Ilia
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
38
Date
10/15/2020
Location
Trussville, Alabama
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?
A week before everything shut down in March i was hearing a lot about it and I was very concerned. We backed out of a few events we had planned, and didn’t go to church. Alabama was one of the last states to get COVID19 tests, so we were wondering if it was already here. Once the cases started, everything started shutting down.
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
I rarely leave the house, maybe once or twice a week. I’m high risk for complications from COVID because of my cancer history, so we are really careful. My kids can’t do ballet or sports or school trips. We homeschooled even before this, but now we don’t get to do the things that helped them socialize, like activities with our homeschool group or friends. I had to let our memberships to the gym, kids’ museum, etc expire. We do online dance and fitness classes instead. We haven’t eaten out since March. I started ordering groceries delivered. I almost never see my friends anymore. I spend a lot more time on Marco Polo and FaceTime now. We left our church because they were so cavalier about it and didn’t take the safety precautions seriously, (plus other things). We’ve been watching a new church online. We spend a lot more time in our backyard. We started our new school year in June instead of August because we might as well. There was nothing else to do. We make masks and sell the ones we don’t use. We wear masks any time we leave the house. I keep a lot more stuff stocked up now in case there are shortages again at the store. We still can’t find Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer easily. We had to cancel all of our trips. The only things we’ve done this year are camping trips. My husband is taking off two weeks of work before Thanksgiving so that we can quarantine and then be able to share Thanksgiving with my mom and grandmother who are both very high risk.
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
I am constantly under stress. My anxiety is terrible. I feel so frustrated and discouraged seeing so many people getting “back to normal” while I’m still at home. It is emotionally exhausting. My friends with lots of money are buying campers and new cars and going on long vacations, while we are struggling to make ends meet. To relieve stress I have some time on Saturdays set aside to be alone when my husband takes the kids. I also do my fitness classes and try to read and do art.
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
Everyone is divided into camps. Mask/no mask, it’s a hoax/it’s dangerous, open everything/close everything. People I used to respect are posting conspiracy theories and hoaxes. I guess what surprises me is how many people act like there’s no pandemic.
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?
No I’m a stay at home mom
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
No but my husband is. He works at an automotive plant. They are required to wear masks and do temp checks and social distance.
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?
My husband was furloughed for three weeks this summer. We were able to get unemployment and keep our healthcare.
Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?
My husband worked from home a few weeks this summer but he is back at work now.
Do you have children at home? How’s it going?
Yes, 8 and 5. They miss their friends and their activities so much. They were already used to homeschooling, but not like this. We used to have activities every day. Now we just stay home. They are trying to be ok but it is really hard for them.
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
I don’t think major life events...we had a trip planned for the end of March for my daughter’s birthday and an anniversary trip planned for July. They both got canceled. We just celebrated at home as best we could.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
We have a hamster but he hasn’t changed much lol
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
We attended an outdoor distanced family rally for racial justice this summer. We have cultivated some new habits to keep the house clean and running smoothly. We’ve tried some new hobbies,
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
No one in our immediate circle. We’ve had some cousins get it. They got better after a long illness, but one of their roommates died. We have several friends who have lost relatives.
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
I honestly don’t think there’s anything I could have known that would have made a difference. I knew it was going to be a long haul, not just a month or two.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
Some of us took it seriously. We did our best. It is really hard, and everyone made mistakes, but we had no prior experience to guide us. If you need to prepare, keep a good stock of basic paper goods and food supplies, but don’t go crazy. You’ll still get to go to the store. Stock up on activities for the kids. And lots of books.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
I think we will be more careful about spreading germs in general. I think we will do more things online.
Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?
I kept a journal for the first one hundred days.
Dublin Core
Title
Ilia
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Children
Creator
unknown
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Date
10/15/2020
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Format
still image
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
12079748503
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
unknown, “Ilia,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed November 21, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/244.