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READERS REACT

Your Say: What lessons have you learned during the pandemic?

At the Farmers Market in Little Italy on April 4, 2020, Stephen Clark from J.R. Organics

At the Farmers Market in Little Italy on April 4, 2020, Stephen Clark from J.R. Organics helped Lori
Vanderlinden select fresh produce while standing behind the tape. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego
Union-Tribune)

We asked: What have you learned about yourself, your family and your community after one year of the
pandemic?

BY U-T LETTERS

MARCH 19, 2021 12:45 PM PT

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Anger lingers, along with hope for future

I have learned from this pandemic the sad results of an overly contagious disease. Each night our news
has the latest totals of illnesses and deaths. These totals flash me back to the days of the Vietnam War
when the numbers of dead and wounded soldiers were announced. It sickened us each dinner hour. The
horror is even greater now, for our numbers are staggering.

I learned that personal contact and socialization play a bigger part in all our lives than I ever understood.
As a lucky senior with a loving supportive husband, not alone in isolation, and encouraging, friendly
neighbors, friends and family, I’ve suffered. The distancing, the lack of activities in groups, all dimmed
my spirit. As an upbeat, laughing sort, surprisingly I was hit in spite of being blessed.
I think of family — our grandkids struggling with school, their adolescence stifling in confinement,
missing senior school year activities, experiencing college online. They have lost learning opportunities
and personal growth from interactions with others. Their lives have forever changed. Sadly, this
happened at the beginning of their life’s journey. Their loss is infinitely greater than mine. So, too, those
without loving support and jobs have suffered immeasurably.

My sadness is lifting with the promise of tomorrow, thanks to vaccinations. Concerns are letting up due
to a stable federal-state response to this disease. Anger lingers over the past president’s uncaring,
negligent response. But I am hopeful for our future. We are a resilient people.

Sharon Smith, La Mesa

Next week: After the vaccine

What is the first thing you did or will do after being fully vaccinated and feeling safe to live the way you
did before the pandemic hit? Please email your 500-word essay to us at yoursay@sduniontribune.com
by Wednesday and we may publish it in the newspaper and online. Please include your name,
community and a phone number we won’t publish. More on today’s Your Say topic at
sandiegouniontribune.com/lessons.

Crisis may floor us but we can rise again

What have I learned about myself, my family and my community after one year of the pandemic?

I have learned a huge amount about myself. I come from a sports background and that results in a
cannot-be-defeated attitude. I love tennis and when the pandemic struck, our leaders thought it would
be beneficial to lock tennis courts so no one could play tennis. I found places to play, thanks to my
wonderful tennis partners, and I continued to play at beautiful places like a private court in Rancho
Bernardo and courts near Sunset Cliffs, which gave me the opportunity to discover the beautiful cliffs
again even though I’ve lived here 64 years of my 65 on Earth. Because of this never-say-die attitude I
was able to stay in contact with my son’s beautiful family after tennis on Saturdays. I guess the saying is,
where there is a will, there is a way, or from one of our greatest poets, “All limitations are self-imposed.”
I love my family; however, we are just returning to the point where I feel I can call any one of my siblings
to safely visit and hug them all much more often than I have during the past year. My wife, Kim, my
shorty Jack Russell Terrier Stella and I have not missed a beat at home; in fact, we may be closer as a
result of the pandemic.

As for my community, I honestly feel we have been dealt a huge straight right that has knocked us down
for the count. With the resilience I know we have, though, all our businesses and high school sports will
bounce back to deliver blows of our own until we become the victors in the last round of this most
important fight of our lives.

Jim Valenzuela, Poway

The value of a loving pet became apparent

What I have learned after one year of the pandemic is a lot about cats.

We acquired a cat in our household last July. I have learned a lot about how humans can relate to cats
that I was not aware of growing up with these lovely animals. I also learned that you can connect with
such an animal at a level I never thought possible or perhaps never really explored.

