It is an honor to be named the Local Hero of the week by Rep. Jamie Raskin for my work on Life in the Time of Coronavirus: Voices from Silver Spring.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I documented the lives of friends and neighbors as we lived through this extraordinary time in history. I talked with close friends, local business owners, cancer survivors, teachers, students, and people in our community I had never before met. Each person had an incredible story to share about how they were coping during that trying time.

In this interview with Rep. Jamie Raskin, I highlight four people I met while working on this project and share their stories of resiliency and strength. 

The full archives from the project is below.

I'm thrilled to once again be the event photographer for Silver Spring's very own Taste the World in Fenton Village. This one-of-a-kind festival showcases the best Silver Spring has to offer, including dozens of locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. 

To accommodate COVID restrictions and ensure the safety of guests, workers, and restaurant owners, this year's festival will take place over an entire week. Patrons will have the option to dine outdoors, or order carry out or delivery. I'll be at the festival Sunday, May 16 and again on Friday, May 21 -- and I'll be there with my camera! Stop by, say hi, and you may even end up on Fenton Village's website!

Patrons who visit Fenton Village restaurants three times throughout the week of May 16 - 22 will be entered to win cash prizes. Guests simply need to take photos of their receipts and email them to fentonvillageinc@gmail.com

2020 has been a wild and crazy year full of challenges and heartbreak. It may feel like all hope is lost and all love is gone, but I know that is not true. I know that because of families like the Rodriguezes. This entire family is so full of joy, and their loving spirit shines through in these images. It was an absolute pleasure working with them!

What is your profession/involvement in the community?
I’m a letter carrier -- 18 years in the game carrying mail.

How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
I’m still employed, still making money, but I’m working a lot of overtime. There’s also so much distancing and being alone. People used to be close like family, but not anymore.

There was a funeral for my nephew, who was 21, yesterday. I couldn’t even go in. I had to watch it on my phone. It was really sad. It was senseless for him to die during this pandemic – and for a dirt bike. There are so many people out there just crying and mad, and his mother just kept passing out. We couldn’t even be there together for her because of social distancing.

Are you working more or less?
I’m working more. I’m working every day.

Being on the front line, we should be getting hazard pay.

What people don’t realize is Fedex, UPS, Amazon – they’re bringing their packages to us so in some ways we have more volume now. My usual shift takes 7 hours and 45 minutes. But it’s longer now because of social distancing. We only have 45 minutes to pick up our mail at distribution before we head out on our routes. That doesn’t give us enough time to get everything, so we often have to come back and get the packages that weren’t ready the first time. That also means the streets you’ve been over you might have to go over again, so sometimes it feels like double the work.

I love my job and I love my route and everyone on it. I’d rather deliver mail in residential areas because I’m more connected with the people. I don’t like doing businesses and business routes because they might be closed or they might move.

What are you most afraid of?
Losing a family member to this pandemic, old or young. As long as you take your vitamins and drink warm tea with lemon, use Lysol and wear your mask and gloves, and you should be okay.

What are you most hopeful for?
I’ll be glad when this is over. But I’ll probably still wear my mask. It’s almost like a post-apocalyptic dream. It’s getting to that point, anyway.

What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
I really can’t say it’s a challenge. There’s just a different way we do things. You just have to adapt – adapt to change.

Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
Everything is the same to me. It’s just work. I just like being out and about, and being my own man while I’m one delivery. Especially when the kids see me – you gotta smile. They see me and say hey Mr. Ricky! I’ve watched kids grow up on my route. I’ve been on my route since I’ve been in the post office.

What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
It’s hard to say. People are people. You have to change yourself if you want to change society. Self-preservation is the best teacher. If you aren’t willing to change yourself, society is never going to change.

How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
I get up. I take my vitamins. I drink my tea. That’s the first thing I do. Then I prepare myself for work. I make sure I keep a can of Lysol with me at all times. I don’t spray just to spray – I spray when I need to.

When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
It’s just different. This is more like a curve ball. The pandemic started in February and trump just ignored it. I thought man, all this fool cares about is some votes?

That’s the crazy part – if this guy gets re-elected we’re really gonna be in trouble. Trump is a real estate celebrity con man who conned his way into office and he doesn’t know a damn thing about politics. Then someone tells on him and he fires them. All he wants is 'yes' men. Ever since he got impeached it gave him super powers to do more dumb shit.

