Items

• 
  2021-07-25

  Interview with Lauren Pease

  Ashley Tibollo interviewed stay-at-home mom, Lauren Pease about her experience with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this interview, they discuss her experience with the lockdown, her worries about the pandemic, and what life was like during lockdown with her foster child. This interview also touches on political protests, virtual learning and her husband's transition to working from home.
• 
  2021-06-30

  COVAX initiative helps vaccinate the elderly in Peru

  COVAX is one of the organizations helping get vaccines to Peruvians. This story focuses on older adults in Lima, Peru receiving their vaccines and the prospect of reunification with family. The video shows several people waiting or receiving their COVID-19 vaccine shot, and encouraging other people to get vaccinated as well. The location is a school called Libertor Jose de San Martin. In Peru over 2 million people have contracted COVID-19 and 200,000 people have died. The pandemic is still in many ways an epidemic in this region of the world, and until we can control the disease globally, there's no hope for a true "return to normal."
• 
  2020-03

  Riding the Covid Wave from Quito to Sydney

  The pandemic was declared as I was en route to Ecuador. I was trapped in a strict lockdown isolated from any other travellers. My book describes my reactions and rescue. As a doctor I was not surprised that a pandemic was occurring as I knew that epidemiologists always say it is not an if but rather a when.
• 
  2021-07-09

  Interview with Joseph Giangreco-Marotta

  Wife interviews husband about covid 19 experience.
• 2021-07-07

  Two Weeks

  "See y'all in two weeks!" we joked as my cousins left my house after a long game of Monopoly. There was talk in the news about some new virus and having to be on lockdown for two weeks. This was all still so new and unbelievable, literally. We never thought a quarantine would happen, especially since being isolated for two weeks felt like an eternity. A few days later when we realized we were going to be separated for two weeks, we could not imagine how we were going to get through these two weeks without seeing each other. Two weeks, that is it. Looking back, that sounds like nothing. Two weeks turned to three, weeks turned to months, and months turned into over a year. During this time, the things I missed the most were the little things. I missed watching my little cousin do cartwheels in our backyard. I missed hearing my older cousin's deep laugh as she tried to teach me how to dance. I missed stressing out over getting ready to go out. I missed arguing over the rules of Monopoly with my cousins. Fast forward 15 months, we are all vaccinated, and hopefully will return to rejoicing over a game of Monopoly soon.
• 
  2021-07-03

  A Dog's Tale

  This is Hannah aka Hannah Banana. My husband and I adopted her May 4, 2013 from a rescue in St. Catherine's, ON. We live just over the border in Buffalo, NY. Hannah is a purebred Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog), but purebred gone wrong. She is what is called a double merle. That means an irresponsible breeder bred two merle coated dogs together, which results in 25% of the litter being born deaf, primarily white in color, and with eye problems or missing eyes altogether. Hannah was approximately 4 years old at the time. The previous owners who surrendered her had had her for 2 years. They had adopted her from a shelter that had picked her up as a stray. Hannah was our 2nd double merle (we also have an Aussie with the same problem), so we were used to the unique problems associated with deaf and vision impaired dogs, but Hannah came with many more from a history of abuse and neglect. One of her biggest issues was that she was absolutely terrified of people, particularly men, and she hated small children. We worked with a trainer, we did agility twice a week, and did barn hunt once a week. She broke out of her shell a lot, but did not lose her fear of people. In 2016 my husband and I had our first and only child, Charlotte. Hannah was very aggressive towards her. She would bark and snap at her. We had to keep her separated a lot, and we worried about what the future would bring. She got a bit better when Charlotte could walk, but not to a comfort level. Once Charlotte was about 3, Hannah accepted that she was a human in the house but wanted nothing to do with her. She didn't really want to have much to do with any of us or our other dog except for at agility class. She wouldn't play with us and only tolerated petting for a short while. Fast forward to 2020. While COVID-19 was cause fear, anxiety, and depression in people, for Hannah it was just what she needed. After a few months, she became a whole new dog. Having all three of her humans home 24/7 seemed to alleviate a lot of her fears and anxieties. She completely bonded with Charlotte. She actually plays with her and snuggles with her and sleeps in her bed. Who knew this 12-year-old dog just needed constant companionship to heal her old wounds. Luckily, my career path changed during the pandemic (I am going back to school to pursue a PhD) and so I will continue to be home a lot of the time. While COVID did bring devastation to people across the world, for one little dog it was just the medicine she needed.
• 
  2020-04-10

