Consider This from NPR - BONUS: Life In The Time Of Coronavirus

Episode Date: December 6, 2020

"What has this pandemic been like for you?"NPR host Sam Sanders and his team at It's Been A Minute put that question to their listeners and heard from people all over the world with ages ranging from 0 to 99. Their stories will stay with you. Listen to more episodes of It's Been A Minute on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hey, it's Ari Shapiro. It's Sunday and we've got a bonus episode for you. This is an episode that's kind of a time capsule of our lives right now. It comes from our friend and colleague Sam Sanders, host of It's Been a Minute, who asked NPR listeners a simple question. What's this pandemic been like for you? It's Been a Minute is a news and pop culture show from NPR. The stories that they gathered from people all over the country and around the world are going to stick with you. So Sam Sanders will take it from here.

This is Catherine and Nate in Washington, D.C. And our baby son, Sam, who is 12 days old today. Hey, y'all, from NPR, you're listening to It's Been a Minute. I'm Sam Sanders. And this week, we are taking a step back from the news and bringing you a slightly different kind of show. Yeah, they probably don't want you breathing into the microphone, though. We say it all the time, but this year has been unlike any other, in pretty much every

way imaginable. Are you going to make funny noises into the microphone? No! The coronavirus has changed everything for us. How we work, how we learn, how we socialize, how we grieve, how we love. And it's not over yet. So as this year comes to a close,

we wanted to find out, what has pandemic life been like for you? Hi, my name is Sam. You're the other guy. Can you hear me? Oh, can you hear me? Sorry, I always forget to unmute. The thing about that question is the answer probably depends a lot on where you are in life, how old you are, and what you've already experienced or maybe have yet to experience.

Can you tell me your name? Jack. Jack. It's good to meet you. Very, very good to meet you. How old are you, Jack? Six. Six.

That is quite the accomplishment. So for the rest of the show, we're going to hear from people of all ages, young and old and everywhere in between, talking about what this entire year has been like and what they've gone through since this pandemic began. What campus were you doing school at home? Doing school at home. You're going to hear now stories

of family, of friendship, of heartbreak, loss, and grief, but also stories of hope and resilience because you got to hold on to that no matter what. That's a good reason to like it. So what's your favorite subject in school? Your favorite class? Native Studies. What do you learn in that class? Like we do Serrano and queer letters and we color pictures. He goes to the school on the reservation. We're from Morongo, a Native American tribe. That's awesome. So what did you do this year for your first day of school if you couldn't go to school? What did you year for your first day of school, if you couldn't go to school? What did you do for your first day? Well, we did what we've done every day.

A little bit of science, social studies. A little bit of sax on math. Yeah. And no parties, huh? No parties. You miss parties, huh? No parties. You miss parties? I miss parties. I haven't gone to any parties.

I miss it. Do you miss it? We celebrated my brother's birthday at home. We didn't even hold a Zoom meeting. Yeah, yeah. Are you bored having to stay at home all the time? Not really. I like it because, well, the toys are better than at school. Although I wish we had as many books as the school did,

our school had way more books than we had. Yeah. Do you like being able to be at home now with your parents so much or with your parents probably all day? Do you like that? Yes. You have to say that. I like that my mom and dad are having a hard time.

Then that leaves me to do all the naughty stuff. That's true, yes. Yes, yes. Like what kind of naughty stuff? Tell me. Hurt my brother a lot. That's one naughty thing I do. So they let you do a lot of things when you're at home.

My mom and dad and brother also do naughty things. Like blame me since my brother's saying, move out of the way. You're going to get hit by this car. And I am way far away, and it cannot hit me. And he has a car launcher, and he thinks it could hit me in the head. Wow. Well, Jack, I think you're about to climb off that chair. So that's my cue to let you go.

Thank you so much, and I hope you have a great day. Bye. Bye. See you later. Thank you all. This was delightful. See you later, alligator. Later, alligator.

Later, alligator. alligator all right okay hello hi hi i'm sam i'm in little box. I record in this box all the time. Oh, that's cool. To like muffle the sound. Oh, okay. It's like I'm in prison. So it's like on a little podium. Yeah. And then I have my notes in here. And that's how it works.

