a living history of a 21st century American community exploring what it means to be human during a global pandemic.
we're all connected by a thread.
" ...Everything you see and touch in your home, work, neighborhood, is shipped from somewhere. Moving cargo from Point A to Point B is not easy... My job demands me to be a controller of everything. The Pandemic is such a hard lesson- we really can control only so much..."
" ...I was born and have lived in a place of privilege, that until the last decade of my life and the Black Lives Matter, and Me Too movement began, I wasn't really, truly, aware of... Unworried, unhurried, by the thought that it could be one of MY children or loved ones who suffer similarly..."
Human. Together.
On the way to tell a story... The Church of St. Mark, Merriam Park, St . Paul, Minn.
"...She turned to me, laughed loudly, and said, 'Anna! This is what black people experience EVERY DAY! This is so good for all you white people - to be afraid for your lives!'
THIS is white privilege..."
...Thank you to all the fantastic teachers, staff, kids and parents. The Pandemic has made my family realize how truly Essential school is to the fabric of our communities and to each child's success...
" ...Since The Pandemic I’ve become more reclusive and OCD about being clean. It got even worse when my father contracted the Covid 19 virus which eventually took his life in early May. It hits different when it hits home..."
Flowers from the garden of a by_a.thread participant. Rest in Power, Mr. Floyd.
"...George Floyd’s murder is so close for our family. My husband... is always so conscientious about his actions. I have teased him about his cautiousness myself. George Floyd died 4 blocks from where we used to live (a place we still own). His death turns the teasing into poison in my mouth..."
Learning. Listening. Supporting. CHANGING.
One day at a time. Black Lives Matter.
Listen. Learn. Donate. Repeat.
...It's Essential that we all show up for the Communities of Color in our Twin Cities and throughout our nation. White silence is violence.
Consider donating - Wait. Don't just consider it. DO IT. DONATE to the following:
Groveland Barbershop, Macalester-Groveland, St. Paul, Minn.
Hate has NO PLACE in Minnesota. Sign by ahava Creative Co.
"...We have employees staffing homeless shelters, serving meals to the community, providing interpretation services, developing virtual programming and figuring out how we address community needs for summer...I think we’ve seen a lot pride, resiliency and caring for one another..."
" ...I’m more tired than ever due to long stacked shifts and find it hard to engage when I’m at home due to exhaustion... However, I’m incredibly grateful for my job and passionate about the work I do. Now, more than ever, I believe I was made to be a nurse..."
" ...I was brought up to thrust my wisdom into the elderly. They are living libraries. Our elders are hit harder than anybody else by the pandemic... I am worried about the elders leaving us so soon when they are supposed to enjoy their time with their kids and grandkids..."
Black lives matter.
" ...My struggle has been with the existential crisis of what it means to teach science... Good science education doesn’t happen through a screen. I need my students in front of me. They need a lab group to work with. We need each other..."
due focacceria, St. Paul, Minn.
"...Telling the stories of our Essential Workers is the best thing I have ever done as an artist. It's given me a way through the pandemic and a way to be of service to others..."
"...We can argue amongst each other all day, but we’ve recently had to have arguments with ourselves... And I think we’ve come to see that life is less binary than we once thought. We can hold different viewpoints at once. And we can change our minds given new information. I pray we remember that..."
The Grandview Theatre, Macalester-Groveland, St. Paul, Minn.
Found while on the way to tell a story...
"...Right before the pandemic, my wife and I became first-time parents...To have a pandemic interrupt many of those first-time experiences has been hard, but it has also allowed us to figure it out what works for us..."
"...Midwifery literally means 'with women', and since the pandemic began I cannot be with women in the same way. They can't see my face behind a mask. I hate to admit that I don't want to be in their room, sitting with them in their labor bed, for hours on end like a midwife should be..."
"...We are trying really hard to keep everyone safe. We are not being careless about wearing masks and we are constantly wiping things down with disinfectant. Because of The Pandemic I feel like I’ve grown more responsible and I have more pride in my work..."
Spyhouse Coffee, Macalester-Groveland, St. Paul, Minn.
"...Currently I sometimes feel safer working at the hospital or clinic than I do at the grocery store. In the healthcare settings I know what I am exposed to and how to prevent it. In the grocery store, there are people who think they don't need to take appropriate precautions..."
"...My shop has been closed since March 18 until further notice. But, there has been some good. I am now fully stocked up on family time... However. I’m angered by the way this administration has handled just about everything... "
"...I worry most about customers who are alone. Most of the closest relationships I’ve had day to day on my routes have been with elderly people who live alone... knowing that I might be the only person they talk to for that day, I treasure that contact..."
" ...it's OK to come to the ER if you don’t have Covid-19 but are concerned about other symptoms you are experiencing. We will do everything we can to try to prevent you from becoming infected while we diagnose the myriad of other dangerous conditions that cause illness and death... "
But we were born for Connection. Where does that leave us?
"...The uncertainty of it all is of course terrifying. The airline industry always has its ups & downs, (see what i did there?) but... simply not knowing if i will have a job due to furloughs in a few months is scary..."
"...I have been so inspired by members of our faith community who are loving and serving others in innovative ways that are safe, loving, and ethical... Thanks to virtual meeting platforms, phones, and the United States Postal Service we can remain spiritually connected and engaged..."
"...I struggle with how COVID-19 deaths are talked about in relation to the aging population. The statistics thrown around about how the majority of deaths are due to the elderly and care facilities. These are our most vulnerable people, they are loved, they are cherished, they are important..."
Hey, Moms! You are loved. And so, so Essential ❤️
"...When the pandemic first happened, I had no idea how I was going to teach these classes... My students deserve a similar (if not better) experience than students who have taken these courses in the past. So I'm working my butt off to keep the classes active and interesting..."
"...I cannot disconnect from the feelings that my patients feel. If I did I think it would be time to change careers. But in the meantime; it leaves me drained which leaves my family with a lot less of what they so badly need right now..."
"Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars..."
"...Hospitality people are born hustlers - we know how to pivot and persevere - but things are going to be very different and very difficult for a long time coming. There’s going to be a lot of reckoning, re-examining and reinvention..."
Lt. Col David Raab prefers the image to appear without a quote.
"...people with Covid19 are some of the sickest people I've cared for in my 18-years in critical care... I've seen people pull through and leave the ICU waving to us. I've also seen the other side. We try everything we know to do and it still doesn't work. And it's crushing..."
"...I worry for my husband who has a weakened immune system. I worry for my children who are missing their friends, and feel like this will never end. I worry for my grandmothers who are 85 and 93, living alone and in assisted living (respectively)..."
"...The hospital is always a scary place but right now it’s an especially lonely, scary place not just for the patients but also for all the staff... I fear that people will return to their self centered ways and forget the vulnerable, forget the suffering and forget that feeling of just wanting to help..."
"...Recycling is as important as ever to maintaining a supply chain of crucial products. My daily focus at work has radically shifted due to the pandemic to simply keeping people healthy..."