Attending a gathering of friends to play board games and people wanting to make sure everyone kept washing their hands
Having my employer hand out hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes to everyone
Thinking that all this was silly as we’ve heard about these viruses before that start overseas and have a few cases in the US and then you don’t hear about them any more
Ordering toilet paper because of a great deal in February – little did I know how great this would be
I remember at the start of the pandemic…
Working quickly on Friday, March 13, 2020, to get my work computer setup with VPN access and get needed cables to hook it to my monitor at home, so I could work from home
Nearly having a panic attack as emails and Facebook notices came in from all over about all types of theatre and other activities being cancelled – I could barely keep up
Checking every few minutes to see if a show I saw on Thursday, March 12, 2020 was cancelled or not – it wasn’t – and that was the last live theatre performance I have seen since
Thinking along with everyone that this would last a few weeks while we got it under control and then we’d start things back up
Leaving water in my glass at work, thinking I’d be back soon enough, and realizing that it would be awhile and reaching out to a coworker who was still working in the office to empty it out and dry it
Starting to attend church virtually via our Facebook live stream as our pastor and her husband quickly adapted to streaming from their house
Going to a pastor’s 20th anniversary of their ordination celebration – after checking to make sure it was still going on. This was held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 – that was the last big event that I attended
Getting a message from my personal trainer that we had to adjust to virtual sessions – and how I made some make-shift weights at home to have something to work out with
Having a few virtual happy hours on Fridays with some coworkers. They were great at first, but quickly fizzled out as people adapted and adjusted to the new pandemic life
Starting to have weekly video chats with my sister and parents once a week to help them and me through the pandemic – we continue this still
I remember during the pandemic…
Switching to only grocery shopping every three weeks and being sure to plan ahead, this eventually moved to every two weeks
Checking my temperature almost every night before bed – just to be safe – I did this for months, partly out of safety, partly out of a new routine I got into. I don’t do this any more
Starting to walk outside in the evenings and on weekends – not really for exercise (although that part is nice) but because I needed to get out of my house
Adjusting to working from home and getting used to having virtual meetings and getting my work done. I adjusted to this a lot quicker than I expected.
Getting lots of projects done around the house like cleaning up empty cardboard boxes from my basement, adding a little bit of flooring to a small nook in my basement, getting a new bookcase (and filling it with books), getting other storage items for my basement and doing some good organizing
Being extremely careful getting my mail each day. I’d have one hand that was my “clean” hand that only touched doorknobs, etc. and then my “contaminated” hand that touched my mailbox and mail. Once inside, I’d open the envelopes, dump the contents out without touching the contents, and then washing my hands before looking at the mail.
Doing something similar with packages that were delivered, open the box and empty it onto a clean surface without touching the contents until I could wash my hands after touching the box.
Having 3 COVID tests – 2 because I had mild symptoms and 1 because I had a possible exposure – luckily all were negative
Working 2 elections during and 1 election right before
Vacuuming my breezeway because I hadn’t done it in many years and how that turned into a complete remodel of my breezeway (I still love it!)
Attending church in the warm summer months outdoors and socially distanced
Deciding I wanted to crochet and I should make an afghan for my pastor, and making it out of leftover yarn I had around the house so I could minimize my shopping
Doing a bunch of other small projects around the house that I meant to for a while
Joining two committees at Wharton Center – we’ve had many meetings for them, but none in person yet for me
Making a video to promote Wharton’s new season (which has been since cancelled or rescheduled) and wearing a shirt, tie, and vest up top and sweat pants below – they weren’t in the video!
Thinking I’d be able to get a bit ahead on my TiVo shows, never realizing how much progress I could make in a year when I don’t have much else going on
Celebrating Easter by myself for the first time in my life and making a ham and a variety of sides for my meal
Celebrating my birthday by having all my favorite foods via pick up at different places and eating them at home
Black Lives Matter and related protests against the continued unjust murder of Black people, and these spreading across the nation and world
Our church having monthly Racial Justice demonstrations to show that we will not stand for racial injustice, and making sure that we stayed safe from the pandemic while we addressed the other pandemic of white supremacy in our country
Our church having a book study about how the ELCA is the whitest denomination
Having a six week class through our Synod on Social Justice
I remember now, a year later…
How most people took this seriously and did what was needed to protect themselves and others
How many people are starting to think things should or already have returned to normal, when they haven’t
How at the start we talked about flattening the curve and once we did that and people started being more lax
We saw information from the pandemic 100 years ago and we warned that if we didn’t really focus we’ve have another much larger spike in the coming months
And we did
I remember people…
Pastor Ellen for quickly adapting worship to an online world or an outdoor world and taking the utmost care for the congregation
My trainer for quickly adapting to a virtual training style
Caring for each other and reaching out to make sure they were OK
Not being able to find yeast in their store, but I could, so I mailed them some
Teachers quickly adapting to a whole new education style and continuing to work hard for their students
Surprising me with a large gift box of all kinds of goodies for my birthday (delivered safely)
Sharing with excitement when they got the vaccine and how quickly the numbers of people who got it grew
I hope that the world…
Will not get back to normal, when normal implies the way things were
Will learn from this that we are a global society
Will learn that while we need to look out for ourselves, we also need to look out for those less fortunate around the world
Will learn that we can accomplish more for the greater good of more if we work together
Will learn that actions in one area of the world impact the whole world
Will quickly get access to the vaccines and have them available for all people
I hope that our country…
Will not get back to normal, when normal implies the way things were
Finally gets the message that white supremacy is wrong, that Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color have suffered long enough and action must be taken
Realizes that we have so many people in need in our country (disproportionately Black) and that programs started to help people during the pandemic continue
Learns that students go without food when school isn’t in session and will implement programs to ensure they are fed throughout the year – every year
Learns that if you want people to spend money to help the economy grow, give the money directly to the people (tax credits, higher wages, etc.) and they will spend it – giving it to the rich people and corporations at the top will not cause it to trickle down – it hasn’t for over 40 years – it won’t start now
Takes a hard and serious look at our history of racial injustice and explore how reparations can be a part of the healing and growth process
Remembers who the essential workers really are and ensure that they get paid and have benefits to reflect that
Learns that healthcare is essential for people and that it needs to be provided to everyone and not have it depend on having a job or not or the ability to pay for it or not
Continues to work hard to ensure all people have access to and are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine
I hope that I…
Will not get back to normal, when normal implies the way things were
Will remember what I’ve learned from the racial and social justice learning opportunities I had during the pandemic and grow from there
Will continue to take action to ensure social justice and equity for all
Be able to adjust back to a busier life with more plays and concerts and other activities
Will encounter people who are understanding of the fact that while many people have struggled very hard during the pandemic and are yearning for in-person social gatherings and physical touch, there are others of us, like me, who can get overwhelmed and drained by these experiences and who have adapted to not having that type of contact or experience, and at times even had too much virtual social interaction. Going back to being around large groups of people may be overwhelming.
Remember the care and compassion shown by so many people