Today, Saturday, 13 June 2020, Randy Seaver for his weekly Saturday Night Genealogy Fun! challenges us to answer the last questions of Pauleen Cass's Crazy Month of May 2020 Meme: Pandemic Experiences.
Local Burnaby park flower bed, May 2020. Photographer M. Diane Rogers.
Here are Randy's answers at Genea-Musings. Check the comments on both Randy and Pauleen's blogs to see who else is participating.
11. What have you found to be the strangest change to your life?
Having to think about shopping/cooking! Some days I'm OK with it. Others not. And I'd sure like a real burger... or 'properly' smashed potatoes - and sushi! My dear daughter sent me a frother so I can have a home latte, at least.
12. Have you found the changes and experience stressful/anxious/worrying?
Shopping now that many businesses are opening is a bit more stressful with more people out and about. And at the beginning, some ordinary tasks became almost impossible (in person banking, for instance).
13. How have the closures affected your local community?
Most businesses in the local mall were closed. A few local restaurants shifted to take out or delivery. I hope that the temporary government programmes to assist workers and renters, for instance, were enough for people to manage.
I'm more worried about the long term consequences - shops that already have, or will close. Jobs lost. And community resources stretched for everyday needs I know some area volunteer/non-profit groups are facing serious financial and resource challenges. Individuals may lose some recreational, educational and cultural opportunities.
14. Have in-person meetings been replaced with virtual meetings via Zoom, Skype etc?
Yes, quite a few genealogy and book groups I'm in have taken advantage - most using Zoom. People without Internet access at home, or unable to negotiate the technology cannot participate and that is a problem.
15. Do you enjoy the virtual meeting format?
Yes, I do, there's a bright side to this - meeting with people from away, and easily sharing screens, etc. - but there's nothing like meeting face to face!
16. Are you working from home instead of in your usual place of work?
I do work from home, writing, for example, but I regularly do genealogy talks and teach classes in person and almost immediately all those were cancelled. And I cannot go to a library or archives to do research on site. That's a major loss for me as I am always working on projects.
17. Have your habits changed over the past months?
I'm doing many of the same things. Reading for pleasure a bit more! I'm not getting out every day. Miss the walking.
18, Have you had to cancel travel plans for pleasure or family?
Yes, I had been going to Victoria, BC for a few days to research. And usually in the summer, I'd be planning to go to see my daughter. And to attend several larger events in other cities.
19. Do you think you’ll be able to travel in 2020?
No, I'm doubtful we'll be travelling far in the near future. Certainly I'm not making any plans yet.
20. Have you/others been wearing masks when out and about in your area?
Around here, I'd say maybe 1/3 of people are wearing masks. That would include some people working in maintenance or cleaning. But I have not been out much and only to 3 stores, so can't say much about things generally.
21. Will you change your lifestyle after this experience?
I'm hopeful the 'new normal' won't be so very different from my life before. I expect to be washing my hands longer and oftener for a long while. And it will be a fair length of time before we are able to be out in really big groups. That may take some getting used to later.
If libraries and archives remain closed, even till early next year, as some are saying, that will change my lifestyle considerably.
You can almost see here, I think, the Easter Egg drawings I did for a kitchen window, and maybe you can find the two cats (stuffed) peeking out. This was in case any kids were doing a neighbourhood scavenger hunt. I would do this kind of thing again. (But I'll make sure I'm better prepared with some supplies!)
1 comment:
I, too, am missing going to my local family history center and seeing my genealogy buddies. Until there is a vaccine, I doubt I'll be attending any in-person conferences or heading to libraries, which is a shame.
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