Item
Anonymous Oral History, 2020/07/25
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
Anonymous Oral History, 2020/07/25
Description (Dublin Core)
Shanna Gagnon conducts an interview with Anonymous. Anonymous is a 5 year old boy that lives in Northern California. He explains his initial reaction to COVID-19. Anonymous discusses how the pandemic has impacted his daily life, including who he can and cannot play with. He describes what people are acting like in his neighborhood. Anonymous details a recent family trip to the beach. He shares what he believes worries people most. And talks about why it is important for his family to stay extra safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anonymous imagines what life will be like a year from today and includes a possible new reality for what playground time will look like when he returns to school. His responses also cover how businesses are responding to COVID and his family’s consumer behaviors during the pandemic.
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
Emotion
English
Home & Family Life
English
Social Distance
English
Education--K12
English
Recreation & Leisure
English
Business & Industry
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
sad
Zoom
beach
worry
Choicelunch
6 feet
mask
cancer
playground
Collection (Dublin Core)
Foodways
K-12
San Francisco Bay Area
Children
Linked Data (Dublin Core)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
08/02/2020
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
09/29/2020
10/21/2020
11/17/2020
03/05/2021
04/14/2021
09/05/2021
05/18/2022
10/01/2022
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)
00:13:24
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
SG: Today is July 25th at about 11:45 AM.
SG: Can you tell me how old you are?
Anonymous: Five.
SG: And what is your job?
Anonymous: To be good.
SG: Where do you live? What town do you live in?
Anonymous: Danville.
SG: What's it like to live in Danville?
Anonymous: It's fun. And, yeah, just fun.
SG: What's fun about it?
Anonymous: It's fun 'cause you can do a lot of stuff and like go up hills in like cars and stuff and fun stuff.
SG: When you first heard about COVID or coronavirus, what did you think about it?
Anonymous: I was just sad 'cause I didn't get to play with my friends. But I was like sort of happy. 'Cause then like, nobody was like coming over, and like being all like, "Oh, like blah, blah, blah, and stuff."
SG: And now that you've been living in a world with coronavirus for awhile, what do you think about it now?
Anonymous: I just like that it's the same, but like I can play with some people.
SG: Who do you get to play with?
Anonymous: My cousins that live with me in my property.
SG: What about people that don't live with you?
Anonymous: I get to like go on Zoom calls with them.
SG: How is your daily life - what you do every day - how is it different now than before?
Anonymous: 'Cause like, not that many people is coming over to at my house.
SG: Is there anything else that's different about your life?
Anonymous: Less going out.
SG: Do you go anywhere?
Anonymous: We go like to a very few places. But like mostly we just stay home.
SG: What places do you go?
Anonymous: We went to the beach a few days ago. So the beach.
SG: How was the beach for you?
Anonymous: It was really really fun.
SG: What was fun about it?
Anonymous: Going in the waves and looking around and finding shrimps in the sand.
SG: Were there people at the beach when you went there?
Anonymous: There was a lot the first time. And then the second time there was a little less. But then the third time we went there was only like 10 people where we were. But then like on the other side of the beach, there was like a lot of people.
SG: How was the beach different than when you would go to the beach before coronavirus?
Anonymous: We just didn't spend time with people. Although there were a ton of jellyfish - like it's not usually like - that wiped up onto the sand And Jessie was so scared that she couldn't go in the water. Not any time that we were there. Not once.
SG: What do you think, what issues do you think - or what worries do you think - are most important to the people that live in your town?
Anonymous: They're worried that they might get sick and get really hurt because of the virus.
SG: Are there any other things that seem to be issues for them or worries for them?
Anonymous: I don't really know. 'Cause just like, I don't really know. 'Cause that's the only issue right now is the virus.
SG: Do you have any worries - or any issues - that are important to you?
Anonymous: That I'll lose my lovey.
SG: That you'll lose your lovey? What's your lovey?
Anonymous: It's this cuddly thing that I snooze it on at night. And, it has a face and it's sleeping.
SG: So what do you think is the hardest part of COVID for people living here?
Anonymous: To stay six feet.
SG: You think it's hard for them to stay apart from each other when they do see each other?
