Ray
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
64
Date
01/24/2021
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
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?
Late January, 2020 The interval between realizing this could be disastrous and the first case in Ft Wayne was like waiting for a storm to arrive. I grew up on the edge of the Great Plains, and we'd watch the big thunderstorms work their way towards us. There was nothing anyone could do, except head for shelter and wait. Once it arrived, there was nothing to do but wait it out – through the lightning, thunder, hail, gale-force winds, tornado. The time between January and the first case was quiet rather than suspenseful. And all I could think of was "How the hell can everyone pretend this isn't a storm"?
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
I am SO isolated. I seldom meet coworkers. My job (teaching) has completely changed. I would never have become a teacher, if this is what it is like. I have had extremely little contact with people, and I have seen one (1) friend in the past 8 months, when I ran into her in a store. I have put less than 5,000 miles on my car since March, 2020.
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
I feel like crap. There is no relief from the stress. I can handle physical isolation. I struggle with the realization that I am so very, very different than the people in my area. I don't WANT to be around people who so deliberately close their eyes to reality.
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
I am astonished that the people in my area have totally blown the pandemic off. The previous 3 years had revealed the true nature of friends. The past 12 months have totally exposed them. By profession, personality and my Faith (Quaker), I value truth above all else. I knew that not everyone felt the same way. I was naive to not realize its rarity.
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?
Not a business owner.
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
Not considered an essential employee, but required to continue working. I teach college courses. We shut down in late March, and reopened in August. Workplace precautions are half-assed. Classrooms were reconfigured to allow social distancing, which many teachers practiced – but not all. Hallways were labeled for one-way traffic and building entrances were labeled either in or out (resulting in one floor having no "legal" exit). None of the precautions are enforced, and all can be very easily bypassed. I am the only occupant of my home. No precautions were added.
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?
Not laid off or furloughed.
Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?
I am working both at home and at my workplace. I've had upgrade my computer and add a few items of technology (webcam, headset, and such). Teaching over the Internet is COMPLETELY different than teaching in person. I've had to redesign almost everything.
Do you have children at home? How’s it going?
No children, thank God.
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?
Not a student, but a teacher. Yes, I expect to be back on campus in Fall 2021.
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
Postpone, and cancel. Some have been rescheduled for after the pandemic.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
No animals. No pets. I have very seriously considered it, though. The problem is that once this is over, I don't think could take adequate care of them.
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
Whew... tough one. I've supported a few friends, both emotionally and financially. And I gave most of my COVID relief check to the Biden campaign, because the previous administration wasn't going anything to help.
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
Yes, several. All I could do is watch, and wait. Most were not hospitalized; some were. POWERLESSNESS added to isolation. Not good.
If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?
Yes. Toasted their memories. Quiet, one-person remembrances. Ongoing mourning.
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
How pigheaded and selfish people were going to be.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
It could have been worse, but it should have been better. We screwed up A LOT. We were/are lucky it isn't as deadly as we originally thought. While the house was burning, powerful people said everything was under control, it was going away, it'd be gone by Memorial day. There have been many people who have gone above and beyond, at great personal sacrifice. They have been the best of us, more-so because they have been abused and overused. How to prepare? Don't let your guard down. We WERE prepared... in 2015. And most of all: this will happen again.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
Some of us will change, and be more cautious. For about 5 years. A lot of people want to forget, and a lot already pretend it isn't happening. I think the biggest change will be less trust in other people. We'll trust or mistrust the government about as much as before, but not each other.
Is there anything else you would like to add that hasn't already been asked above?
We're not out of the woods, not by a long shot. With luck, this will be largely wound down by September. We are in a race with Nature. Viruses evolve. As we get the strains around us under control, those strains that are resistant to our vaccines and treatments will thrive. Can we knock this down before a super-coronavirus appears? Stay tuned...
Dublin Core
Title
Ray
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Date
01/24/2021
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
12350437713
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
“Ray,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed November 21, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/315.