Maria Carney Oral History, 2020/10/19

I interview my maternal (and only living) grandmother over the phone about her experience of Covid while primarily self-isolating in her mobile home. There is not so much direct question and answer but over the course of a somewhat rambling conversation pretty much all the topics get covered. Although she remains pretty spry for her age, there are some places where she loses the thread or misunderstands the conversation.

10/19/2020

Pinar Inlani

Maria Carney

UniversityofCincinnati

English Home & Family Life

English Health & Wellness

English Social Distance

English Consumer Culture (shopping, dining...)

English Community & Community Organizations

English Government State

English Politics

English Biography

Ohio

Governor Mike DeWine

quarantine

grandmother

friend

laundry

shortage

Kroger's

elderly

retirement

US Election 2020

ballot

mail-in

mask

daughter

Catholic

church

retirement home

socialization

absentee ballot

quarantine

Cincinnati

West Chester

Ohio

retired

family

socializing

mobile home

staying at home

isolation

visiting

news

vaccine

television

DeWine

election

elderly

laundry

Over 60

Religion

10/27/2020

07/22/2021

04/28/2022

06/10/2022

11/12/2023

10/19/2020

Pinar Inanli

Maria T. Carney

45069

Cincinnati

Ohio

United States of America

Audio

English

01:35:05

I interview my maternal (and only living) grandmother over the phone about her experience of Covid while primarily self-isolating in her mobile home. There is not so much direct question and answer but over the course of a somewhat rambling conversation pretty much all the topics get covered. Although she remains pretty spry for her age, there are some places where she loses the thread or misunderstands the conversation.

Pinar Inlani 0:00
Okay, so yeah. So before I start asking you questions, there's like, some like legal stuff that I'm supposed to read to and then, like I can, like, explain to you afterwards. So basically, I'm doing this as like, it's like an oral history interview that I'm recording, and then I'm going to, so it's like part of my class that, we get like, this interview's for this, this COVID-19 Oral History Project, which is part of this journal, the Plague Year COVID-19 archive, which we're working on for my class. So it's like a rapid response, oral history focused on archiving the lived experience of the COVID-19 epidemic. It's designed so professional researchers and the broader public can create and upload oral histories, and it's like open access and open source database. So it like helps create, you know, collect narratives and understandings about COVID-19 as well as helping like understand the impact of a pandemic over time, the recordings, the demographic information, and a verbatim transcript will get deposited into the Journal of the Plague Year COVID-19 archive and the Indiana University library system for researchers and the general public because oral history products run in conjunction with Indiana University. So, taking part in the study is voluntary. You could choose not to take part in and leave at any time, leaving the study will not result in any penalty or also benefits to which you're entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate in the study will not affect your career, future relationships, Indian--Indiana University, IUPUI, IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute. Participating in this project means that your interview will be recorded and transcribed, recording to transcription, copies of any supplementary documents and the in--informed consent form which all like have you signed, like, like when my mom comes and picks up things from you. It's gonna end up like in the Journal of the Plague Year COVID Archive and Indiana University [unintelligible] available to researchers and the general public. Your name and other means of identification are not be confidential. So basically, like you guys

Maria Carney 3:05
[unintelligible] sign that by the time she comes here.

Pinar Inlani 3:08
Yeah, basically basically what I'm doing right now is like reiterating all the information, that we're just basically saying that like I'm doing this introduce you, I'm recording it, it's gonna end up deposited in like this archive and people have access to it and it's like part of this project to like, you know, record oral histories with people, a whole wide variety of people during the COVID-19 epidemic and kind of like, like a lot of people are doing over time to kind of get a sense of like, what people are going through. Yeah. So it's gonna be like made available under a Creative Commons license and like the COVID-19 oral history project, the Journal of the Plague Year COVID-19 archive, Trustees of the Indiana University acting through its agents, employees, representatives, [unintelligible] owns rights to reproduce [unintelligible] broadcast, [unintelligible] may [unintelligible[ being developed in perpetuity throughout the world. The oral history materials that are used by the voices of the waterways at IU [unintelligible] transferee for any purpose, including but not limited to marketing, advertising, publicity, or other commercial purposes. IU will have final editorial authority over these oral history materials, and you waive your right to inspect or, through any future use of oral histories [unintelligible] are agreed with the public has the right to materials under the terms of Fair Use. So basically that like, like I said, like so part of the process is like under Indiana University, so they say they'll have access to it like forever and like can do whatever they want with it, it's not that they're really going to but. [unintelligible]

Maria Carney 5:12
Okay.

Pinar Inlani 5:13
Basically your, your legal rights to this because it's an interview with you, you're acknowledging that you're basically signing them away, and then it's like, and then it's going to be made available, like, as soon as I'm done with it. Anyway so the actual question, so.

Maria Carney 5:36
Okay, do me one favor.

Pinar Inlani 5:38
Yes.

Maria Carney 5:38
Talk as loud as you possibly can, and slow as you possibly can, because you know I really have this very, very little [unintelligible].

Pinar Inlani 5:50
Yes, yes, I know.

Maria Carney 5:51
And it's not very, very easy to understand and all that. So just do me a favor. [unintelligible] get it done. [unintelligible] Please repeat this because it's my fault, it's not you or me that is stupid it's the [unintelligible]

Pinar Inlani 6:14
No, no. Sorry about that. Okay, that was just like all the legal jargon. So, the the date and time is October 19, 4:40. So, for the record your name is?

Maria Carney 6:34
Maria T. Carney.

Pinar Inlani 6:40
Okay, and what would you say your primary day to day activities are?

Maria Carney 6:51
My primary what?

Pinar Inlani 6:53
Day to day activities.

Maria Carney 7:00
My primary day to day, you mean?