I need serenity right now cause it isn’t happening here. It’s like we’re living in a panic, but without panicking. This is only the first wave – we’ll probably get a second strain of this corona. Right now, no one can afford to get sick, have accidents, or injuries. You go to the hospital and end up with the virus all because you needed some stitches. Healthcare is failing in the U.S. the only thing that matters in this world is money. You need to survive. Money isn’t everything, but you can’t do anything without it.

What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
Keep your family close. Tell them you love them every day, and just look out for each other. 

What is your role/involvement in the community?
Musician and music teacher.

How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
Probably in a way very similar to most others. I’ve had to isolate myself from society and refrain from leaving home as much as possible. I’m fortunate enough to have a balcony that gets direct sunlight in the mornings and Sligo Creek Park nearby when I need to stretch my legs, though I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that last one. I’m naturally introverted, but I do like taking my walks.

Are you working more or less?
I’m working less, definitely. Relying on oneself and different sources of income is one of many lessons we can glean from this whole ordeal.

What are you most afraid of?
Obviously, the transfer of the virus is immediately concerning; to myself and to others. Having an ongoing global pandemic is scary, yes, but crises are a great time to observe the priorities of any person or group. When the house is on fire, do you first grab your beloved four-legged companion or the jewelry box? That kind of thing. We have governments omitting crucial information about the pandemic to save face, the media creating stories around the virus to influence how people act and have them depend on the information dispensed daily. Every other ad I see is a company capitalizing on people’s fear with their marketing so customers associate their new mode of living with purchasing a product and I see people freaking out over various aspects of the pandemic and acting like fools. I can go on. More directly, I’m concerned about other people’s ignorance and what they feel they are justified in doing because of it.

What are you most hopeful for?
I’m hopeful that, despite all of the messiness and tragedy, I can come out a little stronger and capitalize on all this extra time I have on my hands.

What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
Remember that thing about people’s true priorities coming out during a crisis? The same is true when you have loads of free time and it applies to me as well. You have two months of time with which you can do whatever you want with an effectively infinite source of information at your disposal. What you do with that time says a lot about you and how subject you are to your own vices and patterns. This is a good opportunity to apply self-discipline and learn that new language, that new skill, get fit, read those unread books on your shelf, start that new business, finish that work of art, etc. Those are all things that I’ve wanted to do with my quarantine time and I’ve made varying degrees of progress on all of those things. The challenge, for me, is maintaining discipline so that I can capitalize on this time the best way I can. Also, I’m a guitarist and I got a repetitive stress injury just before quarantine started. The irony is not lost on me.

Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
I mentioned before that I’m an introvert by nature (and pretty misanthropic at that). I don’t suffer greatly from prolonged social isolation and, as I said before, this is a good time to become sharper. Even my cooking’s gotten better. My cat seems to enjoy the extra pettings, too.

What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
Judging by what I’ve seen, they won’t. Not the average person at least. Hopefully, fewer companies will rely on China for production and more governments will think twice about globalizing so liberally, but I doubt it.

How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
I’m not too stressed by the situation. Isolation is more of an act in consideration to others who would be severely affected by the virus. In fact, I’ve had kind of a morbid fascination with watching how a global pandemic spreads in real time. The internet’s cool, dude.

Also, if anyone who reads this wants to take one positive thing from what I’m saying here, let it be this: work out! Let’s be real and say most of us don’t take care of our bodies enough. Even if it’s just some squats and some push ups, being stronger has a million benefits that people more knowledgeable than I have written about extensively.

When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
Liquor stores stayed open and we already had the internet. I was okay and spent the time in relative comfort. Healthcare workers and people who contracted the virus probably have more horror stories to tell. Even then, we have lots of modern solutions to soften the blow. Within the spectrum of possibility for pandemics, this isn’t so bad.

What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
Mind your personal space and use this time as an exercise in consideration to others. I’ve seen too many people without masks pass by others nonchalantly. I’ve even asked someone not to walk so close to me and then proceeded to walk even closer to me. On the flip side, don’t be rude and try not to come from your ego when you see the need to correct someone else or when someone else needs to correct you.

What is your profession/involvement in the community?
I am a sophomore in Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD.