All right. Okay. I love the system. I love it. I was telling Janae, like, I haven't interviewed teenagers in a while. And I was like, well, what can I do to show them that I'm cool? And I tried to learn a TikTok dance before this, but it was very bad. So you're not going to see it. Which one? Which one did you try to learn? I don't know.

The Renegade something? I don't know. I'm not showing you. I'm not showing you. You can't see it. Mary Catherine is very good at TikTok dances. I'm not that good. It's not my strong point.

Can you do one? I can can you okay ready yes I'll show you the renegade because like okay wait renegade I like that part I like the renegade that one's that fun. Yeah, that's fun. Okay, so to get started, I guess my first question for y'all is your full names and then whatever title you want to go by. Okay. I'm Mary Catherine Kane. I go by Mary Catherine. Okay. I'm Julia Ashkettle and I go by Julia. All right. How old are y'all? I am 16. I'm 15. Okay. How old are y'all? I am 16. I'm 15.

Okay. And where do y'all live? Ohio. Cleveland, Ohio. Yes. Cleveland. Cleveland, Ohio. Okay.

Okay. What is it? So you're in high school. Were y'all sophomores, juniors? Sophomores, yeah. Yeah, sophomores. Oh, man. That is an interesting time.

I hated my sophomore year of high school. I hated my freshman year. So I hope sophomore year gets better. But on the track, it's currently going on. It's really not looking good. It's really going downhill. Yeah, yeah. What do y'all like in this pandemic school year? Is there anything fun?

Is there anything good about it? I can watch TV during my lunch break yeah yeah it's i feel like it's so much more relaxing like i feel like taking a test i don't know how like honestly mary catherine i have no idea how we got through eight period days like now it's only four periods but it's easy they're 90 minute periods so it's really hard for me to focus. Oh, yeah. Same. So, you know. Like when I'm at home, I'm just on my phone. Yeah. I mean, the Vyvanse that I have been taking is really coming in handy at these times.

How do you, and this might be too personal, but like, I don't know. High school is also about dating. Does that even happen right now? I mean. Not for some of us. Yeah. I mean, I was dating someone going into quarantine and we broke up in April, but we literally like broke up over Snapchat. So like, that's how weird it was. Over Snapchat? How was that?

Oh, yeah. Not Snapchat. I know. I was really, really sad about it, but I don't know. Apparently he wasn't. Uh-oh. I guess it was just, I don't know if people are, like, starting to date again. I feel like they are. Yeah. I don't know.

Mary Catherine, you would know more than I do. I mean, there's me trying to manifest a boy that liked me, but we're not going to talk about that one. Yeah, I know. She's got to manifest it. You've got to manifest it. Yeah, you've got to manifest it. TikTok taught us how to manifest. Do you think that like 10 years from now when everything is just like,

when we just totally move past coronavirus, do you think you'll like have forgotten about this stage of your life? Or do you think it's going to be like really formative? Definitely. I feel like this is going to, this was such like a, I don't know. I call like the months of quarantine, the enlightenment for me. I don't know. That's so weird.

Explain. I like that. I feel like I've learned so much more about myself and like how I respond't know. I call like the months of quarantine, the enlightenment for me. I don't know. That's so weird. Explain. I like that. I feel like I've learned so much more about myself and like how I respond to this. And this is like when I'm older, I'm thinking about like my favorite like phases of my life. I'm always going to think about like when I was like 14 and going through this and like how I was like, I mean, how I dealt with it is there's a lot of social aspects too. And I feel like I can't always teach my kids, like, no matter, like you always have to take something for granted because it could just go away from you like that. Yeah. You guys seem really optimistic about it.

I mean, like when I think about the pandemic and who like got the worst part of the deal, I feel like students, it just sucks. Like you're not going to have homecoming dance. You're not going to have football games. You're going to miss out on so much. And if I were y'all, I'd be angry. Y'all don't sound too angry.