Pinar Inlani 7:03
Activities, like the things that, like, on an average day, what are the things you'd do?

Maria Carney 7:09
On an average day, what my primary activity is?

Pinar Inlani 7:13
Yes.

Maria Carney 7:14
Well, today actually I did a lot of laundry because I have a good friend who has not had a washer and dryer for quite a while working. And when she ordered it several months ago, she was supposed to have it within a couple of weeks. And it's been several months now. And they told her that the same thing is basically happening with appliances [unintelligible] where the stores didn't have enough toilet paper and enough this and enough that. And that the same thing is happening right now with appliances. They are running real, real far behind, several months. So she has not had a washer and dryer. This is a good friend of mine at [unintelligible]. So I have been going there picking up her dirty laundry, and I take it to my house. And I wash it for her, and then the same day or the next day depending how much it is and all that, I take it back to her. And she lives here [unintelligible]. We've been good friends for quite a long time. But that's what's happening right now. That they are, the orders are not coming in the way they are supposed to be. So that's one other thing that they are blaming the craziness that's going on right now with COVID-19 that were running low on certain items, the washer and dryer are one of them. So that is part of the, what I have been doing every day, every other day, how often she has something that needs to be laundered, I go to her house and pick it up and that, besides doing my own laundry and that for my son, I have also been doing hers. So that was one of my very, very, very, very important things that I've been doing, just to help her, you know what I'm saying. But anyhow, other than that, you know, not only do I do that for her, but she also cannot drive anymore, so whenever she needs to go to the store, or for instance, she needed to get new glasses too I took her for that, and then when she goes, has to go to, you know, get [unintelligible] better and all these things, whenever something like that happens, I do the driving, because I can still drive, luckily. So, that's one of my really, really important jobs these days, is to help people out. Now she has a neighbor, who was 94, who has never really had a driver's license, she always had neighbors and family nearby that's helped her out. And I, you know, go to her house because she's next door to my friend, and also sometimes, you know, run an errand for her, or, you know, just visit with her or whatever. So I really help out as many people as I can, that since I can still, you know, drive and since I have a washer and dryer and all that, so whenever I can I have people here as you know, crossing out, when they need something they know that they can call me. You know, I'm still capable of doing that. That's one of my main things other than doing my own, you know, my own cleaning or cooking or whatever it is. So I help a lot of people out.

Pinar Inlani 12:20
How regularly would you say you're walking these days?

Maria Carney 12:24
How regularly do I walk?

Pinar Inlani 12:26
Yeah.

Maria Carney 12:28
I like to walk every day, actually. And whenever the weather was nice, I did. The only thing is now, since, we've had a lot of rain and all that all I really can do is walk up and down in my house. And that's what I do because I used to go to Kroger's and walk at Kroger's, back and forth and up and down especially when they open the new ones [unintelligible] a few months ago and that way I got my walking in. And I really got to know where everything was located in the store. However, once the virus started, you know, as I, as you well know I have one daughter that is extremely worried about my picking up the virus from somebody who you know, maybe don't know that they have it or whatever. So she does not want me to go over to Kroger's anymore. Whenever we need something either she gets it or my friend goes to Kroger's. I have not been to Kroger's in a long, long time. That's one thing that is something that is definite, definite result of the virus that I guess really, and pretty much, you know, if I want to really stay around and you know as she gets too worried sometimes, like she say that, well I'm at that age, and, you know, in fact, you know what, I just watched the news before I called you and a lady in Kentucky just died. She was 49 years old, married, children, working and everything. And she had just died a couple days ago, because of the virus. So I mean, it's, it's for real. I mean, you know, because sometimes people say, people are overdoing it and all that, but people are still dying.

Pinar Inlani 15:20
You say your one daughter is concerned about it, I think all three of your daughters are concerned.

Maria Carney 15:26
But the one daughter that is extremely worried is Costina. She is just not allowing me to do anything. I mean, like I'd say, you know, I know enough people here that do go to Kroger's and just, you know, obviously, wear the right protection and all that, but I really haven't gone because she gets really, really upset if I'm don't pay attention to the rules. and that's all, you know, obviously, as a result of the virus.

Pinar Inlani 16:12
Yeah. So, getting back to some more baseline questions, where do you live and what is it like to live there?

Maria Carney 16:24
Well I live in a double wide mobile home, at Princeton Crossing. Princeton Crossing is known to be one of the nicest park in Ohio, and they keep it up very well. And, you know, it's a nice place. And I've lived here now, since 2007. It has three bedrooms, and two bathrooms, and a laundry room. And I mean, it's set up, so it's good for people that are getting older. So you don't have to, you know, go to a laundromat, you have your washer and dryer, right. You know, on the same floor as your living room and dining room and kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, everything is on one floor. So you don't really have to run upstairs or downstairs or to a basement or anything like that. So it's quite convenient and I used to be the sales manager here at this Prince Crossing. But now I have retired. And the, actually the manager now also does the sales, the manager that manages the community and collects the large rent and all that, she does both now.

Pinar Inlani 18:20
Right, and so, the Princeton Crossing, like, mobile home park in like Westchester. So, like how would, how would you say you like both, like, Princeton Crossing as a community and like Westchester as an area to live?

Maria Carney 18:41
It's all very nice. Westchester really has just about everything you ever needed. I mean, we have, you know, as I said, Kroger's and Meyer's, and you know, all the large stores, the smaller stores we have [unintelligible]. We have, you know, doctor's offices, dentist's offices, pharmacies, any bank, all kinds of different ones. And restaurants, whatever you need or want. It's really, really well-maintained, and it's a good place to live. Really.

Pinar Inlani 19:33
So when, I don't know if you remember, but like when do you think you first heard about COVID-19, about the virus?

Maria Carney 19:45
About the virus?

Pinar Inlani 19:46
Yeah.