I have been volunteering since I was 10 years old. Since then, giving back to my community has become a passion and an integral part of me. For the past few months of the COVID-19 crisis, I have been involved in voluntary efforts on two distinct fronts: leading our newly formed volunteer group effort called Teens Helping Seniors, and being a brand ambassador for Arts-n-STEM4Hearts. Through these efforts, I have witnessed the power of people -- young people--coming together, fueled by a shared passion, and making an impact on our community by joining forces to give back.
 
How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
COVID-19 has altered the course of my life in almost every way possible. My mom is a frontline physician and she is worried everyday that she will bring the virus home to us. We moved my elderly grandparents to an apartment close to where we live, since we did not want to get them sick as they are in the at-risk population. We have been taking extra precautions at home so that no one falls sick. It has not been easy. After a month or so of following a certain routine, we are adapting to a ‘new normal’ in our house.
Recently, the county announced that we would not be returning for in-person schooling for this academic year. Life has certainly impacted all students due to online instruction.
 
Are you working more or less?
School instruction has been varying with different courses. I have been working more in some courses due to lack of the traditional classroom setting. On the science front, I have been very busy with a number of presentations as all the science competitions have gone virtual. I got selected as a Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) finalist, and also got to represent Maryland for the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) meeting for my research work on two different projects related to computer science and neuroscience, respectively.
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On the volunteering front, I have been very involved in ‘Teens Helping Seniors ‘ which is a volunteer service I co-founded with my Montgomery Blair classmate Matthew Casertano. It started off with helping my grandparents and elderly neighbors in getting groceries, and we now have expanded to several chapters in the US and one even in Canada. I have been busier than before in leading these activities to help our seniors and spreading the word in our community. Through my work as a brand ambassador for Arts-n-STEM4Hearts, we have been distributing PPE and ‘bags of love’ kits to health care workers during the pandemic. This week we will be donating stress relief kits to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center front line workers.

What are you most afraid of?
It is difficult to put feelings into words, in part because of how many emotions there are to feel. The whole world feels as if it is crumbling and yet I am also experiencing extraordinary acts of kindness from the community.

I have wide-ranging fears due to the uncertainty of the situation. I am afraid that my elderly grandparents will fall sick. I am worried that my mom may bring the virus home that may affect us all. Unfortunately, there is no guidance we can seek from our elders on this, no manuals to read. We all are forced to take it one day at a time.

What are you most hopeful for?
I am hopeful that the COVID virus will be under control soon. For a virus we never knew existed five months ago, thanks to a huge effort of collecting data behind the scenes, we now know it almost molecule by molecule. However much we are hopeful for a vaccine and useful diagnostic or antibody tests, we are starting to have methods to control COVID-19 that we know can “flatten the curve”.
We also know a lot more about the kind of challenges there are ahead. For example, there is a prediction for resurgence of the disease in winter. I believe that even though it is such a scary thing, we can, if we have the will to do so, keep COVID-19 under control given all the information we have. That is no small achievement.

What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
The most challenging part of this experience has been loss of structure and daily routine. My ‘normal’ life before COVID was following the routine of getting up at a certain time, going to school and attending classes at specific times and coming home at a certain time. When schools closed, we were given the option to complete some assignments and were also told that it was up to us to decide if we wanted to complete them. At first, this greater amount of freedom and choice felt good – “Finally I get to decide what I want to do!” In a short time though, it has become easy to fall behind, to be distracted by other more desirable options (watching movies, video games, playing with cats, etc.) or to become bored.
I seriously miss social interactions with friends and teachers. I miss sitting with my group of friends and eating lunch together every day. In the hallways and classrooms of Blair, we are exposed to a variety of different cultures, perspectives and ways of living that are different from my own, and now I do not get that experience.

Extracurricular activities such as public speaking/debate and singing in the choir are important components of my identity. Though all my activities are online, it just does not feel the same.

Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
Thanks to the shelter-in-place order, which has limited commuting to school on the beltway, and also for after-school activities. I now have several extra hours each day to use as I wish. I also do not have to wake up very early in the morning since my online classes start later in the morning.