  Thanks to Sheltering in Place, Animal Shelters Are Empty

  This article discusses the animal adoption trend in the United States during the pandemic. Some shelters find themselves completely empty, which is a dream come true for animal lovers. On the flip side, there are families in crisis, particularly in large cities, that have been forced to give up their pets. Fortunately, with so many foster and adoptive families on waiting lists, these pets won't be going to shelters for any length of time.
• 
  2020-06-28

  Distant Friendship

  Through the start of the pandemic, in America, my state shut down by late March. I was fortunate enough to have been able to quarantine with my parents, after a fall my grandma joined us as well. The hard part was though to be totally honest not seeing my friend. My two best friends and I are super close and that period between March through June was the longest time since we became friends ten plus years ago, that we were apart. My birthday was during that time, which again was weird and sad not to have them as part of my actual day. I think sound was a sensory that I missed during the pandemic. Hearing my friends in person, was completely different than hearing them over Facetime, or Zoom. The laughter that normally flows, online was broken up by bad connections.
• 
  2020-11-09

  Pupside to the Pandemic

  This adorable story uses the example of a neighborhood in Rosemount, Minnesota to demonstrate the trend of families adopting dogs during the pandemic. In this neighborhood, 17 puppies were adopted by 17 families living within 3 blocks of each other, with a surprise 18th at the end of the video.
• 
  2021-01-03

  Ten Lives Club Eastern Hills Mall Adoption Success

  This is a Facebook post from a rescue group that operates out of the local shopping mall. Even though the mall was closed during the pandemic, the group still managed to place 600 cats with their new furever families.
• -2021-06-20

  Losing Connections with Older Relatives and with Their Life Knowledge

  I am an individual over 60, which means that my aunts, uncles, and cousins are also over 60, and several are in their 80s and 90s. Luckily I haven’t been separated from family members younger than me, but because of the health and safety concerns for older individuals, I haven’t been able to meet with these older family members during the pandemic. I’ve found that my older family members don’t enjoy connecting through technology, as they know that doing so, although better than not connecting at all, is a poor substitute for face-to-face connections. Trying to communicate over Zoom results in frustration and dissatisfaction for people who are used to another way of communicating, a way where body language, touch, and energy are important components of the conversation. So the level of connection with these individuals has declined greatly during the pandemic, as we haven’t been able to meet in person and our technology-driven connections have been unsatisfactory or infrequent. The lack of connection is particularly sad as this demographic is more likely to fall ill with the virus or suffer another illness, or even death, and I may not have another chance to see them. I’ve lost an uncle to the virus this past year already. I’ve gone without seeing friends this past year, but I fully expect to be able to see them again in the future; with my older family members, this connection in the future is far less certain. The lack of connection is also sad because these individuals have lived long lives and encountered hardships, including diseases and public health scares, and their advice and history would be sources of comfort and knowledge for these times.
• 
  2021-06-06

  Pandemic Thanksgiving

  Our first pandemic thanksgiving
• 
  2021-05-27

  Teachers Rock

  Right before COVID-19 hit my husband made the transition from active duty military to reservist. After eight years we were finally given the gift to settle down and live a "normal" life. January of 202 we moved into our home and three months later we were facing a quarantine. That same in the midst of that my daughter started kindergarten. It was a moment I had thought of for quite some time. In my mind, I would take lots of pictures, walk her to her class and tearfully walk back to my car and having a pity party about my growing girl. Instead, my daughter spent her first day at home in front of a computer while I fought to get into her virtual classroom. For months we dealt with virtual than in class then back to virtual learning as COVID cases peaked. My daughters Kindergarten teacher was the only constant bright light throughout the school year. Through it all she worked tirelessly to make sure the kids had a positive school experience. She went out of her way to make sure the school brought them joy in the midst of the chaotic year, having her in my daughter's life became personal to my family. At the end of the school year she sent out her last newsletter thanking parents but the reality of it is- she was a complete rockstar and we will forever be grateful. I wanted to share her last newsletter in hopes that it reflects an ounce of how difficult this school year was for teachers and how resilient children were.
• 
  2021-05-22