Maria Carney 19:48
Oh boy. Right at, pretty much in the very beginning when, you know it became noticed, because for one thing because I always do watch the news every day. And you know, obviously had it on the news. And also, even now that it's been around for quite a while, our governor, Dewine, he is on TV very often, usually several times a week, and give [unintelligible] information about the virus, where we stand and how well we are doing was that, we were doing very well. And then it started getting worse again, too many people got tired of, you know, really [unintelligible], you know, even on TV, because everybody, by now, since it's been seven months, since the virus has been known to be around, that people are getting very, very tired of having to just stay home, or you know, can't release, like, during the summer, especially where they would have liked to have gone out with their children, and, you know, to go swimming and to go on picnics and all that, but then, you know, it's really just not safe in most places. In general, it's, they just said it on TV, it's actually gotten worse again, than we had it a couple of months ago.

Pinar Inlani 22:04
So we say that you regularly watch, like, when Dewine does, like one of his [unintelligible]?

Maria Carney 22:12
Yes, I always watch that.

Pinar Inlani 22:15
Well that's good, to keep yourself informed. So, way back when you first saw it, like heard about COVID, if you can remember that far back, like what did you think about it then, and then, like, have those like impressions changed over the course?

Maria Carney 22:39
Actually, what I personally really, really miss is the fact that I do still do a lot of visiting. Not just with friends here at Princeton Crossing but also with family. For instance, you know, my son and his wife who live in Kentucky, I used to go over there, over usually at least twice a month and spend the weekend and, you know, just to have a good time and all that. And then when everybody was being advised to stay home, especially people my age, and all that, I, you know, really had to stop doing that. And I really have not been to their house ever since February. The virus really really cut into my, my usual visiting people and all that, and I've always been a people person. I like to be with people. I know that, but I have really not been to their house in Kentucky since February. So that's definitely something that the virus cut into my normal life. It really has.

Pinar Inlani 24:38
Yes. So you're not currently employed but like, would you, like what concerns would you say you have about the impact of the virus on the economy more broadly?

Maria Carney 24:51
Can you say that again?

Pinar Inlani 24:55
So you're not employed yourself. So you don't really have concerns about the virus impacting your employment.

Maria Carney 25:04
No.

Pinar Inlani 25:05
But like, would you say, you have concerns about like, its broader impact on the economy and if so, what?

Maria Carney 25:18
Well, the economy, you know, I get quite a bit of information also from my son and daughter in law in Kentucky, Mainly, because they have jobs, I mean, he is [unintelligible], and she works at the library, for a while neither of them were working at all, because of the virus, and then, for a while, my son only worked one day a week, and then, after a while, it got a little busier again, then there was two days a week, three days a week, all that. And the same with [unintelligible], she was not working, the library in Kentucky was closed, and she was not working at all. And now both of them are working full time again. But again, as far as even them visiting me, my daughter, who is extremely worried about my well being, does not even want them to come here to see me because since they are with other people all the time, because of their job, now that they are working full time again, she's worried that they could bring the germs that they could pick up at work and bring them to me. And then I would get sick, so that, again, you know, the virus, I mean my whole life has been really changed ever since the virus started.

Pinar Inlani 27:28
So would, what would you say the biggest challenge you faced during COVID? Would you say it's the not being able to see people, or just not being able to go out or?

Maria Carney 27:43
For me, it is really basically that I, I mean, even though I, I have people around here and all that, but the people that I normally would visit and see in my family, I am pretty well, you know, [unintelligible] nobody obviously wants me to pick up the virus by visiting or having them visit me, you know, because they're obviously going to have to go to work even if I don't, even if I'm not being fully employed anymore, but they are, so they meet a lot of people in their, in their day's work, and, you know, obviously my daughters, or whoever it is, don't want me to pick up the germs that they could pick up, even though they have to, you know, every day when they get to work, obviously, they took, they took their test [unintelligible] and they have to, obviously, wear the everything that is necessary to keep them safe and all that, but, that could mean that somebody could not bring some germs in when they come off the plane [unintelligible]. And, you know, and somehow, you know, it happens, it happened. They are very careful at the airport and at the library. But, you know, it's just one of those things. You have to be extremely, extremely careful to, you know, to stay well. so, so far, so good, I have, you know, tried to be attentive to everything and, you know, listen and obey the rules. And as I say, I watch the news every day [unintelligible] also listen to, you know, Dewine, whenever he has something on to warn everybody. They have a certain system for Ohio here where every township has a certain color, whether it's yellow, or whether it's, you know, a deep red. That's the worst and all that, and according to how many people have just lately been getting the virus again, and how many have, you know, been hospitalized, how many have recovered, and how many have died, and that all is shown on TV and they have the whole, they have all of Ohio separated into several townships. And it shows each time when he is on TV, he shows where everybody stands, you know, whether it's Clermont County or Butler County, I'm in Butler County, and then at [unintelligible] and Clermont County, every time it changes, the color changes, you know, whether they are getting worse or better or whatever. So it's very good. I mean, they keep everybody updated. And everybody's encouraged obviously to, you know, keep the distance and wear your mask and all that.

Pinar Inlani 32:21
So, how has the pandemic affected your church community?

Maria Carney 32:32
I have not been to church. And that really is not good either because I am normally the person that, that's going to church, not only just on Sunday I used to also go during the week, but I have not even gone on Sunday, because again, they are trying to keep people separate and they also, I mean, clean like crazy and everything and everyone wears masks and all that, but, again, my daughter who is very, very strict about all the rules says that's still not good enough, that until they find something really to have people get vaccinated and hopefully to get the virus under control, that I better not even go to church and I haven't. It really depends on, you know, how soon they actually think they're getting the virus under control, at least.

Pinar Inlani 34:01
So, have you been watching like services like on TV, or?