This cat, during this pandemic, has served as our therapist, yoga instructor, meditation guide and fellow
afternoon nap enthusiast. I know there are other animals that have served as pets to help people with
the stress of the pandemic. I would expect people in my community to have had a similar experience
with their pets and the bonds they have made with them.

David Terry, Lakeside

We have all shared an historic experience

This past year I’ve learned that I took many things for granted and expected that life wouldn’t change
that much in my day-to-day routine. I think most of us did.
I was really looking forward to seeing The Rolling Stones at SDCCU Stadium last May, but the concert
was canceled and now the stadium has been demolished. Weekends I would have spent looking forward
to seeing the latest Hollywood blockbuster like “Top Gun: Maverick” or “No Time to Die” became
weekends learning about the infamous rivalry of big cat enthusiasts Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin on
Netflix.

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Going out to a restaurant on a Friday night to start off the weekend became downloading the DoorDash
app and bringing that food home. Those nights out became nights in. I’ve learned that as much as it’s
nice to stay home in my pajamas, I really miss going out to social events and seeing people’s smiling
faces.

I always look forward to seeing my family during the holidays and months when I can take time off of
work, but this year, like many of us, I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas on Zoom. I learned, and knew all
along, that I have a strong family. We have come together well during a global pandemic. My mom even
asked if she needed to mail me toilet paper. As fun as it was seeing everyone on my computer screen, in
2021 I will not take for granted that something as terrible as this pandemic couldn’t happen again, and I
will make it a priority to see my family as soon as I can.

I’ve learned the community of San Diego comes together very well during a crisis. We’re all human, and
no one wants to see their business or the livelihood they worked so hard for destroyed. I saw
organizations, restaurants and animal shelters come together to feed families and the pets of those who
lost their jobs.

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People were shopping local more to support locally owned businesses. When we started to have to
wear masks in public, I saw that people were nicer to each other, but now I see mask fatigue and people
just wanting to get on with their lives. I hope as the year goes on and we slowly get back to normal with
vaccines getting out into the community that we maintain that positive energy and remain a strong,
friendly community.
We don’t always know what’s going on in the lives of those we pass every day at the store, but we have
all gone through something unprecedented in our generation together and should never forget how it
made us feel.

Megan DePalo, Oceanside

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Hope for the best but prepare for the worst

After a year of the coronavirus pandemic, I learned that I had better be prepared for the worst at any
time. After seeing lines of people at the grocery stores, loading up with groceries and toilet paper
overflowing from their carts, I realized that many people are out for themselves without a care for
anyone else. I didn’t understand the reason why so many people stocked up on toilet paper, as the
coronavirus was not going to cause a bad case of diarrhea for those infected. Going to stores to find
empty shelves where toilet paper once was only made me shake my head in wonder. Hoarding took
place at every level and made me think of countries where things like that are familiar.

With bare shelves and some money in my pocket, things became disheartening. I decided I needed to
eat less so that my stomach could shrink and I wouldn’t be as hungry. It worked. I lost more than 20
pounds, and I am now feeling better when I have to bend down to pick something up. I no longer just
keep eating because it’s there and it tastes good. I eat half a sandwich and get up to do something and
I’ve been drinking more liquids. Even if some of those liquids are beer, I’m still down over 20 pounds and
continue to lose a little more as the days pass.

It is nice that businesses are starting to open and things are slowly getting back to the way they were,
and I hope this pandemic has taught everybody some good lessons.

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Allen Stanko, Alpine

Glad this challenging time may soon end

Regarding the one-year lockdown anniversary: The last year has been without a doubt one of the most
trying and difficult of my life. I work in senior long-term care, and I have seen fear and illness and
loneliness and death. I have seen healthy people become deathly ill and pass away without family to
comfort.

I have seen people trying to express love through glass windows with masks on. The loneliness and
isolation is as detrimental as the virus. Holidays and birthdays pass in this odd world.

And I have seen courage and strength and resiliency. I feel I have been scarred on my heart but have
learned patience and trust.

I am glad the vaccines are here and maybe we can turn the corner and hug each other again.

Angela Reynolds, Boulevard

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