What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
Our society will have a greater respect for front-line workers: our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, caregivers, store clerks, utility workers, small-business owners and employees. Scientific experts are now on the front-lines just as generals took the lead in giving daily briefings during wars. Medical experts are at the microphone to explain complex ideas like pandemic curves and social distancing. Society will learn that healthcare professionals are perhaps the new wartime generals. In history, when all is said and done, they will be recognized for their sacrifice as true patriots; we will be saluting our doctors and nurses and other medical staff, and saying, “Thank you for your service,” as we now do for our military veterans.

How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
I am connecting with my friends very frequently using Hangout, Zoom calls, and Facetime. I have been playing video games with them too.

Serving my two cats Kitkat and Snickers has always been a fun job and stress reliever for me :) My cats keep me busy and make sure I am not stressed; anytime I spend too much time on my computer, KitKat will come and sit on the keyboard. I am also getting a lot of time to exercise at home on my rowing machine, and to go on long walks/ runs while maintaining social distancing.

When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
I would tell them that pandemics such as COVID-19 show us how globally interconnected we are – there is no longer such a thing as isolated issues and actions. COVID times have shown how important it is for people in the coming decades to be able to understand this interrelatedness and navigate across geographic and mental borders, and leverage their diversity to work in a globally collaborative way.
Most importantly, these experiences of isolation and remote learning away from peers, teachers and classrooms has served as a cautious reminder of the importance of our human need for face-to-face social interaction, and to not take it for granted.

What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
While we follow the necessary social distancing protocols in place, there are ways we can continue to safely help our communities during these trying times. I would like to use this platform to spread the word about the two volunteer organizations that I have been involved with. ‘Teens Helping Seniors’ which has over 200 volunteers serving seniors and vulnerable population in our county during this crisis. I would like to encourage more volunteers to join us in these efforts to help our community by signing up on our website at https://teenshelpingseniors.org  or by emailing us at teenshelpingseniors@gmail.com. Arts-n-STEM4Hearts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is donating food to local food banks, completing art projects for local nursing homes and collecting items for health care workers on the front lines. We can be reached either at https://arts-n-stem4hearts.org or by email at support@arts-n-stem4hearts.org. We can all continue to make a difference – all while staying healthy and helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.

 
What is your profession/involvement in the community?
I own Jaha Hair on Bonifant, and have for 24 years. I also help manage Discover Bonifant. Discover Bonifant was created by myself and another business owner in the community. Silver Spring was being rejuvenated and we felt like local businesses that had been in the community for years were being left out. We wanted to bring awareness that Downtown Silver Spring is not the only part of Silver Spring where people can shop. There are many other businesses. I would say I’m a business owner, entrepreneur, and community activist.
 
How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
I definitely can’t make a living for my family, so I have to be creative and try to figure out something else. Just like so many other people I am filling out the grants and the loans and trying to navigate the system to try to get as much help as I can. There has been a lot of negative, but there is also a lot of positive. A lot of things I was thinking about doing, but never did because I was in the everyday hum drum of getting up and going to work, I’m now able to do. I’m thinking creatively about what I want to with the rest of my life.
I started in this industry at 18 in New York. I had one foot in and one foot out already, but I was still holding on to the salon. I have a huge online presence at natural hair industry. We have an annual convention for natural hair stylists. It’s a different niche in the hair industry for those stylists who are not licensed. We created an online sanitation and hygiene class for natural stylists. Between both of us we have 70 years of experience. We make ourselves available and offer those classes for free. We taught our fifth course last night and we have another one Wednesday.
 
Are you working more or less?
Mentally, more. Physically, less. That’s where I need to be in my career anyway. I need to stop working as much physically in the salon. I’m on my computer more and creating more generating ideas. It’s not really making me money now, but hopefully the way I set myself up it will start showing some kind of profit. I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so it didn’t take me long to brush off the anxiety and start thinking of ways to make money.
 
What are you most afraid of?
I don’t think I’m afraid of anything. I’m an entrepreneur. We’ve always gone through rough times alone. This is just another challenge.

A lot of people don’t realize that the hair industry took big hit during recession of 2008. A lot of people stopped getting their hair done. The business dropped a whole lot. That, combined with Jaha being on the Purple Line corridor, caused us to start losing a lot of business. As a result, I was in the process of revamping my business when this hit. I thought, “okay, try something else.” I don’t’ think it serves a purpose to be scared because when you’re scared you’re not thinking right. You have to push that fear aside and just do what you have to do.
 
