Item
Anonymous Child Oral History, 2020/07/25
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
Anonymous Child Oral History, 2020/07/25
Description (Dublin Core)
Shanna Gagnon interviews an anonymous 8 year old girl about the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains her initial reaction to learning about COVID-19. Anonymous describes how the pandemic has impacted her daily life. She discusses how her family and friends are responding to COVID-19. She talks of the things that are important to and worrying people right now. Anonymous details the most difficult parts of the pandemic for her. She shares how COVID-19 is impacting local businesses and schools. She also discusses how she thinks life will be different moving forward and includes her thoughts on vacations and milestone celebrations, such as Halloween and birthdays.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
07/25/2020
Creator (Dublin Core)
Shanna Gagnon
Event Identifier (Dublin Core)
HST580
Partner (Dublin Core)
Arizona State University
Type (Dublin Core)
Oral History
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Home & Family Life
English
Education--K12
English
Social Distance
English
Emotion
English
Business & Industry
English
Recreation & Leisure
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
scary
cancer
closed
Oakland Zoo
Zoom
Google Meet
swimming
worry
shelter-in-place
Disneyland
Halloween
civil rights
milestones
death
Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)
oral history
children
San Francisco Bay Area
Collection (Dublin Core)
Holidays
COVID Birthdays
Pandemic Pets
San Francisco Bay Area
Children
Linked Data (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
08/02/2020
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
10/21/2020
11/17/2020
1/28/2021
03/05/2021
04/14/2021
07/12/2021
07/16/2021
09/05/2021
05/18/2022
08/02/2022
09/30/2024
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
Shanna Gagnon
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
Anonymous
Location (Omeka Classic)
94506
Danville
California
United States
Format (Dublin Core)
Audio
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:13:16
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
SG: Today is July 25th, 2020 at 11:10 AM.
SG: How old are you?
Anonymous: I am eight years old.
SG: What is your job?
Anonymous: My job is to finish my school work every day on a school day. And have fun.
SG: Where do you live? What town do you live in?
Anonymous: Danville.
SG: What's it like to live in Danville?
Anonymous: I just think it's really fun ‘cause I get to go to my school with my best friends and we play together. And we go in class together. And then I live on a property. So there's a lot of people with me. So that's fun.
SG: When you first heard about the coronavirus, what did you think about it?
Anonymous: That it was kind of like a little scary. And then I was like, I won't be able to be with my big family, so like, it won't be normal. What will I do?
SG: Have your thoughts changed since you first heard about it? How do you - what do you think about it now?
Anonymous: I think it's fine cause I'm used to it now.
SG: How is your daily life different during coronavirus?
Anonymous: I can't go out to my favorite restaurants or go to my favorite toy stores. But I can shop online on them. [laughs] It's just, I like going to them. And then - yeah.
SG: Anything else that's different about your daily life?
Anonymous: That I have to do my school at home now.
SG: Is there anything that's happening during coronavirus or COVID that seems to be really important to people?
Anonymous: Yeah. My grandma has like breast cancer, so that's important to us right now. And - wait - well my mom's mom's bird, it's a parrot, he died a while ago 'cause he was a very old bird. And we have my mom's grandma and we want to make sure she's safe.
SG: Is there anything that seems to be worrying people?
Anonymous: Yeah. 'Cause right now a lot of people are going out so more people are getting COVID it and like the risk of getting it is higher. So that's worrying people.
SG: What do you think the hardest part of the COVID pandemic is where you live?
Anonymous: It's hard not to be with your friends - and family.
SG: Are businesses staying open during COVID or what are they doing right now?
Anonymous: Some of them are closing down like say the Oakland zoo. And some businesses, the government says they should stay open. So yeah.
SG: Why do you think some should stay open? Or why do you think the government says some should stay open?
Anonymous: 'Cause some of them are important and you need them.
SG: Like what?
Anonymous: Target or Amazon, like you need those things.
SG: How do you think that people's jobs have changed since COVID started?
Anonymous: We've been at home more and they have to do more Zooms or Google Meetings and draw online more.
SG: How has your job changed since COVID started?
