Ep. 49: Friday Listener Stories

Today we hear from Alicia, an English teacher who got a grim preview of life during lockdown during video chats with her students in China; Tanya, a school food services director in Paradise, CA, which is still recovering from the devastating wildfire that swept through in 2018; and Gail, who recently took on the strange, heartbreaking task of planning a Zoom funeral for her mother. To share your story—and to potentially be featured on an upcoming episode—leave us a voicemail at 909-713-8995.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm Danny Shapiro, and this is the way we live Now.
Each Friday, We're going to turn the show over to
our listeners. We want to hear your stories. This is
how we connect with each other by sharing the way
we live now. If you have a story, please do
call us. You'll hear our number at the end of
this episode. Our first caller today is Alicia, a stay

(00:29):
at home mom who also teaches English online to students
in China. She got an early glimpse into what life
under lockdown was really like. Hi. My name is Alicia
and I'm from Washington State. We were one of the
first states and schools to start shutting down, and um,

(00:55):
as a I am a stay at home mom and
a teacher of I teach English to Chinese children. So
I I feel like I had a first glimpse into
the coronavirus and to what was happening on the other
side of the world before it came to us. Many

(01:15):
of my students stopped going to school in January and
continued with English classes, and they told me that they
were also doing online classes. I saw that, and I
heard that, and I knew that we might be in
the same the same situation as them, but I didn't

(01:37):
really believe it that it would actually affect me in
my small part of the world and to my children.
And because China was half a world away, I went
into their homes via the Internet and saw what um
they were doing, and that they could not leave their

(01:57):
apartments and they could not do anything basically, and I thought,
that's that can't happen to us. Then in March it
all hit the fan, and UM, we stopped going to
school and I started teaching my children at home. I
feel like I'm never alone. Uh. I have children that

(02:17):
are nine, seven and six and we still have a
week up school left. UM. When I can't find time
for myself, I go hide in their beds or hide
in the car that's a parked in the garage, just
to have a few minutes alone. UM. I have enjoyed

(02:38):
listening to podcasts and reading books to escape from just
everything about um quarantine and staying home. We enjoy riding
bikes and walking in our neighborhood. My kids have not
been to a public place and over three months, and
I'm a little um worried that once we start opening

(03:03):
back up that they might not know how to handle themselves.
But UM, we see a light at the end of
the tunnel tunnel and our city and county might start
opening up fairly soon. And I know that we're all
in this together. Thanks our second messages from Tania, a

(03:26):
food services director for the school district in Paradise, California,
a community that spent most of recovering from the devastation
caused by the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. Hi, Danny,
my name is Tanya, and I have just so enjoyed
your stories, your friends and the people that you have

(03:50):
found to share their stories. UM, it's just been so
inspiring and a sense of comfort from just hearing other
what other people are going through kind of puts what
we're going through into a different perspective and and gets us,

(04:11):
you know, a little bit of peace and knowing that
others are as resilient as we are. And I say
we because UM I am a school food service director
and uh small town called Paradise in northern California. UM,
you know, we had a very devastating year last year. UM,

(04:36):
November eight, two thousand eighteen, we had a large fire
that devastated our community, our school district, and we thought
last year was our roughest year. I can honestly tell
you that with the folks that I have still working

(04:56):
with me and for me, UM, they're the most resilient
folks I have ever come in contact with, and UM,
they have actually made um our ability to serve our
community during covid UM very easy. UM, it was a
super smooth transition. I just kind of wanted to share

(05:19):
a different perspective UM as a school lunch lady being
an essential worker, and the super resilient men and women
that are in the count of Paradise that continue to
make good things happen for our community. Again, I appreciate

(05:39):
all that you're doing. I have enjoyed your stories and
continue to do so. Take care, do well, and they say.
Today's final message is from Gail, who recently took on
the heartbreaking and totally surreal tasks of organizing a zoom
funeral for her mother. Hi, Danny, my name Gale Goldener.

(06:01):
And for a while, my life wasn't that much different
during this time as I or you've been working from home. However,
my mother passed away on April three year and trying
to more an deal with death during COVID. As I'm
sure you've heard from people, it's very difficult. As familiar
with this ship the process, it's very challenging to be
sitting shiva by yourself. Unfortunately, I had to sit to

(06:23):
THEO from my father only five and half before my
mother passed away, so I could really see the contract,
and having to be at her funeral in a math,
not being able to hug my brothers and nieces, the
nephew were extremely difficult, and just not being able to

(06:43):
be with all my friends and be comforted by them,
although they did a really good job trying to comfort
me as best I can, and the Rabbi actually said
it was the best Zoom funeral UM most produced the
funeral he'd ever seen. Some I actually put together a
best act. This is guide for Zoom funeral. So that's
really what I wanted to share with you about my

(07:05):
experience dealing UM with my mother's UM death that was
not due to COVID, but it still was challenging UM. Nonetheless,
I was fortunate to be the only person who was
allowed to see her in hospice, but it was torture
us having everyone else to say goodbye over FaceTime and film.

(07:28):
So anyway, that's my story and thanks for both podcasts.
Thanks for listening to the Way We Live Now, tell
us the way You're living now. We want to hear
call us on. You might want to get a pen
for this nine O nine seven one three eight that's

(07:52):
nine O nine seven one three eight nine nine five
and record your story and we might just use it
on the pod. Also, you can join our Facebook group
at facebook dot com slash groups slash the Way We
Live Now Pod. We are creating a community here and
we would love for you to join us. You can
find me on Instagram at Danny Ryder. The Way We

(08:15):
Live Now is a production of I Heart Radio. It's
produced by a Low Brolante. Bethan Macaluso is executive producer.
Special thanks to Tristan McNeil and Tyler Klang. For more
podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.