What are you most hopeful for?
I have a life. I wake up every morning and say thank you god that I’m here. I have clarity of mind that I can think of other options. I haven’t been directly impacted by the virus. I’ve known friends of friends, but no one in my family and I’m thankful for that. I’m able to think about some options I have moving forward.
 
What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
The most challenging part of all of this is owning a small business, and specifically being a small business owner in the beauty industry. There’s no precedent for what happens if someone gets sick after they come into the salon. In the early days of the pandemic, I called my insurance company and they couldn’t do anything for me because this kind of thing isn’t covered – its new.

I think the other challenge is that as a small business, we tend to be forgotten a lot. In Downtown Silver Spring there’s an emphasis on the restaurants. A lot of other businesses just go by the wayside. We don’t get recognized. What you have to understand is this businesses is our business, but it’s also our job and our livelihoods. When small business owners lose, we literally lose everything.
 
Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
Being home with both of my parents, who live with me. Especially at this age in their lives -- they’re both in their 80s. Waking up in my bed on a Saturday morning has helped me realize that I don’t want to work on weekends anymore. I’m going to adjust my schedule so that I can stay home Saturday and Sunday and really be with my family. I’m thankful for that to register in my head and enjoy being home on a Saturday.
I’m also thankful for the fact that I’ve been forced to look at other options and realize that getting up every day just to work and grind is not what life is all about.
 
What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
I’m hoping that they learn to value what’s important. That’s family and health. That’s not getting up and making a whole bunch of money.
 
How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
I just try to think positive all the time. I keep in touch with my friends on the phone. I have a granddaughter and we Facetime all the time.
 
When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
I’m going to tell them that it was a difficult time for a lot of people. We lost a lot of people and those losses didn’t need to happen.

But I’m also going to tell them that a lot of good came out of this time. A new spotlight was shined on community heroes and sheroes. I’m talking about teachers and nurses, who I think we all have a new appreciation for. 

What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
I want them to stay safe. And I want them to remember the mom and pop businesses, especially the ones that have been there for such a long time holding Silver Spring down. When people support us, they support our families directly, and the local community – most of us live here.

What is your profession/involvement in the community?
I am a teacher at Montgomery Blair High School, where I have been an English teacher for the past 17 years.
 
How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
My life has changed quite a bit due to the Coronavirus. The schools have shut down and I am scrambling to figure out how to navigate this new educational environment as both a teacher and a parent.  At first, my wife and I were trying to create learning opportunities for our kids while schools were not assigning new work. That was hard for us, and my wife and I are both in education. I know it was even harder for other parents.  Now I am so appreciative of my sons' teachers who are really trying hard to make this distance learning work.

One reason why I really love teaching is that I am not in front of a computer all day. Now, I am.
We are staying home all the time and not seeing family or friends. It's very strange because we have a lot of family who live in the area.  Usually, we constantly have family and friends over and now all visits are on Zoom. It's definitely weird.
 
Are you working more or less?
Overall, I am working less. I am not going to a school for 8 hours a day and not bringing work home with me after. However, even though I am working less, work is definitely more exhausting now in this environment. I am spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to best create lessons and provide support for students.  

My goal is to create a sense of normalcy for students. Even though we are in this crazy time period, I want them to count on the fact that I am here for them. However, it is really hard to balance trying to create meaningful assignments while understanding that everyone is going through a rough time period right now. For instance, I never know if the student who has not engaged in the distance learning is not doing so because the student does not have access to technology, is hungry, or has some other basic need that is not being met, or is suffering emotionally. I try and call or email, but many of these calls go unanswered. I just don't know how they are doing and it is definitely weighing on me. I acknowledge that the importance of my English assignment pales in comparison to the other issues in a student's life right now.

What are you most afraid of?
I am most afraid of this situation lasting through the summer. Summer camp is a big part of my family's life and there is no way to create this experience virtually.
 
What are you most hopeful for?
What gives me hope are my kids. They are 7 and 9 and have been so resilient throughout this whole process. Somehow they understand that they need to social distance and that this situation is serious. They have lost a lot -- they miss their friends in school, all of their sports games are canceled, and they are stuck with their parents 24 hours a day. However, they really have been incredible and even get along better now than they ever have before.   
 