  Life as a High Schooler During Covid-19

  The story talks about my experience and what it was like to be a high schooler during the pandemic and how there were many struggles involved.
• 
  2021-05-25

  Digitally Trapped

  I am a victim of online pedophilia. My experience discusses how that has effected the switch to online shool.
• 2020-12-01

  My Day

  December 1, 2020 Over Thanksgiving break, I went to Saint Francisville and went hunting and had fun with my cousins. On the day before Thanksgiving, I shot my third deer and it was a doe that weighed 122 pounds and I was very excited. On Thanksgiving, we went to my grandmother’s house in Saint Francisville, which is about 10 minutes from our property. I ate turkey and ham and rice and gravy for lunch, and then I went and played with my little cousins. Later, we had a very good ice cream pie and then went home that night. On Saturday, we watched the Iron Bowl and watched Alabama beat Auburn 42-13, but it should’ve been 49-6. Then right after that we switched over to the Egg Bowl and watched Ole Miss beat Mississippi State. Yesterday we had basketball practice, and when I got home, my basketball shoes finally came in. They’re blue Kyrie low 3s. After school, I got a ride home with a friend because my sister had already left. I went to my friend’s house and just stayed there for a little while and more of my friends came there too. We played Madden and I beat my friend 35-8, and it was only the third quarter when he quit. At about 5:30, we walked to Circle K for snacks and it was so cold outside. I got a Rice Krispy Treat, Funyuns, and a drink, and then I went home and laid in bed and ate my snacks and had dinner and went to bed.
• 
  2021-05-21

  Personal Pandemic History Project Of Jaisey Rindlisbacher

  This is about the COVID-19 pandemic. It shares my moms personal experience, and it is important to me because I spent a ton of time on it. Also because this was one of our final projects in school.
• 
  2021-05-18

  A COVID 19 Reflection

  Observations and lessons learned and learning during this Pandemic.
• 
  2020-07-24

  My New Cat

  I took this picture on the day I got my cat Birdie. This was last July, and it was the first time I had gone out to do something with my whole family since the start of the pandemic. This was great because it gave my whole family and my dog Buck someone new to look after as well.
• 
  2021-05-03

  Josiah Collinge Oral History, 2021/05/03

  The interview describes the life of a young adult before the pandemic and how it changed during and after the pandemic. It also discusses the significance of the pandemic to him and those around him.
• 
  2021-05-18

  Changes during the pandemic

  I chose this photo because of the differences between a before and after the pandemic. I took the first photo from Google, from an article titled "What Keeps People Coming Back to a Restaurant?" (Carol Lin Vieira) because I do not have an old one where access to eat was allowed, since for me it was common. The second photo was taken at my current job, it is located at 2065 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10453. Before the pandemic started, we could go out and share with our families and friends, we could order food and eat in the restaurant, hang out, have fun and laugh, no need to be making reservations all the time. The pandemic changed our lives in a whole new way. Before we could be in groups and go to the park without the need to worry about whether other people could infect us. We had so much more fun because we didn't have to worry about whether restaurants would be open or not, whether we could go out and eat quietly away from home. During the pandemic, we can no longer do these kinds of things because we are separated. This is something sad, not being able to see your friends or family for fear of infecting us or infecting the people we love. Not being able to shake hands, give hugs, kisses on the face or share our food with other people. It makes me nostalgic to see how in my work the tables are empty and it is forbidden to eat, to remember how the restaurant was full with many people who laughed and told how their day, shared stories or dated someone. It is hard to listen to the sad voices of the customers when they ask when they can go eat. As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 left many losses and many broken hearts along the way, it is a disease in which it showed us the value that each person has. Sometimes as teenagers we do not realize what we have, I chose this photo as an example of how little we valued the little things before and now we really need it. A single walk without a mask, sitting in large groups with your family in a restaurant, being next to someone who has already died due to this disease, among many other details. I think everything happens for a reason and from something so negative we learned something positive, we learned to appreciate the little things in life, to be more united with the family and to love more every day.
• 
  2020-12-31

