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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
This sign outside a small convenience store in western Massachusetts loudly proclaims that “Masks (covering both mouth and nose) are Still Required in our Store.” This sentiment is unusual now though here in this state with its very high vaccination rate (55% fully vaccinated; 67% one dose). We arrived here in the Berkshires a few days for our first real vacation since Covid struck. It is beautiful and wonderful to be somewhere different! But I was so surprised on our first day here to go into the large local chain grocery store and see that many of the employees were not wearing masks. Oddly enough, most of the customers were. I’ve chosen to believe that these employees are fully vaccinated, and our following the advice of the science and medical professionals who keep telling us that fully vaxxed folks can skip the masks! In the past few days, we’ve gone into many smaller shops that cater to the tourists and there also, most of the staff aren’t masked and many of the customers aren’t either. At the restaurants, staff are masked, but diners aren’t. And outside, most people aren’t wearing masks, but some are, especially pre-teens. It is a real hodge-lodge of rules and behaviors. We went into the public library and there a sign was posted that said masks were still required in government buildings. As we walked through the neighborhood of our rental home, we passed many people - no masks at all. Mostly, though, people seem happy and are glad to see others. The store owners are thrilled to have people coming into their stores again. “Help Wanted” signs compete with all the new signage about masks! In just a few days of being in this new environment, I feel myself loosening up with regards to my own behavior. We’re all fully vaccinated and I’ve started to follow the lead of the store owners, if they aren’t wearing a mask, I often take my off, too. They’ll often request that we use hand sanitizer that they have put near the door. Of course, we comply. I just hope that more people continue to take the shot, and that these changes are lasting! I feel that a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, now that we can visit with family and friends, hug each other, eat together, and just be together, again.
June 6, 2021
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During this pandemic, people are looking for guidance and support in different places. Talk about where you've been looking for support, and how helpful (or not helpful) these sources have been to you.
I'm glad for this question; until I wrote this and re-read it I didn't realize that I was actively seeking all these sources of support! At the beginning of the pandemic I was stranded overseas. A very kind person added me to a local whatsapp group so I wouldn't feel Isolated so far from home, and it truly was a lifesaver to have that connection to the outside world. It was made up of about twenty local women and it was like a virtual village--advice, jokes, photos, support--all of it. I then created my own group with some friends back home to help me feel connected to them and to focus on positive and humorous posts--and we've had some great laughs with all the fabulous satire and jokes that people have developed. So, Whatsapp groups have been a lifesaver. Zoom has also been a lifesaver. My family is dispersed from California to the east coast to Europe so getting together is challenging anyway, But with Zoom we meet about every six weeks for some holiday or someone's birthday...and that's kept us all connected. Same with my friends who are far more open to gathering on zoom or video chats. It's a really nice way to stay connected. Finally, I always look for things that are positive or innovative to help distract me or keep me from getting too sad or help bridge me across the next few weeks as I need to have something to keep me hopeful. For example, WXPN in Philly ran a poll of its listeners for the top 2020 songs of all times and are now playing them and counting them down--it's great fun listening to all these old songs from the 60s and 70s I have not heard in ages...(As a total aside Joan Armatrading just did a PSA for the station--i had NO idea she was British!). Of course there is also the late night comedy, which has been a total life saver. I wish I could take a bite of Trevor Noah. He is so smart and funny and adorable! I've also learned which friends to rely on at various times. For example, I have one friend who loves to kvetch so when I 'm down I call her and we bitch for hours. I have other friends who like to focus more on positive things so I call them when I'm looking to be happy. I rely really heavily on three papers--the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Guardian for a range. Their reporting has been outstanding on the virus. I feel better when I am informed and I feel pretty well up to speed with these three papers. Finally, there is my family. My spouse has been very solid and supportive, giving me lots of back rubs when I am stressed. My grown kids (21 and 25) have also been very focused, attentive and emotionally present. My mother, with early dementia, is deteriorating quite a lot, and so I talk frequently with my older brother too, who lives in Boston, and that's been comforting. We've grown a lot closer over the year.
December 17, 2020