YARMOUTH RESIDENTS SHARE THEIR STORIES
OF LIFE DURING THE PANDEMIC
In the early days of 2020, the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth was already looking forward to a historic year. Four hundred years ago this year, the Mayflower dropped anchor off the coast of Cape Cod before founding the Plymouth colony. However, by mid-March, the world was in the grip of a frightening pandemic, and it became clear that 2020 would be remembered for different reasons.
Shortly after the Massachusetts stay-at-home advisory was put in place, the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth started the COVID-19 Stories Project as a part of its mission to preserve, promote, and present the town's history. In this collection of recordings, transcripts and photographs from first-hand interviews, HSOY aims to document life during the coronavirus pandemic as accurately and inclusively as possible.
Here are some of their stories:
““Every time I go into a store, there’s a sign in front of the store that says you must wear a mask.
It’s sort of like, you know, ‘No shirt, no shoes, no service.’
So now it’s just ‘No mask, no shirt, no shoes, no service.”
—Quote by C.M.”
GEAR UP: Masks for sale at Just Picked Gifts along the Old King’s Highway.
““I think it’s affected me definitely because I was supposed to start HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, in March, but I couldn’t [...] That, mentally, was kind of a lot for me to go through just because, you know, that’s a very big thing to look forward to as a trans(gender) person.”
—Quote by L.C.”
SHOW YER MASK OR WE’LL KEELHAUL YE, MATEY!—Skull Island Adventure Golf and Sports World's famous skull wearing a mask made out of a New England Patriots Blanket. What else?
““[Plaquenil] is an anti-parasitic medicine that happened to help autoimmune disorders like lupus, and there were some rumors or thoughts that it might improve outcomes for people infected with Covid-19. Turns out that was not the case but in the beginning, [people were] hoarding it, so there was a real concern that that medication would not be available for my wife who had been on it for over a year.”
—Quote by M.B.”
““[It] was kind of nice to really reprioritize and think “what is really important?” All this stuff that we (allocate) time and energy and finances and how we allocate our resources and now all of a sudden, none of that stuff actually matters and what really matters is human life,
staying safe and staying together.”
—Quote by K.H.”
SOCIAL DISTANCING CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM: The iconic Gray’s Beach Boardwalk closed to the public until further notice.
Voices of the pandemic:
SHHHHHHHHH: The South Yarmouth Library lets its loyal readers know they haven’t been forgotten, in a SHOUT-OUT, librarian-style.
DELAYED BUT NOT DEFEATED! The DYRHS Class of 2020 seen on the lawn in great celebratory style, heading off into their futures despite the pandemic. Banner created by DYRHS and donated by Principal Paul Funk.
And now for our very first RAP Video—courtesy of the pandemic.
How has the pandemic affected family life? Here’s one example, Today Was A Good day, a video created, acted, produced, and donated by the Houston family of Yarmouth.
Conclusion
While some of the people interviewed for the COVID-19 Stories Project found that their lives were barely disrupted by the pandemic, others found that their daily lives dramatically changed. Many interviewees supported Governor Baker’s phased approach to reopening the Commonwealth. While some believed that phases would allow Cape Cod health officials to better control the virus’ spread, others had concerns about how the late start to the season would affect local businesses. Many employees in Yarmouth took advantage of both federal and state financial aid in the form of unemployment checks, grants and loans. While some took to the streets to protest racial discrimination, others used pen and paper to participate in Get Out the Vote, a postcard-writing campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout for the 2020 elections. Students in Yarmouth transitioned to online learning in March, and face an uncertain school year coming into the fall. The Dennis-Yarmouth class of 2020 was one of the few classes to have in-person graduations, though it was delayed by almost two months. Despite the wide variety of experiences felt by the interviewees, almost every interviewee noted that they felt, above all, grateful for their health, family, and community.