Rhonda

Covid-History Item Type Metadata

Age

57

Date

8/29/2020

Location

Crestline, California

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?

I don't think the full impact has occurred to any of us, yet. However, I first became aware of the impact when I was no longer allowed to work from my office: March 18, 2020. We have had very few cases in my town and only one death of an elder man.

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

Working from home, wearing masks everywhere, seeing family members less, frustration with the government for both under reacting and over reacting. Concern for the many, many people who have lost their livelihoods and homes and may ultimately lose their lives due to suicide and/or homelessness.

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

Walking around the lake near my home. I am not stressed myself because I am financially secure and can work remotely from home.

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

Eating outside at restaurants, small businesses going out of business; lake beach closing. Surprised how fearful people are and how much they trust the government to take care of them and be honest with them.

Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?

n/a

Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?

Yes, I am considered an essential worker. I am a Marriage and Family Therapist who works primarily with children. Most of us are working remotely, seeing client's virtually. A few employees are in the office and social distancing. Agency meetings take place via virtual meeting as well.

Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?

n/a

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

Privacy for the confidentiality of my client's is somewhat challenging. Setting up a workspace with appropriate lighting and background.

Do you have children at home? How’s it going?

n/a

If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?

I am not a student, but I work with students. They did not return to school in the Fall. Much of their anxiety disappeared when they went to distance learning and many parents who can are considering having their children continue with online learning because they are thriving without the peer pressure from fellow students and the bullying from some teachers and students. It's very sad that our schools have become so unsafe for our children (mentally and emotionally unsafe).

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

Much, much less social media! Virtual meetings for work. I've done my banking online for years.

Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?

n/a

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

Miss Kitty adopted us and we like having her in our life, but our also glad she is free to come and go as she pleases.

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

Client's (children) depressive and anxiety symptoms disappearing when school was cancelled.

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

n/a

If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?

n/a

What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?

To buy toilet paper!

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

Keep a stash of food and toiletries. That the government shut-downs made everything worse for most people and the economic impact and fall-out lasted for decades for some families.

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

I hope people will be more financially prepared--12 month emergency funds, etc. I hope people will be more independent and less dependent upon the government. I hope police will be allowed to do their jobs to protect our cities and small businesses. I hope the "bad cops" will have been weeded out.

Dublin Core

Title

Rhonda

Subject

COVID-19 (Disease)

Publisher

Southern Adirondack Library System

Contributor

Southern Adirondack Library System

Rights

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Language

English

Type

Covid History

Identifier

11943978998

Coverage

Coronavirus Pandemic

Citation

“Rhonda,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed October 13, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/225.

Output Formats

Geolocation