Life in Stasis: Portraits from the Pandemic

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Isolation. Scarcity. Resilience. Hope.

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These are just a few of the words Navigating to a New Normal participants used to describe the past year living through a pandemic. We asked respondents to reflect back and collect photos that best represent the pandemic as well as their life during 2020. A first impression for everyone was the lack of photos taken in the past year. As we reviewed the photos they did have, what emerged was a portrait of the dissonance in the early days, followed by adaptation and hope as they endured this once-in-a-lifetime event.

New York City, 7PM Mar 17, 2020

“Thinking back now, how stupid were we being on the subway without masks back then? Look at how empty the subway is, that for me is shocking. I took that picture just because of that like, ‘Wow, the New York City Subway is empty!’” –Brad, New York City

Emptiness

“We assume that food will always be available. That paper products, like toilet paper will be available. They are small things that, when they are gone, it’s surprisingly unsettling. They really destabilize things, destabilize people.” –Kelvin, Boston

Relations at a Distance

“It just broke my heart because she just wanted to touch me, just wanted to hug me… I said, ‘At least put your hands on the window and I’ll touch ‘em too,’ ‘cause that’s how far we were able to touch each other.’” –Lusi, Chicago

Swing and a Miss

“This was just desperate. I mean, we knew we needed a mask but we couldn't find any. And this is the best I could do. I didn't leave the house then cause I wasn't gonna go out in public with this on.” –Brad, New York City

Novelty Wears Off

“It's a little bit, I guess disheartening that we're also kind of in the same situation. Everyone's not totally shut down, but definitely it's still tough. But there's none of that [positive spirit]. That kind of struck me as like, ‘Oh, okay, yeah, this is novelty. Woo! We're gonna do this.’ And now it's just, ‘Agh, no, we're not.’" –Jill, Grand Rapids“It's a little bit, I guess disheartening that we're also kind of in the same situation. Everyone's not totally shut down, but definitely it's still tough. But there's none of that [positive spirit]. That kind of struck me as like, ‘Oh, okay, yeah, this is novelty. Woo! We're gonna do this.’ And now it's just, ‘Agh, no, we're not.’" –Jill, Grand Rapids

Where is Everybody?

“Usually, there are hundreds of people walking up and down the boardwalk. Little carnival areas going, there's boats going in and out. The restaurants are open and there is nobody. It was literally pretty much Joe [Jennifer’s husband] and I.” –Jennifer, rural South Carolina

Christmas for 2

“The Christmas picture of just the two plates on the table. Last year, [2019] I had all of the majority of my family at our home. So, there were 14 of us. The juxtaposition [to 2020] was shocking.” –Barb, San Antonio

So Much Loss

“I selected a photo of my grandpa's funeral to represent loss. Not only people but the loss of… connections, … even loss of time. My grandpa didn't die of COVID, but did COVID effect it? Absolutely. He was stuck in his room, no activities, no meals. We weren’t supposed to visit. So obviously that contributed to his decline.” –Jill, Grand Rapids

Failed

“I wanted to include a picture of all the boarded-up restaurants that have failed or businesses that failed. This place [boarded up during the protests] is actually still open but it's a good picture to memorialize, how many stores are permanently shuttered.” –Brad, New York City

Speaking Out

“What I saw all over Richmond was, "We need to talk." I think that's the next generation, she's just saying, "We need to talk," and [change] can't get accomplished unless we do talk. Right? I was happy about that - the next generation, I think they all have a willingness to talk.” –Gail, Richmond, VA

The Sounds of Appreciation

“When that was going on, it would give me goosebumps. Just the sense of community I think was really nice. I would look forward to 7: 00 PM every [day]. I was in the back of the building. I piss off neighbors next door to us, but I couldn't care. Because I wanted my voice to be heard and to show my appreciation.” –Brad, New York City

Bread and a Doggy

“We had nothing to do. We're locked up in the home or in the apartment the entire time and [my husband] starts to make lovely, delicious bread. So the right side of the picture, that's a loaf of bread and left side is a calzone. It was just a nice memory. One of the positive things was spending so much time, we’ve got nothing else to do but then my husband makes more bread.” –Brad, New York City

Merry Christmas!

“That was a huge part of my life from November to January. You ask what I am doing to keep my sanity. You are looking at it!” –Jennifer, rural South Carolina

Masking Up

“My mom made him [the dog] a bandana and she made us masks. And so we put the mask on the dog because as we said, putting masks on animals is cute. [His reaction] I'm just not gonna move and it'll go away, right?” –Kelsey, Salt Lake City

Private Spiritual Practices

“Without God, I wouldn’t be able to be here.” –Francia

Wear It With Pride

“The election was so, so, so, so, so important. I mean, it was hoping each day that it would work out for us, for everybody. So, I was approached in a grocery store by a young lady and she said she made masks. And I told her, I would like to have one that said vote 2020. So she made it for me.” –Gail, Richmond, VA

Masked or Bust

“We're still going [to Disney World]. And now we're wearing masks. And that's like a thing that a lot of people don't want to do. I still get a lot of, ‘Well, I don't wanna go to Disney if I have to wear a mask,’ from my travel clients.” –Jennifer, rural South Carolina

Get Me Outta Here!

“The ‘Shelter in Place’ really took a negative toll on my mental well-being. It felt liberating to be able to go outside San Francisco and visit new places. …These trips helped me feel closer to normal [even though they were empty].” –Larry, San Francisco

Bubble Talk

“This [represents] your friend bubble or you can stay in your friend bubble and talk to them and hang out with them or your family bubble. And also physically, this is all you see in New York. Literally, little domes or little teepees where people have been eating.” –Jennifer, New York City

A Walk in the Park

“My sanity was just going to Central Park to get fresh air and just walking around and seeing other people. I think it was just a healthy thing for me to do. And I still do that. It was kind of my sanity walks during the pandemic.” –Jennifer, New York City

Where’s that Smile?

“You see how big that smile is? And now that smile is slowly coming down. Throughout the year, just getting beat on. I'm just ... . I'm tired. I just want things to go back to normal, how they were at the beginning of January of last year.” –Dajon, Phoenix

A Back Deck As a Metaphor

“It felt like the whole year was kind of a time of constructing a new life, of seeing life as - maybe a moment when everybody stopped and kind of reassess what was important in their lives. In a sense as we come out of this, we will be only picking back up and doing the things we have decided are really important. It's like this is a moment of construction.” –Barb, San Antonio

Freedom in Plexiglass

“You're out of the house, you're trying to do something resembling normal. Well- but this is about as good as it gets. Right? But you at least have the choice of going out. Right? Not being stuck inside. What's missing? The people. Right? We're all like recluses now.” –Kelvin, Boston

Always On My Mind

“The funny thing about these guys, they were so nice, but they didn't have a mask on. So I found myself kinda tickled because as they were coming in to help me and save me, I'm trying to duck them for they ain't got no mask. But they were nice, kind people. So that reminded me - no matter what was going on, COVID was still in the forefront of my mind.” –Gail

New Bonds Formed

“A great person that the pandemic brought me. You! … When this study ends, I hope the friendship doesn’t. One day I’m going to give you a big hug.” –Francia, Minneapolis

We’ve Come a Long Way

“I actually feel pretty proud of how it's come along, as how we have grown as individuals and as a community. I think it was the summer when I was screaming at people like a maniac. But we're living more normal lives. They're not normal but they're more normal than they were.” –Brad, New York City

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