Are you angry about this at all? Yeah. I mean, there's days when I'm like really upset about it. But obviously there's nothing I can do except, I mean, I do tend to blame it on some people. Who? For example, our government okay you know I mean but I'm really thankful I was also because this um quarantine has made me get more into politics and stuff and just kind of like looking into lives that are like not mine

and try to have more of like a deeper connection and like more of an insight into what's going on in the world around me so I really um actually think that that's been good um because now I like know more of where I stand and more of like what I believe in Hi, this is Dani. I'm 28 years old and typically live in New York City, but currently live in Florida. Where to start with this pandemic? I guess it starts in December for me. My boyfriend was feeling sick and ultimately was diagnosed with cancer. And we fought it really hard for three and a half months. but in the end, he was getting worse and had to go to the hospital for a procedure at the end of March. So he just went in there,

and I wasn't allowed to go with him because of COVID. They weren't allowing any visitors in New York hospitals. It was really very difficult for me because since he got sick in December, I hadn't left his side for more than a couple of hours max. So being separated from him because of COVID was incredibly difficult, but I was holding on to the hope that he would come home in just a couple days. But then I got the call that the procedure didn't show what we wanted it to show, and there was really nothing left to do for him but put him on hospice care. Meanwhile, we were planning with his family how to get him home for his last few days or weeks. And to do that, we had to get on a special plane and get tested for COVID. His came back negative and mine came back positive.

I remember the nurse came in and waved me out and told me the news. And I crumbled to the ground and just started hyperventilating and crying my eyes out. And she just kept trying to reassure me that I was young, I was healthy, I didn't really have any symptoms, that I was going to get through this fine. And I looked at her and I said, I don't care what this does to me. It's that I'll never be able to go back in that room and hold his hand or give him a hug or a kiss and I won't be able to be with him. I won't be able to be with him when it's time to say goodbye. It's actually a little bit difficult to know what were symptoms and what was just

this immense grief that I started feeling the moment he got on the plane. Not the moment he passed, the moment he got on the plane, the moment we were separated. I just was overcome with grief. Some days I cry three times a day, four times a day. Some days it's hard to get off the couch or eat. But other days I dance around my house to music that he and I love. And sometimes to new music that I never thought I'd be able to listen to again and sometimes I sit here at home with my kitten our kitten and she'll stare at the spot next to me and even though I not religious, I've come to think of her staring next to me

because she can see her papa sitting next to me. And then the three of us get to enjoy some family time like we used to. Hi, this is Dani. I'm at the beach today to visit with Jack. He always felt the most at peace when he was by the seaside, watching the water. We have a lot of really beautiful memories in those places. So now whenever I want to spend some quality time together, I go to the beach because I can always sense him. Today's my birthday, so I wanted to come here. Coming up, more stories of life in a pandemic, including a long-distance call far from home.

This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies. Send, spend, or receive money internationally and always get the real-time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Download the WISE app today or visit wise.com. T's and C's apply. Women have been written off in rap and marginalized in the prison system. Philly rapper Isis the Savior is pushing back against both. Think about the music industry is really like only five labels in the world and who owns them? Old white men funding black toxicity. Listen now to Louder Than a Riot podcast from NPR Music.

This week on the show, life in the time of coronavirus. This entire episode, we're hearing from people of all ages, from young to old, about how this pandemic has changed their lives. A time capsule of sorts, of how much we've changed and of what we've all experienced together, but maybe had to process on our own. My name is Trishon Daniels. I am 30 years old, and I stay in Long Beach, California. This is my journey going through the pandemic. Around March, I worked through the company HMSO at the airport, and I was working at Umami Burger and KFC. We adjusted a shift bid within that week people would have to go to the office, and whoever got a letter had to go to the office. I was one of those people who had got a letter, and the next day, it was 100-something people there, and we all was being let go, and we had to turn in our badges. After that, my mother

had received information that the owner had sold the property and that the new owner did not want my mother as a tenant to continue her contract for her to still be a tenant there. So my mother and the family, we had to pack up and leave. The oldest out of eight kids. So my mother had got a hotel. Then the hotel was packed with my siblings and her. So I couch surfed and gave what I could. When I received my unemployment, I was able to go find me a used car, and I stayed there from time to time so I could be able to stack up the money that I was receiving from unemployment so I could be able to feed myself and also stack up so I can get me a, you know, a place. You know, I've been asking people everywhere I see, like,

if I see somebody with a uniform that's a city worker, a security guard, you know, apply for food stamps, I ask, you know, some of the county workers, you know, apply for food stamps, I asked, you know, some of the county workers, you know, how did they get their positions? The EDD asked them how did they get their positions? I'm asking everybody how they get a job. Do you know who's hiring? Where do I go? Where's the website?

