Stephanie

Covid-History Item Type Metadata

Age

67

Date

06/02/2020

Location

Wilton, New York

When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?

March 13th, 2020, a Friday I believe. I think that was the day that school closed. Until that day we had watched our grandchildren almost every day. Now we weren't going to be able to even see them every week. A day or two earlier there was an earthquake whose epicenter was in South Glens Falls. Too close for comfort. The first person I knew to get Covid is a young man I have known since he was 5. He came back from Europe, under orders from the government, to an ill prepared airport entry system. My thought was did he get the virus in Europe, or at the airport.

How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?

My husband and I used to go to work and take care of our grandchildren. No more. I go to work virtually and my husband had to stop work and had a pacemaker put in when there were still no visitors allowed at the hospital. We mostly stay home we didn't go out for about a month; no grocery shopping even as our children shopped for us.

How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?

I am feeling kind of disoriented. How could this happen in one of the richest countries of the world. I guess our priorities were''t the best. We took a mindfulness meditation course which helped us sit still and just breathe. Now we are walking and gardening and the physical activity seems to relieve stress.

What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?

The town is so quiet, or was until recently. Now businesses are starting to reopen, with restrictions. Our town is very tourist dependent . Those activities all stopped. The college closed and all the students left. It feels a bit empty here.

Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?

Yes, I am working at home. I am a library computer clerk. I am taking online workshop to enhance my work skills. Online education wasn't foreign to me and I have enjoyed the library's online morning meetings.

How are you using social media, the Internet, or digital platforms during the pandemic?

One big change is having many more online activities, for work and for social gatherings. We had a Zoom birthday and a Friday night Happy hour several times, and also some game nights online.

Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?

We have a cat who likes it that it is just my husband and I here at home.

What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?

I tried to give more to our local food pantry. I liked to see all the online music and church services and the funny things people have offered to keep others entertained.

Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?

Yes, I know two or perhaps three people who had Covid. One of them , a woman in her 50's had to be hospitalized, but has now recovered. Someone we attended a wedding with in November 2019, a person we met and talked with died of the virus in March. He was in his 60's, fairly good health, from NJ.

What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?

How to petition my government to prepare for all contingencies.

What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?

Elect leaders who want to lead, not tear down. Fight for a more equitable society, where everyone can earn a living wage and have enough food to eat and decent housing. Build trust at home and in your community, for everyone. Read about science. Support scientific study.

How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?

I don't know what the new normal will look like. Maybe many will wear masks and wash our hands more. Maybe we will work towards a more global and interconnected world. Or maybe not which would be very sad.

Dublin Core

Title

Stephanie

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)
Children

Creator

unknown

Publisher

Southern Adirondack Library System

Contributor

Southern Adirondack Library System

Rights

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Format

still image

Language

English

Type

Covid History

Identifier

11658770036

Citation

unknown, “Stephanie,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed March 19, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/108.

Output Formats

Geolocation