What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
The most challenging part of this experience is definitely the unknown. There is so much about this situation that is changing by the day.  From projections for how long social distancing will be necessary to implications for the school year to the ability to get groceries -- so much is unknown and stressful. I find myself trying not to read the news too much because it usually makes me sad or angry. It is impossible to make any plans for the next few months because we don't know when anything will be close to back to normal.  

Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
I have enjoyed spending more time with my family and slowing down life a little bit.  

What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
I hope that we come out of this with a new appreciation for how society can come together for a common good. It is great that so many people worked together to try and flatten the curve and the collective effort made a difference. I also think that we'll come out of this with an even greater appreciation for the time we spend with our friends and families.

How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
I am trying to do some activities that I don't usually do. I spend a little more time reading for pleasure, I rediscovered puzzles, and I play a lot of card games. I have a weekly Zoom spades game with three close friends, which is a highlight of the week.  

When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
It was uncomfortable. I hope we don't have to go through anything like this again, but we came out stronger in the end.
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What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
One day, this will end and we'll be able to be closer than 6 feet from each other. I look forward to that day.

What is your profession/involvement in the community?
Working to end chronic and veteran homelessness in Washington, DC in my role as Chief Development Officer at Miriam’s Kitchen; making the most of summer as Board Member of Daleview Pool; and doing the best that I can for my family.
 
How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
In the early weeks, I kept saying it felt like my husband and I were in a relay race where we kept dropping the batons. But the batons were our kids, who we would drop off in each other’s newly designated home office zones so we could jump on a zoom call. Our lives have changed in a number of ways just to manage work and childcare. 
 
I also have had to step up in my role as a leader at work, at home, and in the community. When the pandemic hit, I had to jump on daily Virus Response Team calls with senior leaders at Miriam’s Kitchen to help pivot programs and keep our guests experiencing homelessness, volunteers, and staff safe, healthy, and informed. I stayed up late reading about best practices from countries that “got it right” to see if there were any tips that would be applicable at Miriam’s Kitchen. The tips shared were much larger scale that required collaboration across government, healthcare, and technology and made me nervous about how the US was, or maybe more accurately, was NOT preparing. 
 
All of that work made me jump into preparation and scenario planning mode at home. My husband called me the “house expert” on COVID-19. No pressure there. On top of that, I’m on the board of Daleview Pool where we have been tackling the question of when and if we can open the pool later this summer. So I am definitely feeling a bit of decision fatigue and enjoy when others can take the lead.
 
Are you working more or less?
I am working more and less. It is a strange paradox. Each day I feel like there is not enough time to complete my work at Miriam’s Kitchen and so much time to plan enriching activities for the kids. Don’t get me wrong. Netflix has been a tremendous help for when my husband and I both have meetings. Thankfully, Miriam’s Kitchen has been understanding and provided a lot of support and flexibility to staff in this new environment. 
 
What are you most afraid of?
Besides losing a loved one, I’m afraid of making a decision that negatively impacts people.
 
What are you most hopeful for?
That we find a treatment and vaccine soon. That’s the only way I can see us getting back to normal. Though I hope it is a better version of normal--where we value teachers, child care providers, social workers, farmers, medical professionals and other essential workers more. We have better life-work balance and things are just more equitable.
 
What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
There is not enough down time. The days are spent juggling child care, work, cooking, and cleaning. The nights are spent catching up on work. And even though I am exhausted by bedtime, I stay up watching a movie or browsing Facebook just to veg out a little. I need time to turn off my work brain before I can actually go to sleep. I miss having time to hang out with friends, go out on a date with my husband and spend time with our extended family who live nearby. We have Zoom lunch and dinner dates, but things are always better in person. Now that things are settling down a bit, Jason and I recently talked about carving out time for a weekly date so that we don’t lose ourselves in all of this. 
 
Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
We go on a lot more walks. On one of our walks, we discovered morels—a delicious wild mushroom! My daughter actually spotted the first one. She yelled, “Mommy, a mushroom!” I thought they looked like morels, but we had to phone a friend--Bubby to be exact--to verify. With her encouragement, we’ve been picking and sharing them with her. I’ve had fun looking up and cooking different recipes that feature morels. So, that has been one of the highlights of this time that we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy otherwise.
 