How do I apply? Who do I ask for? You know, this pandemic has been a lot, you know, from going from a virus to I'm losing my job, I'm losing loved ones. Also, you know, people are showing their colors. You know, racism is stemming high. You know, things of that nature. And we're in a pandemic. It's been a whole lot. And to keep that energy to rebel against depression and feeling bad

and feeling sad and you know I graduated from culinary school so my heart and my desire you know is to cook you know so now I have to go into a whole different other field so I can be able to pay rent. It's been very difficult. But, you know, the only thing I can think of is keeping a glimpse of hope. But that has been my journey.

You know, that has been my journey. My name's Amanda Villarreal. I'm 30 years old, and I'm from Houston, Texas. My dad, Michael A. Gomez Sr., passed away on July 20, 2020, just two months and nine days shy of his 60th birthday my dad died due to COVID-19 you know there's people out here that say oh well it's underlying medical conditions or health issues and yes my dad did have those but my dad was living a life with those conditions and he was doing okay COVID covid 19 is what killed my dad a little bit about my dad um first you know he was my best friend um he was a brother that was very lovable

and just loved being a brother to his siblings. He's married to my mom for 34 years. He worked at Walgreens for 35. And he was an amazing dad to me and my brother, Michael Jr. And he just loved life. And it was very evident when you met him that you could just feel it. You just know. My dad became a grandpa to my son Nathan in 2019.

And he was doing amazing at that grandpa role. I'm a police officer here in Houston. I have a weird shift. You know, I'm on evening shift and my dad would call me early in the morning and I'd be like, dad, what the heck? Why are you calling me so early? Like, let me sleep. But I'd get up and I'd call him right back and I'd ask him like, where do you want to go for lunch? And I'd get me and my son ready. And even prior to having my son, I'd meet him and I'd take him wherever he wanted to go, whatever he wanted. Just whatever.

Anything to make my dad happy. My dad worked at the Walgreens in my area where I patrol. So that was always a good thing thing I got to see him often he would call me I would stop by um and we were just so close when I say that this has been the hardest thing that I have ever had to go through um I'm not even overreacting. We're talking about like two months of my dad's life where I couldn't even physically see him. I could only communicate with him via FaceTime.

When my dad passed away, he was by himself. We couldn't be there. We couldn't touch him. We couldn't hug him. It's been the worst. I mean, there's no other ways to put it he was a rock he was the glue and he's gone i show my son pictures of him he's only one and a half but he knows who his abuelo is and that's important. I mean, I could go on for hours talking about how amazing and awesome my dad was.

And hyping him up because I was his biggest hype man. my name is Arati Singh and I am 32 years old I live in New Delhi India and my parents live in Silver Spring Maryland Maryland. I have not been able to see them because commercial flights have been canceled and I have not been able to go back to Maryland or anywhere in America for that matter to see them. I am just about to call my mom. Hi. How you doing? Good. Hang on, my phone is doing something funny. What? I said, are you up?

Hi, Daddy. Are you up, up? Yeah. Say hi daddy Hi daddy It's your morning I just take naps at this time That's what I'm saying Yeah

I'm here Yes daddy Yeah No I got a little bit of a cold Yeah. No, I got a little bit of a cold. Daddy, it's just a little cold. It's nothing. Yes.

I'm not sad. I'm just kind of sad that everybody's birthday and everything went by and nobody saw each other. No, don't be sad. Then you're weak. That means you're... No, no, no. I'm not weak. I don't care.

