Ethnography - Signature Assignment

This year has been one for the history books, and one that I won’t soon forget. As I look

back at the beginning of the year, I think about how differently I thought about the world and my

general outlook on life in the coming year. The extreme changes and need to adapt has shaped

me and helped me grow as a person. Reflecting on the memories of and experiences throughout

the year comes with a mix of emotions. I remember being very skeptical of the virus and critical

of people that were panicking and stocking up. As if the virus wouldn’t reach to the United

States and if it did, its threat was probably exaggerated. I held on to my ethnocentric belief that

our country would be the best at handling it if the pandemic had found its way here. Naively, I

assumed the US would have the least amount of infected or deaths and that it would be over

sooner rather than later.

The months went on and the pandemic was still a huge part of what the news talked

about, my fear grew as we learned of the growing numbers of people getting infected and the

mortality rate rising. I started to pay closer attention but still wanted to believe that it would soon

get better. I made sure that my family and I took all the necessary precautions suggested by the

CDC. I have always been kind of a closet germaphobe and nervous person, being careful while

trying not to go over the top. But with the constant worrying about my family and friends getting

sick, my germaphobia intensified. As time went on and the only news we were given were about

how it’s only getting worse. Other, more heavily affected countries at the time, began to take

strict lockdown measures and prepared for the worst possible scenarios, it seemed. When the

toilet paper ran out, people seemed to not make trips to the store anymore. Even considering how

small Tooele is, the stores still felt abnormally empty.

 In March, my job, in which my husband also works, advised us that new workplace

guidelines meant that were high risk for complications if we were to contract the virus. So with

that, we were sent home. At first, it was only supposed to be for 14 days. There really wasn’t a

manual on how to have an entire company start working from home. The 14 days came and

went, no real update on the timeline where we could expect to go back to work or a normal life.

We out of work for almost 3 months. If a company as large as the one we worked in and my

daughter’s school were taking such large measures to keep people safe, it only made sense to

continue this attitude throughout our personal lives too. This meant skipping birthdays and

holidays. It made me sad to have to ask my husband to miss his dad’s birthday, and even his

own. Holidays were spent on video calls and gifts were mailed or dropped off at doors. We did

everything we were told were the right decisions.

In this new world of distance, we had to find new ways of keeping the cabin fever away.

We went on short distance trips. Again, with the small town, the great outdoors were just

minutes away. I learned to ride an ATV with a clutch and all. My husband pursued his dream in

photography and my daughter tagged along with every adventure we could think of, including

piloting that manual ATV herself. We did just enough to keep the shadow of the pandemic out of

our minds. Unfortunately, not all business had the ability to provide work from home options and

I would hear of my husband’s extended family battling the virus. Still, I felt like we were able to

keep the real danger at arm’s length. It wasn’t until the virus reared it ugly head and hit close to

home that I really understood the impact this invisible monster could make.

My in-laws were part of the group that could not work from home as an option. So, when

the news came that my father-in-law had been in close contact with someone that tested positive,

we could only pray he dodged a bullet. But this is real life, and that is not how this works. My
mother-in-law was the first to feel symptoms. Even by the time they had gotten the confirmation

it was already clear, they had it. Not wanting to give in to the fear, we tried to carry on. Calling

them every day, hearing their normal voices gave us hope. Maybe its not as bad as the media

made it seem. Then, like someone had flipped a switch, everything changed. We came to realize

how unpredictable and dangerous this virus is.

Everyone looks forward to the Fourth of July weekend as a time to celebrate our country.

Get together with family and friends. Fire up the grill until night falls, then the fun of fireworks

and color light up the sky. But for my family it was a weekend of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear.

My mother-in-law had been taken to the emergency room during the night. What we initially

thought was going to be a couple days turned into a month of waiting. Waiting for the poor

nurses and healthcare workers trying to keep up with all the people requesting updates on their

loved ones while also doing their jobs. It was a unique experience. I thought I would feel angry

at how long we had to wait for any word, but instead, I found the patience.

When the news finally came that she was coming home, and everyone was on the road to

a full recovery, I realized how much I have to be grateful for. How I still have these amazing

people in my life to help me continue my journey. When I see the numbers of the many

thousands whose story ended much different than mine, it is a sobering reminder to not take my

life for granted. I am humbled to live in a time where there are great scientific achievements to

respond to such a horrible curse. We continue to navigate these uncharted waters in much the

same way as we did at the start. Holidays and birthdays are still skipped, but this time its

different. The video conference calls are in full attendance. And I think that fact alone is enough

comfort and motivation to keep going through the paces. From getting through a workday, to my

goal of graduation. And if it means doing it virtually, well, that’s not so bad.