It seems like a long time ago that we were able to go wherever, with whomever, whenever we wanted. Until then, “pandemic” was a word in the dictionary, something we read about in novels or history books or saw on TV and movie screens. It was abstract and “out there”, not something most of us thought about, let alone realized could or would happen to us. But all that changed in early March 2020.
Photographs by Angela Strassheim for TIME; David Ryder for TIME; Wang Wei for TIME; Anastasia Taylor-Lind for TIME; Forough Alaei—VII Mentor Program/Redux for TIME; Luca Locatelli for TIME
Literally overnight, our familiar lives were turned upside down. Rather than the overhead freeway sign telling us how many minutes it would take to get to “Hwy 217,” it now proclaimed in BIG BOLD letters: STAY HOME…SAVE LIVES. This went against everything our busy, look-out-for-number-one society had been telling us for decades. Instead we heard “we’re all in this together.” And to a certain extent that’s true. BUT, while we may be in the same ocean, we are each in our own boat. And that’s where we personal historians come in.
Personal historians often work with seniors, or a new term I recently learned, those in the “third age.” One of the questions we ask is “how did you make it through…the Great Depression, the war, the dust bowl,” etc. Since these are life-defining moments, it’s important to hear which practices and tools were helpful…or not. Such stories can help us navigate the challenging times in which we are living.
Everyone has a story and that has never been more apparent than it is right now. The reality is that each of us is figuring out how to get through this pandemic…what works for one is not working for someone else…even, or maybe especially…if they are living under the same roof. It follows that it’s important for each person to tell her or his own story so different perspectives are documented.
Working with a professional to record or write your story is an excellent way to help future generations understand how YOU made it through the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. And the time to get started is NOW while specific details that make the best stories are fresh in our minds.
Click on the “Find Your Personal Historian” link to get started. We’re ready to help!
Gloria Nussbaum
Real to Reel
503-645-0616
Personal Historians NW 