Anonymous: Uh huh. 'Cause it really hard because you really like to play with your cousins. And you usually play with them.
SG: What's happening to businesses right now in your area?
Anonymous: They're like stopping and people don't have to do as much work as they usually do. So they're doing less work.
SG: Are there any businesses that aren't stopping?
Anonymous: Well, Choicelunch isn't stopping. And well the stores stopping - other types of stores, like Target. But I don't really know anything else.
SG: How have the jobs that people do changed?
Anonymous: Like 'cause they have to do Zoom calls instead of going out?
SG: Does every worker do Zoom calls or do some workers have to go out?
Anonymous: Some workers, like my grandpa who lives here too, he goes to Choicelunch. He works at Choicelunch, so he still goes to to Choicelunch. And he stays less than six feet a lot. We try to make him stop, stop doing that, but he doesn't stop.
SG: How can people stay safe if they do have to go to their work? Or what are people doing to stay safe?
Anonymous: Well, be six feet and wear masks. Although it's hard to stay six feet.
SG: Is there anything else that they can do to try to stay safe?
Anonymous: Put a tissue in their maks?
SG: How are people - in where you live - how are they responding to COVID? Or reacting to COVID?
Anonymous: They are reacting really good to COVID.
SG: How? How do you know they are reacting "good"?
Anonymous: 'Cause like I don't see many cars out. Well I see a lot of cars out, but that's probably in like a different neighborhood.
SG: So people are staying home - is that what you mean?
Anonymous: Yeah, in our neighborhood. But probably in different neighborhoods, a lot of cars are going out 'cause I see a lot of cars on the roads. But there might be a very few people in that car.
SG: If you had to go to a store, even if you stayed in your car, what do the people that are walking around, outside and walking in and out of the store, what are they behaving like?
Anonymous: They're like wearing masks - sometimes - and then like the other people, they're like - they're doing... The other people are doing masks but they are going in the store. And so are the people without masks. But we are just doing the drive-by pick-up (curbside pick-up).
SG: Is there anything special about your neighborhood during this time? Is there anything they're doing or not doing?
Anonymous: Well, it is special because it's hidden. (making a joke)
SG: That's it?
Anonymous: And cause.. Our driveway is super big and safe.
SG: You have a big driveway so that you can just hang out in your driveway?
Anonymous: Yeah.
SG: Do you see any members of your neighborhood out in the neighborhood doing anything?
Anonymous: Only like about like one person or like two.
SG: What are they doing?
Anonymous: They're like taking walks with their dogs and stuff.
SG: Are they social distancing? Are they in groups?
Anonymous: Some are social distancing six feet. But some are not social distancing six feet - that's probably because they are just a family.
SG: How has COVID impacted families?
Anonymous: By spreading from a person to another person to another person to another person.
SG: So if somebody in a family gets COVID, then everybody in the family could be exposed to COVID?
Anonymous: Yeah. And then if that person who is sick goes out and they'll get somebody else sick probably because the germs spreading around - flying all around - and then people will get sick and they're gonna have to stay in a room by themselves - nobody coming in.
SG: So what about your family? What's different about your family that you live with now during coronavirus?
Anonymous: That we aren't touching a lot of our friends. And we are just very safe, 'cause like when some people in my family gets sick - not like the virus, but like other types of sicks. They never get like hurt or anything. They just have like sickness and then it just stops and they are fine. Right now my grandma has... (whispers inaudible question)
SG: You can say it.
Anonymous: (whispers) I don't remember.
SG: Breast cancer.
Anonymous: She has breast cancer. But it doesn't hurt her. I don't think.
SG: So what do you think that your life is going to be like in one year?
Anonymous: It's gonna be masks and other stuff.
SG: Still masks?
Anonymous: Yeah. We're going to still have to wear masks and stay six feet. But maybe we're not gonna like have playground time. Maybe they're gonna switch the playground time to when nobody goes out and like only three people in the school go out. And then in kindergarten, the other three people go out. And then the other three people go out. And then it's starts getting bigger and bigger so they learn to stay six feet. So like three people go out and they all stay six feet and they can play monkey in the middle but then only the monkey can run out the side and get the ball and nobody else can do that.
