Storyteller: Connor Shoemaker
Erik is 52 years old and an automotive painter. He had first heard about the pandemic in the first part of February on the media. Due to Covid-19, he was furloughed from work for the month of April, mainly having to stay at home. He was able to get many things done at the house that he has been trying to do for a while but not having the time to do so. He was able to paint certain parts of the house and reorganize the garage and many other things. He said that it was very dull, not being able to do anything but at the same time it was also kind of relaxing. When he was able to get out, he was doing lots of fishing since that was one of the only things you could do to stay away from people. Eventually, Governor Whitmer closed down the boat ramps and made it hard to be able to go fishing.
One of the things he learned from the pandemic was that living in large cities quickly spreads a highly contagious virus. With these cities being so densely populated, people come in contact more often, spreading the virus. He said that he really did not lose anything from the pandemic. His sensory detail is that breathing through a mask when it’s hot outside is not enjoyable. One of the funny things that he has seen during the pandemic is watching a person by themselves driving in a car with a mask on. He said that he sees this all the time and does not quite understand why people are doing this. The pandemic has taught him that he needs to be more patient with people.
MIPandemicStory 