Daddy, I'm not weak because I'm sad. Yeah, you don't see him. That means nothing. That's right. No, no. yes daddy i have i have this genetic trait of yours of freaking out about my health and i have checked my temperature four times since yesterday. I checked one time. Oh, yeah.

You checked it ten times today. How much do you like? Clicker? I don't have the clicker. I have a normal thermometer that everybody had in their household. No, once you come, you're going to have 31.

I don't need a clicker. I'm not a medical professional. I want to show her something. Archie, look. Look what's on the living room table. I see a candle. It's an oximeter. He checks his oxygen

all the time. I guess it's better than not checking it. Hey, you will cough right? I know. Daddy, do you want me to not cough with you on the call? You're like freaking out about nothing.. Cough that. I know. Daddy, do you want me to not cough with you on the call? You're, like, freaking out about nothing. Okay, take that. Go sleep, relax, take some.

You know, Daddy, I'm fine. Okay. I just need to rest up. I had a couple of really busy days, and I'm just tired. Are you taking your vitamin D and b12 and c and all that have lots of water and have like warm water don't have cold have warm things okay i love you i'll talk to you later okay love you love you alright bye bye bye bye stay with us we end

with words to live by from the view of 99 years old alright back to the show. First off, just tell me your name and how old you are. Michael Bell, and I am 50 years old. Okay, and where do you live?

Los Angeles, California. So tell our listeners what you do for a living. I am a healthcare chaplain. So I serve in a hospital setting as a chaplain. You know, there is a certain protocol, I think, that we all, you know, based on watching TV and movies, if not going through this ourself, there's a certain protocol we expect that chaplains go through when you're in a hospital and someone in your family dies. How much has that protocol, just, you know, being there to talk with the family should they want it, how much of that has just been changed because of coronavirus and the way it has changed how you might have to move through a hospital. Well, what's been really difficult for, I think, chaplains across the country that serve in hospitals is for those cases where families cannot be present. In addition to that, us,

ourselves, donning all of the personal protective gear represents challenges. We're used to much more human face-to-face contact, and it's morally distressing to know what we could otherwise or feel we ought to be able to do in a situation when someone's dying in a hospital that we can't do for any number of reasons during this time in COVID. And that's difficult on everyone, chaplains included. Yeah. You're being very kind and diplomatic and talking about how everyone's hurting, but how are you really doing? How are you really doing? If I go deeper and more personal, I know in assessing, if you will, clinically my own condition, I'm emotionally drained, physically tired.

I've exhibited symptoms of secondary trauma and moral distress, chronic stress and anxiety, sleep problems, emotional eating and binging on food, and kind of going into some dark places at times in terms of anxiety and worry about the world and the future. It feels heavier. Yeah. I mean, hearing you say this, I think about my job. It's been great to still have work to do in the midst of having to be at home all the time. And I look forward to work now more than I did before the pandemic, strangely enough. Your job seems different. Your job is inherently a job that means people will turn to you during difficult times and ask you to help them, to comfort them. Does it feel like a burden, your job, right now?

When you're going through all the same stuff, we are too. It's interesting. What feels burdensome is my life outside of work. Explain. I can feel, I can sometimes feel resentful of talking to friends who are not being hit with all the things that I've been hit with in the workplace and not going through the same storm. And they're socializing, they're having a good time, they found ways to cope, they kind of joke about being bored, they're doing various

things. And I want them to be happy. I want to celebrate like I would as a friend normally. But inside, there's part of me, if I'm honest, that's kind of resentful of hearing all this and begrudging. I don't like that feeling at all. Or another example, Sam, a well-meaning friend or acquaintance asked me, well, how are you doing? They really want to know how I am and what's going on. But giving honest, complete answers to those questions can feel burdensome. Yeah. Tell me about the worst day so far since the pandemic hit at work. Play by play.

What made it bad? Sorry if this is going to be triggering for you. No, I appreciate your sensitivity. I hear, I'll say this. Let me be more general. Some of the more difficult days have been when people I know and care about have been directly impacted healthcare-wise by this virus.