Maria Carney 34:08
On TV, yes. They have [unintelligible] and, you know, I'm Catholic, and they have a Catholic mass every day on TV, and I do that.

Pinar Inlani 34:27
Which church is it, that does that?

Maria Carney 34:30
Actually, the one that I watch because, you know, they have, I can only get certain channels, it's actually, it's not local, it's from Alabama.

Pinar Inlani 34:51
I didn't know there were a lot of Catholics in Alabama really.

Maria Carney 34:54
Yeah, I didn't either, [unintelligible] this one was done years ago, she started, actually a TV channel, and they have, they also have news on in the evening, Catholic news and in general news that would interest people that are, you know, good people, that, you know, that want to, Christians, not only Christians, but anybody that really wants to know what's going on in the world, but, and they show that on on the news in the evening. So I do watch that too.

Pinar Inlani 35:48
So, like how do you say the, not you, but the people around you are responding to COVID?

Maria Carney 35:59
The people around me, here at the Princeton Crossing?

Pinar Inlani 36:04
Yeah.

Maria Carney 36:06
In general, like I say, I pretty much, you know, the people that I deal with, are trying to obviously obey the rules. There are a couple of people that think that they are making a lot, making too much of it and all that. And that, they are also counting people that are dying, that were already sick anyway and are more likely to start dying and then it just gets counted. Now I don't know how true that is, really, but there are always going to be some people that, you know, are a little bit, how, how should I say, are a little bit skeptical as far as all the numbers that have been counted all the time. Now I'm not one of those, I mean, I, I, when I see the numbers that, you know they, Dewine puts on the TV every time he's on, I do believe those, you know, I really, I really do, but I know a couple people that they think that, that people overreact [unintelligible] I don't know true that is, I honestly don't know.

Pinar Inlani 37:56
So, like despite the skepticism that some people have like how would you say that people around you are conforming to like you know the admonitions to self isolate, flatten the curve and the various rules?

Maria Carney 38:17
In general, in general, the people that I know and that I deal with are paying attention to that, they really are, because now, and I also obviously know people that are younger than I am [unintelligible] the ones that are still working, of course, they have to obey the rules that their employer, you know, is, you know [unintelligible] goes to the airport every day, he now, again, he always, you know, they always admitted they get there, they take their temperature, and you know, and of course they have to wear their cover and, and everything and they even have some extra [unintelligible] that besides what, you know, you and I would wear, [unintelligible] also have some that are more like a plastic that goes over their face also, and they, they really are very protective of their employees at the airport.

Pinar Inlani 39:49
Have you--yeah you can finish.

Maria Carney 39:53
No, go ahead.

Pinar Inlani 39:54
Have you or anyone you know gotten sick during the pandemic?

Maria Carney 40:02
I, not really directly.

Pinar Inlani 40:08
Throughout, like, Princeton Crossing, with everyone there, like, you don't know anyone who's gotten it?

Maria Carney 40:08
Everybody, anybody here? No, I have not heard of anybody that lives here that has, you know, had to get treated or anything, no.

Pinar Inlani 40:13
[unintelligible]

Maria Carney 40:13
Yeah, really, but, but the people, in general, nobody is trying to be so crazy as to not listen. I mean, I know good many people that do go to Kroger's. In fact, they have a certain time in the morning where you can earlier if you're older and, you know, be extra careful and all of that. But I have not gone. I have not gone to Kroger's.

Pinar Inlani 41:09
So, do you think COVID is affecting people's mental and or physical health?

Maria Carney 41:16
I think, in general, from what I hear from people, what most of them really, really dislike and what affects them is, for instance, people that have, that I know that are younger than I am, they have parents in a nursing home or so, what really affects them is when they cannot actually go inside to see them. For instance, Kim and Abby just went to West Virginia again because her grandmother turned 102, but they were not allowed to go inside, and it is really difficult for people, firstly the elderly, most of them do not understand why on earth their relatives that are there to visit them are not allowed to go inside so that they could give them a hug or, you know, talk to them in person and all that, they actually, and it's really, really, it's bad for the visitors, too, because, you know, sometimes, I mean, that's the last time they are going to see their parents or grandparents or so because, you know, they are not doing too well anymore and all that, but they can't even, they're not going to allow them in, or they just can't come out. So it's all just because of the virus. And that really affects people especially, I know some people here that, you know, have relatives here in a nursing home that go to the same church where I, you know, used to always go, and it's really, I mean, when people are dying, it's, they are trying to change this now that, if somebody is really, really, really, very much, pretty well known that they only have a few days that, I know our governor has been talking about it, that they want to try for changing the rules that somebody could still be at least saying goodbye to that person or whatever. Like I don't know if that'sgoing to go through or not. Because it affects people, I mean, really mentally, when they can't even, you know, say their last few words to their parents or grandparents or whoever it is, you know.

Pinar Inlani 44:31
Definitely. What have been your primary sources of news during the pandemic?

Maria Carney 44:40
The news?

Pinar Inlani 44:41
Yeah.

Maria Carney 44:42
Basically, the TV. Yeah, yeah.

Pinar Inlani 44:51
Do you have a preferred channel, or?

Maria Carney 44:58
You know, I do have the Catholic channel, and I do watch the mass and I've watched the news on there, and they, in the evening too. Other than that, for just regular everyday news, I switch back and forth. We do have that Channel One now, which is good for weather and also for all the Ohio news, and other than that, I've watched Channel Nine, and Channel Five. And I've just, [unintelligible] really and now with the elections coming close, and all that, I have, you know, I've watched those news and everything. I am always, really like to be up to date on everything that's going on.

Pinar Inlani 46:01
Do you got Do you got a lot of election ads when you're watching the news?

