Life During Coronavirus: How Trib readers are coping
We want to hear from you — and so does everyone else. Share your stories about life in this coronavirus episode. Write to Director of Content John Allison at jallison@triblive.com. Please include your full name, neighborhood and phone number. Send photos, too, of what you are doing and seeing.
Taking stock of what we have, with thanks
I am thankful for many things as our world shrinks:
● The love and devotion of my family, including my four-legged members.
● A comfortable home
● Food and water
● Electricity and gas with which to cook
● Bath tissue
● The ability to secure take-out and delivery food from local restaurants, something which I hope they will be able to continue providing.
● Employees of restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies and banks, and public safety workers who are potentially jeopardizing their health in order to continue serving the community.
● Cable television to keep me informed of the latest developments as they rapidly occur, and newscasters and commentators to help me digest what is taking place.
● The ability to communicate with friends and family by computer and cellphone.
● The ability to exercise on my treadmill and outdoors as spring: a season of hope, arrives.
● Newspapers: both online and in print.
Things could be much worse!
Oren Spiegler
Peters Township
Staying calm myself, worried about my husband
I am keeping strong by not wigging out, and trying to carry on, business as usual. I am not making light of this and I am taking necessary precautions. Beyond following the guidelines, what can you do? Nothing is 100% foolproof. So if I get sick, what is meant to be will be. I’m an introvert, so I’m quite content in this element. I’ve been given two weeks of “Saturdays,” so I’m starting on a few projects that have been on the back burner.
My fears are for my husband. He is disabled and diabetic so my biggest concern is that he is able to continue to get his insulin, and supplies. I saw where some pharmacies were rationing out certain medications. I hope that his insulin isn’t something that gets rationed. I’m also a little concerned for myself too, because I fall into the compromised health category as well.
Yet I’m one of the lucky ones that has an employer who continues to pay us, so at least I have a steady paycheck, for now, even though I’m not able to work from home.
Our neighbors are checking on us. We just moved here in November, so we really only know three families on our street. But if a need arises and I’m able to assist in some way I will.
Maureen Kowalski
Brookline
Reaching out to people I love, keeping my family close
How am I keeping strong? Truthfully, my fiancee Angel Magwood and my kids are helping me stay strong by staying positive.
My fears are that a lot of senior citizens and kids can die from the coronavirus. And also a lot of people can lose their houses, jobs and businesses! We own Back To The Foodture restaurant/museum in Pitcairn. So we are also concerned about our business.
What gives me hope is that I am hearing every day that they are working on cures for the virus!
I am calling people who I love and asking them: Do you have the basic essentials? If not, did they need my help? Also I am making sure our neighbors are good also by making sure they have our emergency contact numbers and making sure they have the basic essentials also!
We need the government’s help. We own a restaurant! And if they are mandating people to stay in and close, then government should also put a hold on mortgages, rents, utilities and so on.
Eddie Barnz
Pitcairn
I am a survivor. And my cats need me.
Here’s how I am surviving the pandemic:
I talk to God, asking to keep me healthy so I can take care of my cats who are God’s creatures — and they make me laugh.
I need groceries. I am a senior citizen with no car or computer or internet to order groceries online. I am a two-time cancer survivor who is still working and has only the weekend to grocery shop.
My hope comes from knowing this will pass. If I can survive two bouts of cancer, I can survive this.
Sue Link
Oakland
A family is ‘flattening the curve’ as best they can
Our family has been keeping strong by making the most of our time while we spend our time at home. We try to keep the kids engaged by showing them educational videos we find online and coming up with creative games to try around the house since they are currently out of childcare.
I fear that during this time, people aren’t taking this virus as seriously as they should be. They are not taking the precautions that are being asked of from the CDC.
Additionally, I’m afraid that this virus goes on for longer than we had expected — causing additional strain on health care professionals and small business owners.
Yet I know that we have the best and brightest professionals working around the clock to help stop the spread of this virus.
Our family has been home all week in order to help “flatten the curve.” My husband and I are fortunate in being able to work from home. We don’t go out unless we need to get something essential. I try to call my family every other day to make sure they are doing okay.
Jen Bertolasio
Scott Township
More time with kids, more help for homebound and seniors, more prayers
I retired in 2018 and I have four children ages 29, 27, 12 and 9. With two kids still in school and Mom working, I am spending my days with my kids. We are doing things we never did before. We will go to the park every day and walk the trail. The kids will also work out at designated spots along the trail. No cellphones and very little crowds. I am interacting with them like never before. They go with me everywhere … to get my car serviced, doctor’s appointments, grocery store to name a few. We walk the dogs a lot and so do the neighbors.
Our neighborhood had a “Find the Shamrock Day” yesterday (March 17). Many houses put shamrocks in their windows and people walked, biked and drove the neighborhood looking for as many as they could find. All these are things kids don’t do much anymore.
Our church is trying to help feed our homebound and senior members along with the community at large. Obviously, it is difficult to find food, even bread. I wish people would realize that when they hoard basic foods and supplies, but everyone is scared … newly chartered waters. We are scheduling all church meetings virtually. My volunteer work with the opioid and hepatitis crisis has gone 100% virtual. Yes, there is still a formidable opioid crisis. We have a big fight on our hands.
I pray a lot. I pray for God’s grace to see us through this and make us better Americans, neighbors and friends. I pray that we are all trying to help our senior citizens and less fortunate. Look out for friends who can’t afford food, have no transportation or are alone. Isolation can be as bad as being hungry. I pray that we all do our part.
Jeff Messerly
Venetia
Getting outside, and looking ahead
I am starting to get antsy on day five. It has not been warm enough to spend time outside. Hopefully, warmer weather will arrive and I will spend all the time I can outside in our beautiful garden. We have a wonderful park in our town that I plan on visiting to walk and sit and read.
We have a yearly fundraiser that we were preparing for on April 4 that came to a screeching halt on March. This year was to be year 10 of the family-friendly music event to raise funds to benefit our community. It was going to be the biggest and best “Treystock” ever! (It’s held in the memory of Kent Trey Filer.) We are broken-hearted after all the planning and hard work that has gone into this event.
Hopefully, we will be able to reschedule at a later date without any volunteers or band members becoming affected by this virus.
Carol Wiercinski
Hermitage
Bracing for a bumpy ride
It hasn’t been that long really. Give it a month or more. When the supply chain breaks, we will see true colors.
My wife went shopping for the essentials (cat food, bread, and bird seed). Then she stopped at the liquor store for a bottle of brandy … lots of brandy, but also lots of bare shelves.
Talked to the clerk who told her people made a run on the place yesterday. She asked customers why they wanted so much. Their remark: “We have to spend 10 days home with our kids!!” Really … what have we come to?
Now they’ve close liquor stores (not sure about beer distributors)
It’s going to get bumpy from here.
Robb Trappen
Arnold
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.