  I could not hug my mother

  For my primary source, I selected a screenshot of me and my mom while we talked through Facetime. In this facetime we were in the same house but unable to see each other in person since she was infected with the covid-19 virus. Apparently, my mother became ill with covid-19 while celebrating the end of 2020 with close relatives, they were around 6 members of my family and they decided to go celebrate that day since they had not seen each other for a long time. That day I was working at night and cannot go to the party. Well, on the first of January I couldn't go to my house either since my co-workers called out and I had to do a double shift. I left the first of January around 3:00 pm from my work, before arriving at my house my mother called me and told me that she was not feeling well and that she believed that she was infected with covid because she had all the symptoms related to this virus. She went to do the test so I went to my girlfriend's house to wait for my mother to call me to confirm what we already suspected, around 5:00 pm she called me to tell me that she, my aunt and my cousin were positive . We could not leave our house for 16 days and only seeing each other through Facetime. I remember we took turns using the kitchen or leaving our rooms. To use the bathroom, we each entered with a Lysol to disinfect before and after using it. We used gloves and a mask when we left our rooms, so that I would not get infected. Today, 5 months later, my mother is still suffering the consequences of being infected, she gets tired when she walks for a long time and is in training since she has bacteria in the lungs as a result of covid-19. I decided to select this screenshot as my source because it represents what many people went through during the pandemic. Family that lasted months without seeing each other when before the pandemic they saw each other every day and grandparents without knowing their newborn grandchildren were some of the scenes that we could see during the pandemic. I am the only son of my mother and we have a remarkably close relationship. Never in our lives would we have lasted so long without seeing each other in person and without having hugged each other, it was very painful.
• 
  2020-06-04

  The Doctors and the Community

  I'm submitting a picture of doctors, including my uncle and members of the community gathered outside of the SUNY Downstate Medical Center University Hospital, to celebrate the discharge of a patient who beat Covid-19.
• 
  2021-04-28

  Allison Oskar Oral History 2021/04/28

  This oral history focused on how smaller communities tackled the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview discusses how hospitals tackled the pandemic, and it goes into depth about what it was like to work for a hospital during this time. Also discussed were the ways in which the pandemic affected mental health and how it proved to be beneficial in some ways. There was a large focus on the ways in which COVID-19 affected the 'work life' balance of the interviewee.
• 
  2020-01

  The First Mask

  This is the first mask my father gave me at the end of January 2020. We didn't think COVID-19 would be a big deal, and it was more of a precaution than anything else. When everything started shutting down, I got more masks, and lost track of this one while moving out of my college dorm. I found it in again in September of 2020, and it reminds me of just how much the world has changed. I've had two pandemic birthdays, caught COVID-19, and got my vaccines, all while trying to be a college student. Looking at this mask reminds me of how much everything has changed, and the good and bad that I've seen go along with it.
• 
  2021-05-11

  The Difference that 473 Miles Makes

  The story talks about my family’s journey during the pandemic
• 
  2021-05-09

  Boston Lockdown

  The JFK Library and Museum closed during the shutdown and I lost the best job I ever had. I graduated Boston University without a ceremony. I spent my first year in grad school on zoom. I ended up living with my 2 adult siblings and my parents who were either working virtually or not at all. I decided that I would take the time at home to learn things that I had always intended to, mostly because I didn't want to lose my mind. I baked bread, lots of bread: challah, bagels, cinnamon rolls, babka and more. I knit a complicated sweater. I sewed masks for my friends and I played games with my family. I research and organized 7 generations of my family's pictures, documents, videos and newspaper clippings. I started growing vegetables and flowers and I watched hundreds of English Premier Soccer games. The most fun I had was hanging out with my dog. For Halloween I made he and I costumes from the movie Rear Window. I feel like I did my best to survive the Plague, I am proud of all I was able to accomplish and I have more good memories than I thought was possible. I appreciate the normal things I took for granted pre-pandemic and I look forward to the end.
• 
  2020-05-19