Maria Carney 46:07
Yeah, I watch that [unintelligible], really. I, then when they have this special song, between the [unintelligible] Biden and all that, yeah, I watched that all.

Pinar Inlani 46:33
I meant, though, like, you know, like commercials, are you getting like a lot of election related commercials when you're watching TV?

Maria Carney 46:41
Well, there, sort of, yes, I mean again, I mean sometimes I, you know, watch, you know, the one where they actually bring those more [unintelligible] channels [unintelligible] was, you, they pretty much bring all the news, policy, elections, and where everybody stands. The president and Biden and, you know, [unintelligible] we go in the next couple of weeks though, and all that, you can just flip around to different channels to get whatever you are interested in watching.

Pinar Inlani 47:39
I think there's more channels than I used to get when I was on [unintelligible] channels. Okay. So what do you think are the important issues that the media is covering about the pandemic, and do you think there are any that they aren't?

Maria Carney 47:53
The important issues right now?

Pinar Inlani 48:06
Yeah, related to the pandemic.

Maria Carney 48:09
For everybody, basically, I think for one thing, I mean, people that have children, either in grade school, high school, college, they are really really, really hoping and praying that something goes back to somewhat normal before too long, that they really, really, really, really find something to start fighting the virus because it's really difficult for all these people, I mean that, [unintelligible], hoping to be in their second year or third year or whatever, and then everything stopped dead. And also the ones that have younger children, that really, really, that most people feel should be with other children and not just at home. And I know a lot of people [unintelligible] do home schooling, but then they usually also get together with other families that also home school and get other children and other families interested in, you know, learning more and also when you get together with other people.

Pinar Inlani 50:00
Right.

Maria Carney 50:00
Other than just, you know, the immediate family at home that's not what most people really like.

Pinar Inlani 50:07
Right. Or they do, like, activities in their community, or associated with their, like, religious community, whatever, like, you know, Steve and Amy's kids. Like they don't, they definitely, in normal circumstances, don't stay home all the time even though they home school.

Maria Carney 50:26
Right, right, there just isn't, I mean, you know, because, now Julia, you know...

Pinar Inlani 50:34
They sent them back to Chicago just to...

Maria Carney 50:41
[unintelligible] rented an apartment for her and a couple other students, so that if things would change again, like it has in some colleges when it started out normal, and then all the sudden, you know, a couple of students did get the virus and then everything got shut down again and all this and that, and they didn't really want that to happen, so this way, you know, if they have classes that they can attend in person, they can go but if something stops all of a sudden or this or that, they can just really also do their studies online.

Pinar Inlani 51:28
Right. But it's also, they also did that so that whatever happened, she is like, also out of the house. So that reduces the amount children they have hanging around, especially since Steven's working at home and like having to do, like, arguing at home with all his children.

Maria Carney 51:49
Exactly! Right, right, right. I mean, it really, it has changed everybody's life, I mean, whether the person is, you know, retired like I am, or whether the person is normally going to work every morning, it has changed everyone's life.

Pinar Inlani 52:17
Definitely. So how have, like, you mentioned, you know, watching like the governor, how would like some more local government people around you respond to this pandemic?

Maria Carney 52:37
Here, you mean, the governor and?

Pinar Inlani 52:41
Not the governor, like the more local government like, where you are? Like municipal, local?

Maria Carney 52:50
You mean like Princeton Crossing?

Pinar Inlani 52:56
Well, it's Princeton Crossing, Westchester, [unintelligible].

Maria Carney 53:01
[unintelligible] in general, in general, even for us here at Princeton Crossing, you know, how we normally have the clubhouse open, and people can go and we used to have bingo once a month where, you know, whoever wanted to go, we would go and, you know, you see a lot of people, like you have friends and all that and that is all closed down right now too. We, you know they close that down, and as far as, in, here in this whole area, as far as the stores, or the restaurants, well again, it just really depends from one place to another. The church that I used to go to recently until my best friend died, too, but that was not because of the virus, right. You know, she had cancer. Other than that, the, we do have two churches open once again, they are just, I mean, they are trying to make it work but not that many people really go because just like, you know, my daughter Costina is worried about me, I guess everybody has somebody in the family too that is really against it because they say, well, they try their best keeping people separate and all that but then you never know. You know because sometimes you have a person that could be carrying the virus, but they don't know about it and could still infect you, you know?

Pinar Inlani 55:08
There's some dramatic people, yeah.

Maria Carney 55:10
So then, you know, you're in trouble. And that person just doesn't want that. And neither do you want to be recipient. And so, I mean, it effects really everybody basically, you know, as far as the actual person, like myself, I'm trying to obey all the rules and do whatever I can. But that doesn't always mean that I don't think about it and that I don't have to act accordingly. Like I said, I, I had not even, I haven't even been to Tim and Abbey's in Kentucky since last February, and it's almost November. So, that's just really, really, very, very different from the way that I used to live.

Pinar Inlani 56:11
Definitely.

Maria Carney 56:13
You know.

Pinar Inlani 56:15
So, do you have any thoughts on the difference between how the state is responding and the federal government is responding?

Maria Carney 56:29
Well, I think really, I think my, my governor here, I think, has been doing the very best he possibly can. Because, I mean, he you know, obviously, stays in touch with everything that is mandated also by the government of the United States. But he still is even more adamant about making sure that the people that he is responsible for in Ohio, that they really, really, pay attention to what he is trying to, you know, advise them to do and not to do, because, I mean, most people are pretty good about it. But then they always some that'll say, oh, wow, you know, I don't think I'm going to get it, or so. And then the other day, it was really sad. He said that a lot of people that get infected, obviously are the elderly, and the, and it usually happens either at funerals or at weddings, that a lot of people get together, but then they are all having a good time and they sort of forget about the distancing and the, you know, everything else, and unfortunately, they might having a large wedding and also, the grandparents were invited. [unintelligible] grandfathers got the virus, and both of them died.

