Covid-19: In Our Own Words
kendrawalter, Jan 12, 2021
- Description:
- Created for MOC Day 11: Tell My a Story
1247 words (598 from me, 649 from my husband)
Sabrina’s Creations – Better Days
Sahin Designs – Cupid Stamps
Just Jaimee – Storyteller June 2017 Word Art
Mommyish – Serendipity Elements
She Said:
On March 14th, 2020 I got a call from work telling me to stay home and be “on call” for my shift that day. It was the first time that had ever happened to me. I had heard of other people getting calls like that on snow days, but it had never happened to me. That’s when I knew that things were getting serious. The NBA had just postponed their season 3 days prior, followed the next day by all Men’s and Women’s College Basketball tournaments being cancelled (goodbye March Madness). At that point, we had been hearing the shutdown would last perhaps through the end of March, enough time for Covid-19 symptoms to present themselves in people who had caught the coronavirus and subsequently those people quarantining to stop the spread. Jason and I even hesitated in cancelling our anniversary trip thinking things might have been cleared up by the end of the month. My boss called me again on Monday March 16th to tell me I would be on call most of the week, with the exception of 1 half day. I spent those 4 “on call” days going through boxes I hadn’t yet unpacked from the move. I thought, “this is great…an unexpected staycation to finally get some stuff done around the house!” I went through boxes that I had blindly moved from house to house and purged so much junk. I had 6 boxes of stuff to donate once thrift stores reopened! Then, those “on call” calls kept coming. With the exception of 2 Drafts in April, and 1 Draft in June, I was at home for nearly 4 months. I was required to complete a daily health checklist and show a “safe passage letter” to even get on campus during that time! I was productive at first, but I definitely got lazier as time passed. Those “things around the house” again became “something I can do later” and I watched a lot more TV, read books, and started doing work outs at home. Mentally and physically, I benefitted from this unexpected screeching halt to life. I was fully rested, less stressed, and my skin even started clearing up. The only thing I was kind of sad about was that Jason couldn’t stay home with me (his station actually ADDED newscasts to keep viewers up to date on the latest coronavirus information).
I did start to miss the conversations and camaraderie at work. I still miss that. We aren’t allowed to travel for fear that we bring Covid back to campus, so I miss my road family something fierce. While I am now working on campus 40+ hours every week, the crew is spread out across multiple control rooms to comply with distancing guidelines. Tables in the cafeteria are 1 person to a table, and are spaced out for safety as we have to remove our masks to eat. We’re only asked to be on campus when scheduled on a specific show, so there isn’t the usual downtime for socialization and collaboration. Work is lonely, even though everyone is back. When I start to feel sad about it, I remember that people are dying, families who are used to seeing each other can’t, and SO MANY people don’t even have jobs to be lonely at because they were laid off. I could have it a lot worse.
I have to remind myself that it’s okay to feel sad, even without the worst parts of the pandemic affecting me. We are all experiencing this pandemic at the same time, and my feelings are still valid.
He Said:
The Coronavirus pandemic was an experience I’ll never forget. Like many here in the USA, I was naive for a little while and thought it wouldn’t affect us. But once the cases began to show up here, that feeling changed. I’ll never forget the weekend before most shutdowns. I was in New York City to attend a couple events. I remember the eerie feeling of wondering if the virus was lurking at every turn.
When the shutdowns happened in Connecticut, it was surreal. Our cases and hospitalizations rose so quickly in part due
to our proximity to New York City. I was worried. There was no working from home for me. Would I be affected? Seeing stories of illness and loss was really tough. My NYC friends speaking about the unending ambulance sirens was heartbreaking.
My wife and I were set to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary with a trip to Oregon. We held out thinking “well maybe it’ll be fine.” But we quickly realized that it wasn’t a smart idea. That was just the first of many trip cancellations in 2020. There was a cancelled road trip to Canada for my 35th birthday. Three cancelled trips to see close friends get married. Of course, for those trips I felt worse for them. Having just gotten married in 2019, the memory of wedding excitement and planning was fresh in mind. To see our friends have to postpone for reasons beyond their control was tough.
As summer arrived, Connecticut began to get things under control and there was a sense of slight calm. The positivity rate was at 1% or lower and great weather meant opportunities to be outside and to support our favorite restaurants and breweries on their patios. The state worked to make it easier for businesses to have outdoor space and it was incredible to see. Despite the many travel restrictions, I was happy that my wife and I could squeeze in a couple regional road trips. We spent a few days in Maine exploring the majesty of Acadia National Park and then visiting Portland, one of our favorite New England cities. At the end of the season as the leaves began to turn we drove to northern New Hampshire for a little leaf peeping and relaxation. This was the first time in 27 years that a year went by that I didn’t get on a plane, but as weird as that was, I’m glad we had a chance to travel a little bit.
I missed a lot in 2020. There was so much fun and joy planned. So much sharing of moments with good friends. But for safety, that changed. But that’s okay. In the end, despite the minor inconveniences like wearing a mask for three-fourths of the year and the lack of the usual pleasures in life, I am immensely grateful. It is not lost on me that this year could have been worse for my family and me. We have our life and our health when so many do not. My wife and I still have our jobs when so many do not. I hope that that can continue. This year made me sad for all the world lost. But it made me hopeful to see how quickly the world’s scientific minds came together ( even in the face of scientific doubt from some ) to get the world a vaccine. I am in awe of them and we are in debt to them and all the healthcare and frontline workers that kept the world moving. The year 2020 was not what we expected, it’s not what we wanted, but I hope that we learned from it. I hope that if it ever happens again, we will be better prepared. And I hope we won’t forget the things and the people that are most important in life. I can’t wait to hug my family.
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- Category:
- Month of Challenges 9
- Uploaded By:
- kendrawalter
- Date:
- Jan 12, 2021
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- Comment Count:
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