What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
The pandemic highlights how when one person is unwell the whole community is at risk. So I hope as a society, we learn to take better care of each other. At Miriam’s Kitchen, I get to see a lot of examples of that. People have reached out to sew cloth masks, companies have donated bottles of water, hand sanitizers and masks, and volunteers have sent so many heartfelt messages of support. We have been grateful to receive such an outpouring of support, and that’s what I love about my job. I get to see the generous, compassionate side of people and that keeps me motivated. I hope we--as individuals and society--use this time to dig deeper to understand root causes and use that knowledge to create a world where everyone has a safe place to call home, the air and water is cleaner, and so on.
 
How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
We seem to have taken up the concept of “forest bathing.” We try to go out for walks twice a day and discover new trails on the weekends.  
 
When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
This was a crazy time that also provided an opportunity to reset our priorities. Mostly, I hope the kids will look back at this time and think “I don’t remember much about the coronavirus, just that it was really cool to hang out with mom and dad.” But I guess even before the crisis, all parents hoped their kids would think it was cool to hang out together.

What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
Vulnerable populations are left in even more dire situations in a crisis. So check in on your neighbors, and if you are able, help those who need it. We’ve donated to a few organizations including Miriam’s Kitchen. We were surprised to receive a stimulus check and donated all of it to the furloughed staff at the YMCA where both children used to attend.

Profession/Involvement in community
I’m a community activist and founder of Fenton Village inc.
 
How has your life changed since the community has been impacted by Coronavirus?
Life is quieter now. What I miss most are spontaneously running into my neighbors or the spontaneous neighborhood talks.

I definitely feel a renewed commitment to Fenton Village. I see these small businesses as very much part of our community. A lot of business owners live here in the neighborhood. Fenton Village is not like other business districts. It’s what everyone claims to want: neighborhood serving retail. These business owners are my neighbors as much as anything else. 

Are you working more or less?
The first three weeks were extremely busy. I was working like crazy to get information to local business owners in the community. Businesses had to close so quickly, and I was doing what I could to keep everyone updated. I was fielding 30 to 50 emails a day, plus zoom meetings. Since then things have slowed down.

What are you most afraid of?
Trump going crazy, declaring marshal law and cancelling the election.
 
What are you most hopeful for?
That this will change the general vilification of the working class. That people will realize a business model for government doesn’t work, and oligarchs owning all of our agencies doesn’t work.
 
What has been the most challenging part of this experience for you?
I think the most challenging thing is exploring what I want to with this phase in life. I don’t think this is going to end anytime soon. I’m a high energy person – and I have to ask myself, what do I want to put my energy in? I believe this is going to result in a huge change in our society. In essence, I need to figure out: What do I want to be when I grow up? 

Is there anything – even a tiny thing – you enjoy or like about sheltering in place?
There is a lot I enjoy about sheltering in place. I’m a big exercise person, so I’m walking three or four miles a day. My Thai Chi class is online now. I’m working in the yard, which gives me the time to focus and literally smell the roses. I’m lucky in this sense.

I’ve been able to focus on things I don’t always give attention to. I see this as a time to reflect on what you want to do, not what you have to do. I’m very much subscribing to finding happiness where you are.
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Also, I am so impressed and proud of my community. This community is exceedingly generous, and, fun and caring. I’m feeling very grateful in that sense. I don’t feel as alone because people have stepped up and demonstrated that we are here for each other. Every time someone asks for something online, they get it 10 fold. For example, the other day an elderly couple in the neighborhood asked for groceries after expressing concern about going to the store, and just like that, friends and neighbors left groceries on their doorstep. That’s just how Silver Spring is.
 
What do you think society as a whole will learn from this experience?
Oh god only knows. I hope we learn to stop worshiping money.
 
How are you coping with stress/taking care of yourself?
Physical exercise. I’m walking 2 to 4 miles every day. I’m doing as much physical stuff in the house and the yard – I’m fixing, painting, digging, weeding. Physical exercise keeps me happy and coping.
 
When future generations ask, what will you tell them about this time in your life?
I’ll tell them this was America’s version of the French Revolution: where the lowliest workers are refusing to go to work for $2 an hour, where they finally have the power to make a demand. I’m hoping that working people rise up. I’m hoping this is that moment.
 
What would you like your friends and neighbors in Silver Spring/Montgomery County to know?
I want people to know how proud I am of them and how grateful I am for them. How overall terrific they have been throughout all of this.