Little Miss.Essential

     I was an essential employee during a global pandemic. It sounds crazy because all I did was bag groceries and stocked shelves but when I look back at it I really was putting my life on the line. I am sure no one needs a recap but just in case you reside on another planet earth was and still is in a global pandemic. While working full-time I continued to work at Trader Joe’s on the weekends. I could have quit, but I never got around to it and once I was laid-off from my full-time job in February, I figured “Hey why not stay.”
       
     When COVID-19 was just a whisper I was still conducting life as normal. Taking the train to TJ’s, not wearing a mask or gloves, giving hugs to coworkers, being happy, living life. Then things changed. The store told associates they had the option to wear a mask if they wanted. To be honest I didn’t, because I really didn’t take what was going on too seriously. In my defense in the early stages of the pandemic there was not much known about the virus or how serious it was. Slowly but surely people started to wear mask more and more and then boom one day I walked into work and mask were required for staff and customers. The store supplied mask to all employees.

     Coming to work the first day after the store made mask a requirement was eerie. It was like walking into a scene of a movie. For the most part no healthy individual wears a mask in public. You cover your face when you are ill or are around someone who is ill. So imagine walking into a room full of people who look like they are all sick. The store informed us that they would only be allowing a certain amount of people in at a time and reducing store hours. Tape was placed on the floor to aid customers in staying 6-feet apart. Frequent sanitizing and a new check-out and bagging system was implemented as well. Because of all the precautions the store made to keep the staff and customers safe, I felt safe and continued to go and work. My friends were super worried about me but to me it wasn’t really a big deal. I figured I was being safe and so was my place of work so I should be fine. I even started to wear gloves during my shift and when I went out into public. I also sanitized things I touched when I came in from outdoors. I did all of this for peace of mind but more importantly for my safety and the safety of people around me.

      During the thick of the pandemic I watched little news. The news honestly did more harm than good to my mental state. In an effort to stay abreast I would check the COVID-19 stats via the CDC website and some days that was even too much to handle. Oh and did I mention I live in New York City the epicenter of COVID-19? My family who worried about me a lot during this time gave me a hardy number of updates on the virus when they called to check on me. Throughout it all I continued to go to Trader Joe’s and work. Not because I needed the money (my previous employer was still paying me) but because I felt that I was doing something to help others. I felt like I was doing something larger than myself and that gave me joy. I also continued to go because of my fellow crew members. I had the option not to work but many of them didn't. I worked with some pretty amazing people and I didn’t want to leave them just because I had the option to. We were a team and it didn’t seem right to leave when things got tough. Recently I have decided to leave Trader Joe’s, but I enjoyed every bit of my time there. Though working through a pandemic was hard I am happy I was able to help, even if it was just a little.


Thank you to all essential works. No matter how big or small you think your roll is you are helping many in need and you are appreciated!


Xoxo,

Sigourneyb


https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ITXKOFE_pI3XZVNzm4SkeASKct1QBMmc

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https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1DrroDqwVuc5gUdKAaqVPLIJN3he08hDF

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1H1Eo8aJuRMUqGS8Hrd0uzajvtIBwbeEn

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Service to others. 💚💖💚💖
    I shopped for Shipt during the entire pandemic....like you said, not for the money. It’s a blessing to help others! I smile every time I deliver to the elderly!! You ate essential!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's awesome! Yea it was so rewarding. I kindof miss it but it was time to go.

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