And people I know and love and care for have died. How many? people I know and care and love and care for have died. Those have been... How many? Too many. And again, I'm... I'm very sorry. Yeah. I'm so sorry.

And that's not easy. I know for me, like, I'm not a really big touchy-feely person, but once we're all cleared to be out in the world again, I'm going to, with consent, hug every person I see. Every single one. I'd give you a hug, Sam. When it's safe to do so, I'll give you a hug. I appreciate that. I appreciate that.

I imagine every person you see in council And it's safe to do so. I'll give you a hug. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Yeah. I imagine every person you see in council and every family you minister to is different. But is there one thing that you say to all of them before you speak to the uniqueness of their situation? I'm here. Yeah. And I believe on so many levels right now, that has to be fundamental, and it's one of the best things we can offer each other, is to be present. Sometimes if words escape me, or if words escape them and there's mostly silence,

showing up, being present, so someone's not alone. I'm here. This is Lou, age 72, and Hannah, 61. Okay, we'll go with that. And we're from Dallas, Texas. And we met at a Texas chili cook-off for singles. And even though neither one of us had an entry in the competition, I always felt that I had won first prize because I wound up with Hannah. We wanted to have a small intimate wedding.

So we planned to go to Italy and Greece and get married in Santorini in Greece in June. But we had to postpone due to COVID-19. However, we managed to get married via Zoom in April. It was something. You know, the fun part of the whole thing was between Facebook and YouTube, several hundred people have now seen us take our wedding vows. And I always say to Hannah, I didn't have to buy one of them dinner. I take you to be my wife. To have and to hold. In sickness or in health.

For richer or poorer. From this day forward. Until death do us part. Good job. Your turn, dear. Put the ring on his left ring. And repeat after me. I take you to be my husband. I take you to be my husband. To have and to hold. To have and to hold.

In sickness or in health. In sickness or in health. For richer or poorer. For richer or poorer. From this day forward. Until death do us part. Have you done your hand? Listen. It is much useful if you have agreed to live together in holy matrimony. We didn't scare him. Whoa. Great day to Texas. It is my honor to pronounce that you are officially husband and wife.

Whoa! I'm going to kiss you guys. You're officially married. I'm going to break the glass that's on the ground. I am! Oh, my gosh! My name is Paul Schmidt. I am 71 years old, and I live with my wife in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

A year and a half ago, our son, Will, became engaged to Natalie. There was a usual planning for the wedding until COVID hit. So, as a nationwide storm of fear and sadness swirled around, surrounded by family and friends on little bitty screens, Natalie and Will got married. We asked my dad to make a speech. He's a very cool guy and he always knows what to say. He always has some sort of insight. But my mom actually asked him if he knew what he was going to say. And she said that he just nodded and said, you know, I think I know what to say. And then for the first time, we all heard his speech for our wedding, and it was totally a little life-changing for us. About a year ago, we found out that you were engaged.

And we would meet with our friends, as friends do they ask you so how's will we would always say natalie and will want to get married i And so that saying just went to my heart. And it made me happy every time I said it. I couldn't have said it enough. And then all of a sudden I realized it's more than just making me happy. Because it was occurring in the middle of a pandemic. When the newspapers are full of grim statistics of illness and death and awfulness. And Natalie and Will want to get married.

And that economy is crashing and millions of people are losing their jobs. Not having a paycheck. And Natalie and Will want to get married. And in a time of our country when there is so much division by color, by religion, by sexual preference, when borders become walls, Natalie and Will want to get married. And now today here we are. And guess what? Natalie and Will got married. And if that doesn't give us hope in this crazy world, nothing does. And love wins. In the end, love wins. And we can be hopeful because of you.

So thank you, Natalie and Will. Congratulations. And here's to you. Love you. Okay. Okay, okay. So, Mom, say some words. Right now we're recording. Okay, I'm very glad that we're doing this.

Hello, Ann. Hello, Sam. Hi, Ann. I think I just heard you. How are you? I'm nervous, but I'm fine. I'm honored that you think that I have something to contribute. Oh, you have a lot to contribute. Okay, and Sam and Janae, I'm back. Mom has her water.

