Life for Greenbelt residents, as for everybody else in the world, was significantly altered as we adjusted to life in the midst of a serious pandemic. We were sequestered at home, except for forays to the supermarket and other essential trips. Our children, instead of going to school every day, sat in front of a computer. Classmates and teachers also in front of their computer screens at their own homes. Socializing, except for people within your own bubble – a small group of people, usually relatives, who lived with or near you and maintained the same strict but necessary social distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing practices – was put on hold in 2020. From religious services and observances to civic events, to concerts and festivals, including the Labor Day Festival and the December Festival of Lights, Greenbelters, who thrive on community events and involvement, were forced to keep to themselves.
Three Greenbelt residents share their experiences of how their everyday life was affected by the pandemic.
Time in Nature
Life in the pandemic is a time for a lot of walking and trying to find small joys. There are new-to-me vistas inside and outside the city that I’ve been visiting this year. When I find a peaceful place, even if it is still noisy with traffic, or cluttered with litter, I try to capture the space both with my camera and with my mind. Peace exists. My husband and I spent a lot of time on Seek, an app produced by iNaturalist, for smart phones. We used it to identify plants, animals, fungi and algae. It was surprisingly addictive for several months. And while it did not get us to do any actual work, we did find ourselves outside walking around, competing with each other to find more and different things to look at.
Working from Home
Working from home is what I’ve done for years, but now I have several other family members working here too. The adjustment was a bit rough, but we are continuing. My preferred office is my kitchen table and we have the Christmas tree there too this year, as well as all of our meals. I thought such multi-purpose use of space was over when we became empty-nesters but now our nest is partially full again, and our space has many uses.
Exercise
Greenbelters missed ways to exercise this year – the impromptu basketball games, kids playing together on a playground and working out at the Fitness Center. Walking was almost all that was left to us as a way to exercise but we walked tentatively, warily eyeing and avoiding other walkers and runners, even after the mandate to wear masks outdoors. We competed for the few slots for swimming at the pool, longing for 45 minutes of concentrating on just our bodies and the water, putting away the anxieties for a too-short time.
Around the Firepit
Firepits! What used to be a patio vanity purchase is now the hottest ticket to coronavirus-safe neighborhood gathering. Winter is coming, but we can still visit actual humans outside while burning food on sticks. If you don’t already have an underemployed faux-granite Wayfair patio centerpiece, no worries, just get something that can (safely!) hold burning wood, put it out front and you’re good to go. If you light it, they will come.
Gift lists got easier, too: Pokers, tongs, fatwood, telescoping marshmallow sticks, pie irons, bellows, welding gloves. Yes, really. We weren’t all Boy Scouts.
The Greenbelt News Review invites Greenbelters to share stories (50 to 100 words) of their own about how the pandemic affected their daily lives. Send contributions to editor@greenbeltnewsreview.com.