Luckily, the outbreak of COVID-19 did not have a direct impact on my health and that of my household. However, my everyday well-being was not lucky enough to resist the drags coming from the imposed preventive guidelines, which were not limited to putting on a face mask with which I could not safely do my routine walkout.

Most of my daily needs were impeded. Getting to the grocery stores and maintain a 6-feet distance in a long queue outside the stores was a nightmare. Was even limited to the number of bottles of water I could purchase in ensuring the item could reach others.

Economically, as a Petroleum Engineer, I was in a panic mode when West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price went below zero dollars per barrel for the first time ever. This is a trade of supply and demand basis. The supply of fossil fuel went on its knees begging for energy consumption but the entire world consumers turned their deaf ears as everyone was home on lockdown.

International correspondence was on standstill and unable to have a needed package delivered to me. All flights were canceled and couldn’t have my daughter who just graduated from Duke University this Spring celebrate her graduation. What a beautiful day it could have been, but was unfortunately quashed.

My very close friend lost his mother in Nigeria and decided to pull her out of the funeral home for burial without the presence of his family members who live in Canada, and myself not in Nigeria who are locked down and prevented to fly. Unfortunately not more than just 20 people were granted to attend the celebration of the life of a woman who worked hard and poured all she had to raise her successful children.

Working from home has been sometimes very hard and boring. Taking away physical interactions with colleagues. Not going to the church and fellowship is dis-energizing spiritually. Thank goodness that I refused to backslide.

The lockdown time gave me an opportunity to sleep more but totally deprived me of watching live sports, especially the English Premier League that has always been a source of my inspiration and cheers.