  Zoom Birthday Celebration

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we celebrated my dad's birthday through a zoom call with my sisters!
• 
  2021-05-04

  Hugs, Laughter and Love

  Hugs, Laughter and Love I see my cousin running with me in the fields i don’t feel ashamed of what i am doing and neither are they The sounds of our feet crushing the grass with a smile just because we are finally together I taste the great food melting in my mouth Happiness, Joy and fun Joy, Joy, Joy
• 
  2020-05-09

  Through the Eyes of Assimilation: Immigrant Families, Mental Illness, and COVID-19

  This story is about my partner's family, utilizing both of our perspectives to talk about how his mother, and subsequently my partner, was treated due to mental illness, ethnicity, and gender identity.
• 
  2021-05-03

  ICU Change.org Petition during COVID

  I’m in a mom group on Facebook where this was shared. The woman who began the petition outlines her struggle with her husband’s traumatic workplace injury and how their lives and his recovery is impacted by the ICU’s COVID rules. There are also many comments by petition signers who believe COVID restrictions do more harm than good.
• 
  2020-04-18

  Support, Family & Friends

  At the beginning of quarantine, people were planning surprise personal birthday parades filled with cars of people honking, holding posters, or even throwing confetti. I believe that this was one of the moments that showed communities coming together, and it is really awesome to see this good news. I am very grateful that my family and friends helped me celebrate my birthday safely like this!
• 
  2020-04-08

  Flying home on COVID times

  In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the USA I was a history teacher at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. When the stay-at-home order was issued by Colorado's government and FLC confirmed classes online only I was eager to come back to my home country, Mexico. After my boss's approval, I proceed to purchase my flight ticket. Prices were constantly changing even on the same day. One ticket could go from over $600 around 8 am, to $450 at noon and less than $300 by the afternoon. Other days ticket were more expensive in the morning and less by the evening. I originally purchased my ticket for the end of April but when rumors of a potential USA's close of borders increased, I changed my ticket for April 3 to prevent more stress about the potential risk of being stranded at Durango's or Dallas's airport. I profited from the no-cost policy to change plane tickets and went ahead. The mood at both airports was eerie with very few travelers. Even the usually overcrowded Dallas Airport looked empty. Passengers at waiting rooms were scarce and food vendors were hard to find as most of them were closed. The few open had blocked their seating sections. To find my boarding room was very hard as it was constantly changing within few minutes. To board my international American Airlines Flight 3697 from Dallas to Guanajuato, Mexico, I walked from one side to another and took the train to another terminal. By the time I had arrived it was already changed again. Surprisingly my American Airlines Flight 3697 had plenty of passengers. I could not identify a single non-Latino traveler. It seems that most passengers were Mexican nationals or descendants. I paid a small difference to be upgraded to First Class and I was very pleased that few passengers chose that class. Nobody sat beside me or in the other section after the corridor. However, as previously announced and confirmed at boarding, no meals or beverages were going to be supplied at all during the flight. Boarding had no problems, although I noticed there were no police officers at boarding, as usually happens on flights to Mexico, nor a double safety search was made. The flight went smoothly and once I arrived on time at Guanajuato International Airport I noticed that a lot of passengers were not wearing masks, and they were not mandatory at the flight nor at the airport. I had mine. Once we passed Mexican' Customs, passengers were told to do two lines for Mexican and Non-Mexican travelers to pass a health inspection. We had to fill out a questionnaire about our activities of past days and if we had any fever or cold-related symptoms or if we had contact with someone sick. Depending on your answers you were put in a different room, but for me, that answered negatively all questions, I met with a nurse who scanned my temperature on my forehead and requested my address, email, and phone number. I was strongly recommended to self-quarantine at home for at least 14 days, which I did. My husband was waiting for me at the airport and regardless of what we were doing in the USA, I did hug him and saw other passengers did as well with their families picking them up at the airport. For some moments COVID policies did not apply to our beloved ones!
• 
  2021-04-24

  The Devastating Pandemic

  I have been witness to some really traumatic life events. This has made me experience the pain and agony of individuals and their families during this pandemic. This has also made me grateful for keeping me and my family safe.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Covid as a first responder

