Collected Item: “The Growth of a Man”
Give your story a title.
The Growth of a Man
What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?
text story
Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.
In March, Covid-19 hit the United States like nothing I have ever seen before. Initially, I was overcome with panic as I realized that many were going to die from this virus. I was overwhelmed thinking about how I would explain this to my four children, three of which are school-aged, who would have their lives changed instantly. There was no initial thought about the potential uncertainty of my employment until the schools started to shut down. Then came the restaurants and movie theaters, and being a personal trainer, I knew the gyms were next. I went home on March 17th and never returned to my position at the gym. After the initial sensation of it all started to wear off, my kids were getting antsy in the house, my wife was irritable with all of us at home, and I was uncomfortable with not knowing what the future would bring. Things were rough for a while until I had an epiphany of sorts. I could look at this situation with horror and treat it will disdain, or I could make this a life-changing moment for me and my family. I realized that I was given the most amazing opportunity to be with my family and grow as a husband and father. I took the time to teach my kids new things and to help my wife around the house. These items always seemed daunting after a long day out at work but in these moments, they were blessings. I worked on being more patient with my children which was always hard for me. I also realized that me being home was meaningful to them as well because I work so much, they rarely get quality time with their dad. Once my attitude and outlook changed, my world felt better, and my situation started to get better as well. I grew my at-home fitness business and it is thriving and I was able to get my resume out to many different agencies. I never had time for those types of things before but with the gift of time that the pandemic gave me, I was offered a dream job. As I write this, I am now back at work and I feel lighter. The pandemic is still here, but my vision is clearer than ever. Without this time to reflect and grow, I am not sure when I would have had an opportunity to see the areas in which I needed change. This story may not be like the rest where there is a specific event that has occurred during the pandemic but, for me, it is the most important story because it gave me the gift of growth.
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#REL101,#personalgrowth,#familyman,#uncertaintimes,#dad,#blessed
Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)
Elisha J O'Hara
Give this story a date.
2010-08-10