SG: Is there anything - like when you are an adult and you are talking to kids about what life was like during COVID - what would you want them to remember?
Anonymous: I would want them to stay six feet and be really safe and mostly wear masks and don't go into stores, do drive-bys (curbside pick-up) and if there are no drive-bys just be really really safe or order it online and make it come to your house.
SG: Do you have any other stories you want to share or any other thoughts you want to share before we finish?
Anonymous: I don't really know.
SG: No other stories?
Anonymous: Not sure.
SG: Okay. Well that will be the end of our interview. Give me one minute to turn off my recording devices before you start talking, okay?
SG: Can you tell me how old you are?
Anonymous: Five.
SG: And what is your job?
Anonymous: To be good.
SG: Where do you live? What town do you live in?
Anonymous: Danville.
SG: What's it like to live in Danville?
Anonymous: It's fun. And, yeah, just fun.
SG: What's fun about it?
Anonymous: It's fun 'cause you can do a lot of stuff and like go up hills in like cars and stuff and fun stuff.
SG: When you first heard about COVID or coronavirus, what did you think about it?
Anonymous: I was just sad 'cause I didn't get to play with my friends. But I was like sort of happy. 'Cause then like, nobody was like coming over, and like being all like, "Oh, like blah, blah, blah, and stuff."
SG: And now that you've been living in a world with coronavirus for awhile, what do you think about it now?
Anonymous: I just like that it's the same, but like I can play with some people.
SG: Who do you get to play with?
Anonymous: My cousins that live with me in my property.
SG: What about people that don't live with you?
Anonymous: I get to like go on Zoom calls with them.
SG: How is your daily life - what you do every day - how is it different now than before?
Anonymous: 'Cause like, not that many people is coming over to at my house.
SG: Is there anything else that's different about your life?
Anonymous: Less going out.
SG: Do you go anywhere?
Anonymous: We go like to a very few places. But like mostly we just stay home.
SG: What places do you go?
Anonymous: We went to the beach a few days ago. So the beach.
SG: How was the beach for you?
Anonymous: It was really really fun.
SG: What was fun about it?
Anonymous: Going in the waves and looking around and finding shrimps in the sand.
SG: Were there people at the beach when you went there?
Anonymous: There was a lot the first time. And then the second time there was a little less. But then the third time we went there was only like 10 people where we were. But then like on the other side of the beach, there was like a lot of people.
SG: How was the beach different than when you would go to the beach before coronavirus?
Anonymous: We just didn't spend time with people. Although there were a ton of jellyfish - like it's not usually like - that wiped up onto the sand And Jessie was so scared that she couldn't go in the water. Not any time that we were there. Not once.
SG: What do you think, what issues do you think - or what worries do you think - are most important to the people that live in your town?
Anonymous: They're worried that they might get sick and get really hurt because of the virus.
SG: Are there any other things that seem to be issues for them or worries for them?
Anonymous: I don't really know. 'Cause just like, I don't really know. 'Cause that's the only issue right now is the virus.
SG: Do you have any worries - or any issues - that are important to you?
Anonymous: That I'll lose my lovey.
SG: That you'll lose your lovey? What's your lovey?
Anonymous: It's this cuddly thing that I snooze it on at night. And, it has a face and it's sleeping.
SG: So what do you think is the hardest part of COVID for people living here?
Anonymous: To stay six feet.
SG: You think it's hard for them to stay apart from each other when they do see each other?
Anonymous: Uh huh. 'Cause it really hard because you really like to play with your cousins. And you usually play with them.
SG: What's happening to businesses right now in your area?
Anonymous: They're like stopping and people don't have to do as much work as they usually do. So they're doing less work.
SG: Are there any businesses that aren't stopping?
Anonymous: Well, Choicelunch isn't stopping. And well the stores stopping - other types of stores, like Target. But I don't really know anything else.
SG: How have the jobs that people do changed?
Anonymous: Like 'cause they have to do Zoom calls instead of going out?
SG: Does every worker do Zoom calls or do some workers have to go out?
