Storyteller: Michael Crary
Mardie is from Frankenmuth, MI and works in government, more specifically reviewing applications for certain benefit programs. She, along with many others, became aware of COVID-19 through the news. After the pandemic hit, her life changed from coordinating social activities for coworkers to being shut inside and quarantined by herself for the past year. She lost most if not all direct contact with coworkers and has even not talked to some in over a year. Mardie lives near a small airport and on a busy road, since the pandemic hit, things started to become quiet at home. Little to no planes flying in or out of the airport and the same goes for cars driving on her road, almost like a ghost town. Even though her life took a turn for the worst, her friends give some happy energy by doing something called a “wine and dash”, where they go to a friend’s house and drop off wine without contact. Outside of her personal life, which is now combined with her work life, she has gained some new skills in her job as she had to adapt and teach staff members how to work virtually and together. Mardie has taken a few things from her personal and work life changing and adapting to them. She has realized that all of us have adapted in some way to adjust our lives to whatever new rules will be made. Adding on to that she thinks that there will be a huge shift in how and where we do our jobs once this pandemic is over. I think most of us can agree or already have seen the change being made in our lives and that in the future, the adaptations that we have done will change how things flow.
MIPandemicStory 