Anonymous: I got to have a lot of fun in my swimming pool. And, I got to run around my property and - it was fun.
SG: How do you think that COVID has impacted families?
Anonymous: The families - they're just like worried now and less like active. And then they aren't like near people more.
SG: How are people in your neighborhood responding to the pandemic?
Anonymous: They're missing their family a lot. And their friends too.
SG: Is there anything that they're doing or not doing?
Anonymous: They're not going out to like restaurants or anything. So they're not doing that much. They're just staying at home.
SG: What do you think life is going to be like here in one year?
Anonymous: We'll have to get used to what we're doing now sort of. Except for, if we like go on a vacation, it's going to be like - let's say Disneyland, you have to be six feet apart in the lines. Which means it'll probably take longer for you to get to go on your favorite ride. Like say - it's a very popular ride - the Incredicoaster, the brand new one, which I love. So I got to get a Fast Pass for that, but those are probably going to be used a lot too, because the line is going to be like even longer 'cause you have to be like six feet, which means that some of the carts will be closed because you have to be like maybe a few carts away from people. So the lines will be longer. So more of the Fast Passes will be used. And - if you're going to like say beach, I'm pretty sure that a lot of the space would be taken up. So it's just going to change. You have to find like your own space to have a good time.
SG: When you're an adult, what do you want kids your age to remember about what life was like right now?
Anonymous: I want them to remember that we are kinda like going through like the Black civil rights at this time - like again. And then I want them to remember the stay safe in a virus like this. As safe as a lot of people are doing right now. And make sure that they stay healthy and they stay home.
SG: Do you have any other stories or any other thoughts that you want to share?
Anonymous: I have, I think a couple others. Also, I don't know how - do you know how Halloween's gonna go?
SG: I don't know how Halloween is going to go. What do you think about Halloween?
Anonymous: That you make your friends quarantine for two weeks. And then just to make sure you get tested. And then maybe you can go trick or treating to their houses.
SG: So people can do it safely. Maybe we can do it the way we've always done it.
Anonymous: Just not with like so many houses.
SG: How do you feel about that difference?
Anonymous: Well, I don't know, 'cause I know a few people with their birthdays on that day. That's also going to be very hard.
SG: How have you celebrated big milestones, like birthdays, since you've been...
Anonymous: Well, I would drive by like my friend's houses and - or my teacher's houses - and we would just like scream and honk our horns on the car. And then they'd be super excited. And - this happened a few weeks ago where my friend's dad died. So we made him a special basket. My class did together. And it got sent to his house and he was - he felt very appreciated. That's another way we can do it.
SG: If you have any other stories you want to share?
Anonymous: I'm not sure. I think that's all.
SG: That's all? Okay. Well thank you very much for your time. We really appreciate you. I'm going to turn this off. So just give me one minute. Okay.
SG: How old are you?
Anonymous: I am eight years old.
SG: What is your job?
Anonymous: My job is to finish my school work every day on a school day. And have fun.
SG: Where do you live? What town do you live in?
Anonymous: Danville.
SG: What's it like to live in Danville?
Anonymous: I just think it's really fun ‘cause I get to go to my school with my best friends and we play together. And we go in class together. And then I live on a property. So there's a lot of people with me. So that's fun.
SG: When you first heard about the coronavirus, what did you think about it?
Anonymous: That it was kind of like a little scary. And then I was like, I won't be able to be with my big family, so like, it won't be normal. What will I do?
SG: Have your thoughts changed since you first heard about it? How do you - what do you think about it now?
Anonymous: I think it's fine cause I'm used to it now.
SG: How is your daily life different during coronavirus?
Anonymous: I can't go out to my favorite restaurants or go to my favorite toy stores. But I can shop online on them. [laughs] It's just, I like going to them. And then - yeah.
SG: Anything else that's different about your daily life?
Anonymous: That I have to do my school at home now.
SG: Is there anything that's happening during coronavirus or COVID that seems to be really important to people?