  How the pandemic effected me personally at home and at work
• 
  2021-04-21

  Mini Oral History with La Verne Ford Wimberly 04/21/21

  Mini oral history with La Verne Ford Wimberly from Tulsa, Oklahoma
• 2020-03-18

  All We Have Is Each Other

  From the start of Covid-19 schools begin to get cancelled and change their way of teaching the students. Children, teens, adults, and seniors had to change everything involving their lifestyle. What we knew as a normal life could no longer be the same. Everyone had to be cautious of their surroundings and use protection gear. Before everything changed our lives my family and I would always get together every sunday. After the CDC recommended that there should be an approximate of 8 people per house in gatherings we decided to not get together as often since a family member worked in a senior home and we had learned that at that time seniors were more likely to get the virus. As the number of cases grew in Arizona and the border closed we didn't get time to see some family. It has been over a year since I haven't seen my grandparents. We call each other to see how we are doing. In my household it is only my mom and I along with my 3 dogs. What we took out of this was better bonding time, school ended early and jobs started to lay off employees because there weren't enough jobs. I had time to train my dogs and learn more commands, which was fun. I learned to do new things. My mom is a cosmetologist so she taught me how to cut hair, and how to apply gel polish. As things started to calm down families around my neighborhood would come out their front yard together and play with their kids and pets more. Families would eat outside and have a good time. But now everything is going back to normal. Sporting events are getting open to the public, and schools are going back to in person. I had learned that many families around my neighborhood shared the same experience.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Lost Time

  This story is a personal one. i hope it encourages others to love their loved ones and hold them close.
• 
  2021-04-22

  The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

  I am submitting this for my Rel 101: Religion, Culture, and Public Life course.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Why Religion Can Be Important To Many People

  The pandemic has showed me the importance of religion in many people's lives including my family's.
• 
  2021-04-22

  Uncertainty, Spirituality, and the Inevitability of Change #REL101

  I foolishly thought that it would be easy to write this post. I didn’t anticipate struggling so much with finding the right words to explain the impact the last year of pandemic life has had on me, but I’ve deleted about a hundred paragraphs of rambling, existential stream of consciousness nonsense about cherishing the small moments and growing in the face of adversity because it is surprisingly hard to be concise about your feelings on an event you’re still living through. I’m starting to think that maybe doing so is impossible, so instead of falling into cliche and flowery prose, I want to just be blunt. I haven’t seen my family in two years. My grandmother has dementia and in that time it has worsened exponentially. On a weekly basis, I have a call with my mom that starts with a debrief on whatever the newest updates in her condition are and ends with a plea to visit as soon as I feel comfortable traveling. Every day, I go into my retail job and tell them no, I don’t have symptoms or live with anyone with symptoms while waiting for the beep of a thermometer meant to ensure I don’t have a fever. I breathe through two layers of fabric, disinfect my work area between transactions, and field rants about restrictive mask mandates for six hours a day, then come home and begin the process of undressing, banishing my clothes to the washer, and trying to relax before I have to do it all again. Everything in that paragraph is, to put it nicely, so bleak it hurts. It’s easy to get caught in the feelings of overwhelm that came along with this pandemic and it would be a farce to say that there aren’t days where everything feels like way too much for one person to handle. Surprisingly, though, the thing that has blissfully not survived the most turbulent year of my life is the apathetic, empty cynicism I used to feel. Instead, I feel weirdly hopeful that this is the beginning of massive change both in myself and on a global level. Maybe it’s naive to think that way and maybe it’s just a coping mechanism to help me through the pandemic, but there’s a part of me that thinks that may not even matter because the changes are coming regardless. In the last year, I’ve moved out of Nevada and into a pink house in California with the love of my life. Despite a fraught, stressful prior experience in college, I’ve finally come back to higher education in a way that feels both healthy and exciting. The field of religious studies has reawakened my passion for learning and my ability to grow in academia. I’ve abandoned my skeptical, agnostic views and traded them out for a brand of religiosity that combines self-improvement, magic, and trust in something bigger than myself. I know how that all sounds and if the last sentence has you rolling your eyes reading this, I get it. The last year has been weird, don’t get me wrong. If I told a 20-year-old version of myself that one day we’d be living through the plague of a lifetime, studying religion with hopes of examining cultism, and practicing a version of witchcraft grounded in our ex-Catholic roots, I doubt she would believe me. It admittedly sounds pretty wacky all laid out in plain English like that. Part of what I’ve learned throughout the pandemic, though, is that suspending cynicism, skepticism, and disbelief can sometimes lead you to unexpectedly lovely places. Whether I saw it coming or not, Covid has changed my life in countless ways, just as I’m sure it’s changed the lives of everyone reading these entries. Some changes have been for the worse, certainly, but the things that have changed for the better are what I’m choosing to focus on. I’ve read articles about a reemergence of spirituality amongst young people that make me think others have been having similar ideas and something about that feels good. We’ve spent a lot of time isolated, lonely, and missing a sense of belonging we took for granted before, but there’s reassurance for me in knowing that my experiences aren’t all that different from anyone else’s. That type of community, however it manifests, is (and I hope you’ll forgive this admitted slip into flowery prose) something that the pandemic has taught us we must cherish above everything else because it’s what makes our little human lives worth living. More than anything, whenever this pandemic reaches the time where we split our lives into not just before, but after, I hope we don’t forget that.
• 2020-06-29