Pinar Inlani 58:41
Wow.

Maria Carney 58:43
And it was just a very, very, very sad situation. The, the governor was just, I mean you could see it on TV, how upset he was that, you know, obviously, they wanted to be there too, you know, as the wedding, but they are the ones that obviously caught the virus and died, both of them. Both grandfathers.

Pinar Inlani 59:12
This is why [unintelligible].

Maria Carney 59:18
Right, right. So, and that's really, really, again, also in line with, you know, as I said when Tim and Abby just went to West Virginia, you know, they really couldn't even give grandma a hug or anything like that. You know, they just really don't know it, and Abby's father has been ill, you know, he's had a stroke like half a month ago and all that. And they have to be extremely careful, too, because he was just not doing well either. And, you know, and that might have been the last time he saw his mother when they went, you know, to say happy birthday, but, and again, they don't even know if the mother realized why they were there, and why they couldn't, you know, come in to give her a hug or whatever, you know, so.

Pinar Inlani 1:00:28
They did the sign this time, so that was like.

Maria Carney 1:00:31
Yeah, yeah. But again, whether she really knew or not, nobody is sure, but that's okay, I say don't worry about it, because, I mean, you did your best that you could, you know, you did, booked the trip, and you went there, you, you know ahead. The cake and everything, [unintelligible] the people, and whether the elderly, really, really understand why on earth you can't go in, that, who knows, you know, really that's just sad, that's sad, but on the other hand, you don't want to have several people just die of the virus that otherwise could have still lived, you know, so, it's a, it's a really sad situation. So I guess everybody is really getting to the point now, that we're seeing that on TV, too, that everybody is getting really, really very tired of the whole situation. And everybody's just hoping and hoping and hoping that it won't be too long before the have a virus will work.

Pinar Inlani 1:02:00
Vaccine, yeah.

Maria Carney 1:02:01
Because some people are still very, very, a little bit scared to even get vaccinated because they thought, man, I'm doing okay, now, but how will that vaccination affect me, you know? So, I don't know and obviously right now, you know, they stopped at one again, and, but they're working on, you know, several others in other countries too obviously to come up with something. So, anyway.

Pinar Inlani 1:02:44
So do you have any thoughts, you talked a lot about the state, like, Ohio, do you have any thoughts about like the federal government response?

Maria Carney 1:02:56
The federal government? Well, I don't know, really, you know, there's a lot of talk and everything going around that not enough was done in the very beginning. And that the President didn't take it seriously enough and all that, but, you know, I don't honestly know how much of that is true, how much a lot of, a lot of the talk and whatever you see on TV these days, and whether that all has a lot to do with the fact that [unintelligible] the election. Because you know, at that time, usually, you know, you don't always always get the honest to goodness truth from either side. Because that's just how elections work unfortunately, I personally don't think that [unintelligible] is always [unintelligible] honest, whether that, you know, whether that, who it is or who they are for and who they are against and these [unintelligible] sometimes. I really, and I wouldn't want to be the one to split rumors that are, not really very true. So, you know, I am just hoping that all this goes well, because we really don't have much time left until the election and also until hopefully, they are actually going to find the kind of virus that will start helping to reduce and, you know, the virus and all the deaths that are results of it. Because worldwide I mean, we've had millions of people now, according to the news anyway, that have passed away because of the virus.

Pinar Inlani 1:05:41
Right, right. Speaking of the election, how are you planning on voting, not like which candidate, like, are you planning on voting like absentee, or in person or?

Maria Carney 1:05:58
Well I was going to go in person, actually, I always have gone in person, and we used to have it here in, at our library, but they say that they should have it but, that, that it's a good idea to, actually, to vote early, so I, but I have, I got something in the mail, and I'm not sure that I know exactly, I don't think they're going to have early voting at our library here. I've got to find out the next day or two, to where I would have to go because it would probably be helpful to vote early rather than stand in line for hours and hours on the actual day, on election day.

Pinar Inlani 1:06:57
Right. So actually, the place, the places where you can go to vote early, is maybe the board of elections. So I don't know where your, your county board of elections is. But that's usually the place.

Maria Carney 1:07:18
Yeah, I, I'm going to have to, I'll have to look it up, because I can't really get that information on my little flip phone. So I'll see, somebody can look it up for me. But, because really, we don't have that much time.

Pinar Inlani 1:07:40
Right. So I almost always end up voting absentee just because of how things have worked out for me. Like last year, I thought I was going to vote in person, but because I worked with a [unintelligible] I couldn't make it. So I was absentee. And then this year, this year, like I thought about it, but then with the virus and everything. I wasn't, whatever. So I got the absentee ballot sent to me and rather than mailing it, my mom's planning on going to early vote at the Hamilton County Board of Elections sometime. So then she's just gonna take my ballot and just...

Maria Carney 1:08:24
[unintelligible]

Pinar Inlani 1:08:24
Drop box, yeah. So that way, you don't have to worry about, you know, postage through the mail, just directly go there. How has like your experience during the pandemic changed how you think about, like, family, friends, your community?