Okay, and before we start, do you have any questions for me? I want to make sure everything's clear. Do you have any questions? No. I think I can hear you. And if you don't speak any faster than that, then I can follow you. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I will try to keep it slow. Okay. All right. How many 99-year-olds have you interviewed in the last year? I've never interviewed a 99-year-old. You know, my father, he was blessed to live till 88, and I thought he had really accomplished something, but I'm not sure I've ever interviewed

a 99-year-old. I'm honored. Okay, so that's a first. Yes, ma'am. I won the race. Okay. You did. You really did.

Tell us your full name. My full name is Ann Dorsbeck. And you are 99. Tell me, where are you living right now? I'm living in Louisville, Kentucky in a very nice house here for more than 50 years. And thank God my son Bob lives two doors up, up the street. What is your daily life like right now in the midst of coronavirus? What do you do every day? I get up before 7. I put on the news.

I eat liverwurst for breakfast. Wow. I don't think I've ever had that. Liverwurst and what is that green stuff? Relish. The relish on top. On toast. For breakfast.

And I do a witch's brew, green tea, regular tea and coffee, honey, and vanilla creamer. And that's my witch's brew. And I have two cups of that. And that gets me going. I'm sure it does. Also, you need to talk to Food Network so they can give you a show. Because I want to see how that comes together every day. You should have a cooking show.

There's a channel on cable called the Food Network. The Food Network, yeah, because I need the liver, you know, and the honey is good for the blood. Yeah. Now, you live in Kentucky now. Yes. But you weren't always there. My colleague told me that you were born in Germany and actually fled Germany as a kid. Almost a kid. Well, I lived in Germany, of course, since I was born, 21.

And in 1933, Hitler came to power. And in 1936, I had to leave public school. And then I was lucky that I had an apprenticeship. My father had a factory, a clothing factory, and there I had an apprenticeship. And then there was Kristallnacht. You probably know what that is. Yes, ma'am. And we had to leave.

And we came to New York, and I had to start making a living. And after we did not find any jobs,, 18 and 20, could go into business. You said just now that when you and your sister began your business, you said, God bless America. And I'm guessing you feel very positively about a country that allowed you to start your own business and start a life. Do you still feel positively about America as we're dealing with this year and the pandemic and everything else? Yes, and you know, we always said compared to what? We had no furniture, we had no linens, we had no towels, we had no dishes. But compared to what? We were not in a concentration camp.

And so it was always compared to what. I understand that you were also in New York City on 9-11, and you weren't just there. You helped some college students get through that. Tell me that story. I just happened to be in New York City because my daughter works at NYU and we were caught by surprise, of course, like everybody else. Everybody's in the street crying and all the students are there and we could smell the dust. And I was able to talk to the students and console them and tell them that you just have to pick up the pieces of where you are so you can go on.

We have to take inventory, take inventory of our lives and make a list of our strength and make a list of things that nobody can take away from us. I made a story that everybody has a toolbox and make a list of what's in your toolbox. And you'll find when you do that, that you have a lot of tools. You can read, you can write, you can talk, you can walk, you can breathe, you can make a difference, you can forgive. You can love. So there's a lot of, painful for a lot of people for so many reasons. And I've talked to so many people this year who are just kind of out of hope and they're not feeling too hopeful for the future. Are you hopeful for the future right now?

Yes. Why? Yes. Yes. Yes. Because there are seeds in the ground that will come up. Mm.

When I was in school in Germany, we went on a school trip. And there was in the ruins a flower between the stones. And it always happens. There is a song in German. It says, A new life will blossom out of the ruins. Thanks again to everyone who shared their stories with us. Ann, Paul, Will, Lou and Hannah, Michael, Arthie, Amanda, Trushan, Danny, Julia, Mary Catherine, Jack and Sam. And a very special note of thanks to It's Been a Minute producer Janae West. Janae, thank you for your time and your effort on this episode and everything you

do for the show. Intern Star McCowan helped as well. And this episode was edited by Jordana Hochman. All right, listeners, till next time, be good to yourselves. I'm Sam Sanders. We will talk soon.