Anonymous: Some workers, like my grandpa who lives here too, he goes to Choicelunch. He works at Choicelunch, so he still goes to to Choicelunch. And he stays less than six feet a lot. We try to make him stop, stop doing that, but he doesn't stop.
SG: How can people stay safe if they do have to go to their work? Or what are people doing to stay safe?
Anonymous: Well, be six feet and wear masks. Although it's hard to stay six feet.
SG: Is there anything else that they can do to try to stay safe?
Anonymous: Put a tissue in their maks?
SG: How are people - in where you live - how are they responding to COVID? Or reacting to COVID?
Anonymous: They are reacting really good to COVID.
SG: How? How do you know they are reacting "good"?
Anonymous: 'Cause like I don't see many cars out. Well I see a lot of cars out, but that's probably in like a different neighborhood.
SG: So people are staying home - is that what you mean?
Anonymous: Yeah, in our neighborhood. But probably in different neighborhoods, a lot of cars are going out 'cause I see a lot of cars on the roads. But there might be a very few people in that car.
SG: If you had to go to a store, even if you stayed in your car, what do the people that are walking around, outside and walking in and out of the store, what are they behaving like?
Anonymous: They're like wearing masks - sometimes - and then like the other people, they're like - they're doing... The other people are doing masks but they are going in the store. And so are the people without masks. But we are just doing the drive-by pick-up (curbside pick-up).
SG: Is there anything special about your neighborhood during this time? Is there anything they're doing or not doing?
Anonymous: Well, it is special because it's hidden. (making a joke)
SG: That's it?
Anonymous: And cause.. Our driveway is super big and safe.
SG: You have a big driveway so that you can just hang out in your driveway?
Anonymous: Yeah.
SG: Do you see any members of your neighborhood out in the neighborhood doing anything?
Anonymous: Only like about like one person or like two.
SG: What are they doing?
Anonymous: They're like taking walks with their dogs and stuff.
SG: Are they social distancing? Are they in groups?
Anonymous: Some are social distancing six feet. But some are not social distancing six feet - that's probably because they are just a family.
SG: How has COVID impacted families?
Anonymous: By spreading from a person to another person to another person to another person.
SG: So if somebody in a family gets COVID, then everybody in the family could be exposed to COVID?
Anonymous: Yeah. And then if that person who is sick goes out and they'll get somebody else sick probably because the germs spreading around - flying all around - and then people will get sick and they're gonna have to stay in a room by themselves - nobody coming in.
SG: So what about your family? What's different about your family that you live with now during coronavirus?
Anonymous: That we aren't touching a lot of our friends. And we are just very safe, 'cause like when some people in my family gets sick - not like the virus, but like other types of sicks. They never get like hurt or anything. They just have like sickness and then it just stops and they are fine. Right now my grandma has... (whispers inaudible question)
SG: You can say it.
Anonymous: (whispers) I don't remember.
SG: Breast cancer.
Anonymous: She has breast cancer. But it doesn't hurt her. I don't think.
SG: So what do you think that your life is going to be like in one year?
Anonymous: It's gonna be masks and other stuff.
SG: Still masks?
Anonymous: Yeah. We're going to still have to wear masks and stay six feet. But maybe we're not gonna like have playground time. Maybe they're gonna switch the playground time to when nobody goes out and like only three people in the school go out. And then in kindergarten, the other three people go out. And then the other three people go out. And then it's starts getting bigger and bigger so they learn to stay six feet. So like three people go out and they all stay six feet and they can play monkey in the middle but then only the monkey can run out the side and get the ball and nobody else can do that.
SG: Is there anything - like when you are an adult and you are talking to kids about what life was like during COVID - what would you want them to remember?
Anonymous: I would want them to stay six feet and be really safe and mostly wear masks and don't go into stores, do drive-bys (curbside pick-up) and if there are no drive-bys just be really really safe or order it online and make it come to your house.
SG: Do you have any other stories you want to share or any other thoughts you want to share before we finish?
Anonymous: I don't really know.
SG: No other stories?
Anonymous: Not sure.
SG: Okay. Well that will be the end of our interview. Give me one minute to turn off my recording devices before you start talking, okay?
Date Accepted (Dublin Core)
07/25/2020, 12:00:00 P.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.