Maria Carney 1:08:53
Well, as I say, I, as far as my actual friends here in the community, I've been doing more now than I ever did [unintelligible]. Because, as I say, I never used to do other people's laundry before, but they told [unintelligible] you know, pandemic, that everything is slow in coming from the factories and all that and then, in fact Kim saw it on TV, he knew that I had started doing this for my friend. And then the other day he saw it on TV or something, how it's really true, that they're not just blaming the virus on everything, but that is really, especially with washers and dryers, that they are, I mean, running months behind from when they was supposed to be delivered. And I mean, we're not just talking about a roll of toilet paper, you know, I mean, it is really when somebody normally has a washer and dryer in their mobile home, it is like, we don't have a laundromat in our community here, and we don't really, and people like my friend can't drive anymore and all that, what is she supposed to do in the meantime? I mean, you know, it's one thing if you just want to wash one [unintelligible] but all her other stuff, I mean, all her sheets and everything, this has been months now, so every time I go over there and pick everything up, and do it, and deliver again, and all that, and we've been laughing about it. Because I mean, other than that, you're going to go crazy just, what is really happening because of the violence, everything is upset because companies closed down. Other people got sick other people died, that people, you know, I don't know. Really, really [unintelligible] because of the virus. I mean, yeah, I mean, you can say everything is because, but I mean, it is actually true that a lot of things have been affected. So, I, I mean, my friend is definitely waiting too. But, you know, she's been, I mean obviously, doing this for. And on the other hand, what are you supposed to do when you have a friend that all of a sudden, you know, what is she supposed to do? She can't just put all those things in a sink or so, you know. I mean, all those queen sized sheets and everything. It's, well, we'll see. But, I mean, people unfortunately, that is not the worst thing for her because, I mean, she has me who can help. But what about all the people that have nothing even to pay their rent and are losing their homes, and they're losing their apartments, and have lost their jobs and all that. That's what's really sad. Because if your job]s gone, and what are you going to do? That's very sad. And you have a family to support and, you know, but hopefully, things will get better for everybody, you know, so. And I think, I think most places you know, you know, trying to get jobs started up again and all that. I think, you know, most of the different, the governor, or whether it's the local, the government or so, I think most of them have been trying, but again, you know, just like with the washer and dryer and coming when it was supposed to be delivered. And that was several months ago. So obviously there's a reason for that. Because, you know, she had already put money down and all that down because it was just supposed to be there any day now, and it happens. Okay.

Pinar Inlani 1:15:08
Here's a particularly big question for you. How does this pandemic compare with other big events of your lifetime?

Maria Carney 1:15:19
Well, you know, if you want to make some comparison to my life, my life has always had some really, really great times and some really, really bad times, but fortunately, fortunately I always come back out of the bad times and went on. Because I mean, as you quite well know, I was left a very, very young widow with seven children to raise when I was only 37, and that was, I mean, not exactly, you know, my best period in my life, but somehow, somehow, we made it. You know, everybody survived. And we all had to help. I mean, your mother was obviously the oldest and she had to help with the younger ones, and everybody, you know, whether Michael [unintelligible] watch the kids when I had to take Irene to Philadelphia, and all that and he'd watched everybody else too and all that. So, it wasn't always easy. But [unintelligible] everybody got a little older, [unintelligible] a really good job and all that for a good while. And then things went crazy [unintelligible] for a while, I started working at Holiday Homes. And that went fine for a good many years and then that went [unintelligible] and all that. And so I mean, I've gone up and down in my life, but, I mean, when I think about that, you know, I'm still doing pretty well really, I still feel pretty good and all that, pushing 85. It's really not too bad. I mean, yeah, I wish that this whole virus hadn't started. But on the other hand, other people are in a lot worse shape than I am.

Pinar Inlani 1:18:13
I was thinking more like, how does this experience compared to your experience, like, as a child in Berlin when it was being like, bombed or something.

Maria Carney 1:18:24
During the war?

Pinar Inlani 1:18:25
Yeah, yeah. Like things that are like that, how does it compare to that?

Maria Carney 1:18:29
Okay, well, that wasn't exactly great either, obviously, but just on a very, very different level, because obviously, you know, when, when the bombs were falling, and then when the Russians came and all that, that was, you know, obviously, when I was a lot younger, I was, you know, it's when I was a child, I mean they, you know, I went to in Berlin, I went to school, really only for two years. And [unintelligible] then we had our first really, really, really bad air raid in Berlin and then Hitler closed down all the schools because he wanted young generation to survive. And I was just one of the lucky ones. I was, you know, I had the right, you know, the blue eyes and blonde hair, and you know, I was 100% German and all that, so I was sent out to the country and went to school there for a little while. And then I came back to Berlin at the end of the war and I was there when Russian came, well that wasn't exactly much fun either because I mean, you know, they came into the basement where we were all hiding because the bombs were still falling and all that and, but, [unintelligible] was still there at the end and all, and the Russians, they weren't exactly the sweetest people you ever wanted to meet either. One guy, I mean, he already had the gun out and was trying to shoot me. But on the other hand, I guess, I don't know this one lady grabbed me and put me on her lap because she wanted to actually not get shot. So whatever, I must have smiled pretty or something, and maybe he had a little nine year old girl at home, I don't know, because in the end, he didn't shoot her or me, so it was just so different from what life has been later. Because I've gone through a lot of rough times. And two, really the one that was, the years that was really the easiest for me and the best was when I was in college, because I had help, because, you know, I got scholarship, so I, you know, but I worked in the morning, I worked in the cafeteria to have some spending money, then I worked again in the afternoons, I worked again on weekends, I worked again during the summer. But, but I had a lot of, you know, good friends and I would get invited to their house and some of them have a desktop [unintelligible]. However, the one friend I had, a roommate, her father had a real, real big job with DuPont outside of Odessia. They were, I mean, they had a beautiful home and all this and that, and then other times, too, you know, they'd invite me for the weekend. And it was just great, you know. And I'd [unintelligible] because I mean, I had to keep my grades up because, you know, my scholarship, you know, could have of been taken away by them, if keep my grades up and all that. But I am really, really had some wonderful years there. I really did. So, and we had a good time, now the other kids, you know, like this young, this girl, whose father was, had this terrific job and all that. She, she got a lot of spending money. And yet, she never lasted because she had [unintelligible]. and, you know, they had all those fancy department stores there, you know, [unintelligible] and all the ones, where she would go and spend all her money, and the end of the month would come along and she'd have to come to me to borrow some money because, you know, because she had spent it all on her clothes and whatever. But anyhow, I, they were some wonderful years, so that was really the ones that were the easiest, so to speak, where there wasn't all that up and down all the time, you know, [unintelligible] in my life [unintelligible], like I said, I lost my husband and Irene, and, but like I say, I am still here. And when I look at some people that I went to school with, a lot of them have died already, for one thing. You know, cancer or accidents or whatever. Because I still get the news from college, and, and so I'm obviously still here, and really, I can't really complain, because I'm still feeling pretty, pretty good. So, anyhow, do you need anything else?

