Become a primary source: Keep a Pandemic Journal

Our lives have changed drastically in the last few weeks.  Schools have closed, we have been asked to stay home, and we are living through a new chapter in our local history.  Things we took for granted a month ago, are significantly different today.  

I have found comfort looking back in history.  Residents in our region have always had to be tough and resilient to survive.  I feel less alone when I read the accounts of students during the influenza of 1918.  I feel a little more brave when I gaze at photos of women knitting socks for soldiers heading to war.  How did they cope?   I want to pretend I have the same courage when my family member heads to work at the hospital.  I find comfort in knowing that others before us have overcome great challenges, and I can look to them for inspiration.

Now it is our turn to record history for the future.  Begin a pandemic journal.    Journals we write today could become primary sources for what life was like during Covid-19.  It does not need to be extraordinary, it just needs to describe your experience, right now, in this significant time.

In your journal consider these topics:

-How has life changed for you in the last few weeks?
-What do you do during your day?
-How is your home, town, and neighborhood different than it was before Covid-19?
-Record significant local and global news updates.
-What would you want someone in the future to know or learn from your experiences?
-Are there any positive changes or silver-linings in your current experience?

Have fun with this! Your journal can be unique to you. It can be handwritten, painted, video recordings, art, multimedia, or simply a photo collection. Record your experience in whatever ways feels right to you.

The Bonner County Historical Society accepts donations of historical documents, and will accept copies or experts from a journal written by you. Help create a lasting piece of history for our region. I know I will be sharing a copy of mine.