  The Unpredictable Horrors of Pandemic

  The unpredictable horrors of pandemic “Corona Virus” the most lethal being on the earth that swept a mass population since its spread in December 2019. The Corona Virus had already started its attack and only a few cases had been reported in Wuhan, China until 2020, where it spread like a wildfire taking down millions of people. I belong to Nepal which is a neighboring country to China, so it surely was at higher risk which led to a countrywide lockdown in March 2020. It was then, people started to realize the seriousness of the situation. I would like to share my part of the pandemic experience in the first person “We” because I believe in this time I was with my family and we went through this experience- some bitter and some sweet but we were always together as a single unit. When the lockdown was imposed in Nepal, people were not aware of why it was being done. Why a mere viral disease was threatening nations? People took it as an excuse to vacation from work and school. We were told to stay inside the house, wear a mask and avoid gatherings by the national authorities. We could only go out for buying essentials (food, medicine) in the evening between 6-7 PM. Other times we were enjoying with our family because it is very rare to have this much free time in this busy life. We would cook new dishes, we also started gardening, growing vegetables in our backyard, and sometimes there was even “Movie Time” with the family. So, for the first few weeks, this lockdown was a perfect family time. Then the economy slowly started to tremble. People were left jobless, savings started to dry out. We were getting conscious and calculative on the grocery shopping. We own a garment factory (textiles and embroidery) so with no shops open during the time, we were also struggling with the money. My sister was currently stuck in Bangladesh because she had gone there for her educational studies and was stuck since both the countries were on lockdown. She finally arrived back home in June 2020 in an evacuation flight. She was then on self-isolation for 14 days. In these days of self-isolation, she showed no signs of COVID. Finally, on her last day of isolation, she went for a test and the horrors began. The reports came POSITIVE. This came as a shock to all of us because she had followed all the health protocols both in Bangladesh, during the flight, and after arriving in Nepal. We all were in disbelief and were taken aback. Unfortunately, the same day when the reports came out, there a news report regarding the lab where the reports were tested had cross-contamination, leading to inaccurate results in the hospital that day (the same day as my sister was tested). All of the samples were tested positive. Health authorities had to investigate that matter. But since she had no symptoms whatsoever, we wanted to re-check. Before we could even go to the other hospital, the members from the localities hurdled outside our house. They had been informed that an infected person was there in the area. My mom and dad went out to calm the crowd, trying to convince us that the results were doubtful and we were going for a re-check. The crowd was more like an angry mob and was dismissing all our claims, maybe also because this was the first case in our locality. They didn’t want to hear what we had to say. They forcefully started sealing the gates and the areas of our house, ordering all our neighbors to stay away from the area. They were told not to cross the gate and come in contact with us. Since the coronavirus is truly a big deal, though we had some doubts, we accepted that all our family members should go into isolation. But this was easier said than done. For those 14 days, we had no one around us to help. We couldn’t go out to get groceries or even other essentials. Our neighbors were threatened by the local authorities to not help us. They couldn’t send us the groceries or anything else. We were cast away from the whole society around that time. Luckily, we had an aunt living nearby. She used to leave us grocery items in our backdoors before the sunrise…. before anyone could even see. And we would run outside abiding by proper protocols, get those items and be back inside, panting, hoping no one saw us. At that time we had no money, limited food supply, and many mouths to feed. It was like we were living in an apocalyptic world. Baseless rumors had started to spread around the society stating we were seen partying and having gatherings a few days back. People would ring us up just to blame us as if we were the rotten ones. The most heartbreaking incident was when we were called by the local authority asking us to not come out on the balcony because according to them, somehow, we were exposing the virus in our area. Those 2 weeks became hell for our family. Finally, on the 14th day, all the members of our family members took a PCR test, and luckily, we were all tested negative. So in simple terms, we had recovered BUT society still didn’t accept us. Whenever we used to go to the shop, we were stared at and could hear whispers behind our back. People used to stay away from us and we were regarded (sort of) untouchables even after we had medical reports to prove them otherwise. Then a month later, even my maternal grandmother was infected with the virus. We could not go visit her as the hospital didn’t permit and she was under strict surveillance. She soon developed pneumonia as a complication of the COVID attack. Almost half of her lungs had been severely damaged and on 29th November 2020 she passed away. This pandemic left a great impact on us. We suffered great loss both emotionally and financially. From sneaking in groceries like smugglers to bidding goodbye to someone who loved us the most, it will always be an inerasable memory for us. Even as I write my experience, my words are not enough to emphasize the pain this pandemic has caused. But all I can say is we fought this as a FAMILY. One for All and All for One.
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  2021-04-22