Pinar Inlani 1:25:14
Yeah, a couple more questions. So.

Maria Carney 1:25:17
Okay.

Pinar Inlani 1:25:17
So when I said, I kind of meant more like, like, less like events of your personal life and more like, like big events that happened, like, during your lifetime. So that's like why like said like, like the bombing or like, the [unintelligible] so like how would you say like right now compares to those?

Maria Carney 1:25:45
[unintelligible] I mean, like I say, it's, you just really, how should I say, no way to even make a real...

Pinar Inlani 1:25:53
Difficult.

Maria Carney 1:25:54
Comparison, so to speak, because it's so, it's so different, because that's was, that's looking at very personal, you know, when the Russians came and all that and when the bombs were falling and all that, but with what I experience now, it's very personal too, because I really, really don't like the fact that I cannot go and see my family or have them here and all that when I would like to, because when I first moved here to Princeton Crossing in '07, I used to really have people come and visit because in the very beginning, I was here by myself. And, you know, I [unintelligible] when, you know, he had to go to work and and all that, she had come and live with me and we'd just have a good time together and all that. And other times, you know, some, Elizabeth and family would come and spend the night, because I was still working but, you know, they'd come on the weekends and all that, and whoever, you know, felt like it, would come and visit and that was really great too. But then you know, but then [unintelligible] got married, and, you know, then I wasn't by myself anymore, so things have changed. But that was really really great too because I was still working full time in the beginning, but you know, I had the weekends and people would come and visit me and all that, you know. So that was really quite nice too. But anyway.

Pinar Inlani 1:27:58
What, what can you, why, what do you imagine your life will be like in a year?

Maria Carney 1:28:24
My life would be what?

Pinar Inlani 1:28:24
What do you imagine your life would be like in a year?

Maria Carney 1:28:24
A year from now?

Pinar Inlani 1:28:24
Yeah.

Maria Carney 1:28:24
Well, I certainly hope that I stay in good health. You know, and I will do my very best to, to walk and to eat right and all that. But I do hope that they can really have a vaccination, you know, before too too long, so that I could get back to visit and have people visit. I would like to just be back to somewhat normal. I mean, that's, what they're saying now, they're calling it a new normal, you know, that, I mean, it's not going to be exactly the same. But on the other hand, I would like it if I could really have Tito visit me again and that I could go again and spend the weekend, you know, with whoever I would like to spend the weekend, whether, you know, I used to fly out to Texas and in those days when my sister was still alive, but now I mean my, her son is still out there and his wife and you know we talk, but we haven't really been flying, I haven't been flying out there anymore, you know, since all of this happened with the virus. And the way it is right now, you have more people that's starting to fly again, but then there are others that are not so crazy about it, because they just don't know just how safe it really is as far as the virus goes, I mean, they say they are forever, you know, treating the plane and all that, I mean, you just flew here not long ago, I, I would like to really go to the point, I mean, come get to the point again, where I could go to Kroger's, but I've felt like going to Kroger's, or that, you know, to a department store just to have a fun time with somebody, with my children or grandchildren, let's say, you know. So I hope that, that can still happen within a year, and that I'm still going to be having the, you know, energy to do that. I mean, if it takes much longer, I don't know, I mean, who can tell my own health [unintelligible].

Pinar Inlani 1:31:13
True. So, with the benefit of hindsight, what do you say people, communities, governments need to keep in mind for the future from you know, this whole experience?

Maria Carney 1:31:34
When we, when we, after we [unintelligible].

Pinar Inlani 1:31:39
Yeah, after this is all over.

Maria Carney 1:31:39
After we have the vaccine, and this is all over?

Pinar Inlani 1:31:45
Yeah, what should everybody kind of take from this with the benefit of hindsight?

Maria Carney 1:31:53
In hindsight. Well, I tell you what, a good many people that I know have said that in some ways, I think that it has brought some people closer than they ever were before, that they have really started having other people more. And, and that's great. But then again, the ones that, you know, have left, that have lost, you know, relatives, or have had to, I mean, I know there are some people that, you know, really have had to move together with other people and all that, and it's been like, well, hell, because they really don't get along very well. And if you have to live with somebody that you really didn't exactly care for before it started, it really just didn't get any better when you have to move together with somebody. And if, you know, if you lost your job, and, you know, and the whole school system closed down and all that, so it's in hindsight, I think a lot of people would say well, there was something good came out of it for some people, but it really was terrible for others. So, and I think it really depends on who you would ask in general, whether their lives got a lot worse, or did they have some good, where there's some good points to it in a way, you know, because I get some different people have experienced different things happening with the virus, I mean, you know, loads that actually lost their loved ones or even lost their old jobs or their, you know, home, whatever. I'm sure they aren't exactly crazy about looking back, but on the other hand, you know, for myself, yes, I don't like the [unintelligible] that I can't, you know, go where I'd like to go, or visit where I'd like to visit, or vice versa. But it's not to the point where it's so terrible that I just can't live with it. I I'm hoping I've always been an optimist and I'm hoping that I'll still can enjoy it, that it gets better, really.

Pinar Inlani 1:35:00
I hope so too, yes.