Anonymous: Yeah. My grandma has like breast cancer, so that's important to us right now. And - wait - well my mom's mom's bird, it's a parrot, he died a while ago 'cause he was a very old bird. And we have my mom's grandma and we want to make sure she's safe.
SG: Is there anything that seems to be worrying people?
Anonymous: Yeah. 'Cause right now a lot of people are going out so more people are getting COVID it and like the risk of getting it is higher. So that's worrying people.
SG: What do you think the hardest part of the COVID pandemic is where you live?
Anonymous: It's hard not to be with your friends - and family.
SG: Are businesses staying open during COVID or what are they doing right now?
Anonymous: Some of them are closing down like say the Oakland zoo. And some businesses, the government says they should stay open. So yeah.
SG: Why do you think some should stay open? Or why do you think the government says some should stay open?
Anonymous: 'Cause some of them are important and you need them.
SG: Like what?
Anonymous: Target or Amazon, like you need those things.
SG: How do you think that people's jobs have changed since COVID started?
Anonymous: We've been at home more and they have to do more Zooms or Google Meetings and draw online more.
SG: How has your job changed since COVID started?
Anonymous: I got to have a lot of fun in my swimming pool. And, I got to run around my property and - it was fun.
SG: How do you think that COVID has impacted families?
Anonymous: The families - they're just like worried now and less like active. And then they aren't like near people more.
SG: How are people in your neighborhood responding to the pandemic?
Anonymous: They're missing their family a lot. And their friends too.
SG: Is there anything that they're doing or not doing?
Anonymous: They're not going out to like restaurants or anything. So they're not doing that much. They're just staying at home.
SG: What do you think life is going to be like here in one year?
Anonymous: We'll have to get used to what we're doing now sort of. Except for, if we like go on a vacation, it's going to be like - let's say Disneyland, you have to be six feet apart in the lines. Which means it'll probably take longer for you to get to go on your favorite ride. Like say - it's a very popular ride - the Incredicoaster, the brand new one, which I love. So I got to get a Fast Pass for that, but those are probably going to be used a lot too, because the line is going to be like even longer 'cause you have to be like six feet, which means that some of the carts will be closed because you have to be like maybe a few carts away from people. So the lines will be longer. So more of the Fast Passes will be used. And - if you're going to like say beach, I'm pretty sure that a lot of the space would be taken up. So it's just going to change. You have to find like your own space to have a good time.
SG: When you're an adult, what do you want kids your age to remember about what life was like right now?
Anonymous: I want them to remember that we are kinda like going through like the Black civil rights at this time - like again. And then I want them to remember the stay safe in a virus like this. As safe as a lot of people are doing right now. And make sure that they stay healthy and they stay home.
SG: Do you have any other stories or any other thoughts that you want to share?
Anonymous: I have, I think a couple others. Also, I don't know how - do you know how Halloween's gonna go?
SG: I don't know how Halloween is going to go. What do you think about Halloween?
Anonymous: That you make your friends quarantine for two weeks. And then just to make sure you get tested. And then maybe you can go trick or treating to their houses.
SG: So people can do it safely. Maybe we can do it the way we've always done it.
Anonymous: Just not with like so many houses.
SG: How do you feel about that difference?
Anonymous: Well, I don't know, 'cause I know a few people with their birthdays on that day. That's also going to be very hard.
SG: How have you celebrated big milestones, like birthdays, since you've been...
Anonymous: Well, I would drive by like my friend's houses and - or my teacher's houses - and we would just like scream and honk our horns on the car. And then they'd be super excited. And - this happened a few weeks ago where my friend's dad died. So we made him a special basket. My class did together. And it got sent to his house and he was - he felt very appreciated. That's another way we can do it.
SG: If you have any other stories you want to share?
Anonymous: I'm not sure. I think that's all.
SG: That's all? Okay. Well thank you very much for your time. We really appreciate you. I'm going to turn this off. So just give me one minute. Okay.
Date Accepted (Dublin Core)
07/25/2020, 11:10:00 A.M.
This item was submitted on August 2, 2020 by Shanna Gagnon using the form “Share Your Story” on the site “A Journal of the Plague Year”: https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive
Click here to view the collected data.