  How Covid-19 has Affected My Life - Kyra Smith

  The Submission that I uploaded is a reflection on how the pandemic affected my life. What I shared in this story is personal, and might seem choppy because I do not do well when expressing personal stories and feelings to others. I hope this helps someone to know that they are not alone.
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  2021-04-20

  George Floyd's family reacts to guilty verdict

  Hugs, tears and screams -- watch the moment George Floyd's family got justice for their loved one. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts and could be sent to prison for decades.
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  2021-03-30

  #JOTPYFuture from wanderlust_wilsons

  I haven’t seen my parents and siblings in almost 2 years due to COVID. Looking forward to heading back home to Michigan. #jotpyfuture
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  2021-04-02

  #JOTPYFuture from Sarah

  Hoping for widespread vaccination by summer so I can hug my friends and family. #JOTPYFuture
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  2021-04-17

  The Crisis in a Crisis

  This news article is about how COVID and homelessness have disproportionately affected families and especially black women. These are the two groups who are most likely to be benefitting from the rent moratorium right now. And as a result, they will be the groups most in danger of losing their housing once the moratorium expires. I wanted to include this story because it provides a perspective on homelessness that goes beyond people currently experiencing homelessness. People who are taking advantage of the moratorium are essentially on the verge of homelessness because they have no way to pay back that rent. This story highlights the fragile housing market and the economic situation that COVID placed many families under and the long-term economic consequences that come from this situation.
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  2021-03-09

  #JOTPYSilver from Christine

  christinejwong #jotpysilver I’m grateful I got to spend more time with my kids that wouldn’t haven been possible if I was going into the office 5 days a week.
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  2021-03-22

  #JOTPYLesson from kumarshivani285

  kumarshivani285 I have learned that there are so many things in life that we take for granted. There is definitely a difference between the way I view family interactions now and before the pandemic. I always assumed that I would be free to visit and see my family as I pleased and never even fathomed what it would be like to not have that luxury. I now cherish every time I get to see them and make the absolute most of each visit. Small things in life have taken greater precedence. Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of what really matters and go back to the basics #jotpylesson
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  2021-03-31

  #JOTPYFuture from Marissa Rhodes

  I look forward to spending time with friends and family that don’t live in our household, and being able them. I’m also looking forward to my kids being in school full time again. Especially my 5 yo whose ability to make friends has been destroyed by the pandemic #JOTPYFuture