me has me on the verge of crashing out.

I find it incredibly annoying that I “wasted my time,” but I am even more annoyed that this topic is relatively quiet. I believe that asking people what talent they curated during COVID should be a question common enough to be featured in icebreakers. Ice cream flavors and favorite colors are their own thing, but who knows what this question could reveal. Maybe I’ll be able to find the next professional mountain biker or entrepreneur who poured their heart and soul into just for their current self to laugh at whatever makeshift item really wasn’t able to change the world.