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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

Life in The Villages in the age of the Coronavirus

Call it what you will, COVID 19 or the Coronavirus, but the world has been completely turned upside down in a matter of a few weeks.

Since interviewing people for this column usually is done face to face, I decided to get on the phone and talk with some of my past interviewees and ask them what they are doing. I call it “Life in the Age of Coronavirus.” (With apologies to Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.)

Manijeh Badiozamani

For Koz and Manijeh Badiozamani the week has been spent getting ready for the Persian New Year on March 21, known as Nowruz, the first day of spring. It’s 1399 by the Persian calendar – usually celebrated with traditional food, fish swimming in bowls and sprouting lentils.

But this year they’re doing it alone, or virtually by email and phone. The usual parties and get-togethers have been canceled for the Pine Ridge Villagers, both of whom were born in Iran.

“We’ve been practicing social distancing, so we’ve agreed to have the parties at some time in the future,” said Manijeh. “When in the future is yet to be determined.”

Hit hard by the virus and economic sanctions, Manijeh says the ordinary Iranians in Iran are keeping a sense of humor and helping each other.

“Here in The Villages, we should count our blessings and not worry too much about toilet paper,” is her New Year’s advice.

LaRae Donnellan is worried about the immediate health and safety of the 4,500 SoZo Kids (http://www.sozokids.org/) who live in the Ocala National Forest. On Thursday, the SoZo Club of The Villages had a food pickup and fundraiser in Ocala.

“We knew there was a risk,” she says, “but we believed the risk was worth it because we’ve got people in the forest who are desperate. We wore gloves, kept our distance, used sanitizer and spray, and took all of the precautions possible.”

The drive brought in 62 tote tubs of food and $12,000 in donations.

On Tuesday, March 24, LaRae’s driveway at 3568 Barrel Loop in the Village of Dunedin will be open for donations.

“We’re asking people to leave food donations in the driveway that morning until noon when the SoZo Kids truck will come to pick them up,” she says.

LaRae Donnellan

LaRae asks that donations not be left the night before to avoid additional handling. They need easily prepared protein foods like macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jam, and tuna.

They are also seeking financial donations.

“Checks made out to The Help Agency of the Forest can be put under the front door,” she said, adding that receipts will be forwarded to the donors.

For the Burt family in the Village of Woodbury, the down time gives Steve time to read, work on his to-do list – and for Jolyn to dream up new hooked rug designs.

“At the moment, I’m reading one of Archer Mayor’s Joe Gunther detective novels,” Steve says.

They also are doing their income taxes, have just revised their wills and are working on programs at the Tri-County Unitarian Universalist Church.

“We get the order of service by email and watch the actual service on Facebook,” says Steve, who on day 109 with a new knee also walks and runs several miles a day to build up strength.

The Burts, like many Villagers, are getting cautionary calls from their children.

“We used to tell our kids to stay home and stay out of trouble,” he laughs. “Now our kids are giving it all back to us.”

In the midst of the crisis and distress, they have also seen some of the best of human nature.

Steve Burt

“We went to First Watch for breakfast – very few people, all spaced far apart – and a regular named Norm when paying his bill added $35 to be divided among the seven workers in the restaurant,” Steve says. “He said that he would do it until the crisis was over.”

Jolyn Burt

When Steve and Jolyn paid their bill, they also added a $35 tip.

“Norm’s example encouraged us to pay it forward,” Steve says.

They asked Villagers to help out neighbors who may have disabilities with tasks like grocery shopping, noting that some may be snowbirds who are not well known to their neighbors.

Steve, who has several books available on Amazon, also is working on a new book of horror short stories targeted at the young adult market. He also finds humor in odd places.

“I was in Publix the other day and in the bread aisle there was a sign, ‘1 Bread Product per Customer.’ Next to it was another sign with a 2 for 1 offer on bread. I didn’t know what to do,” he laughs. “I wondered if I brought two loaves of bread to the cashier, would they take one away from me?”

John W Prince is a writer and Villager. For more information visit www.HallardPress.com. If you know of someone with a good story, contact John at John@GoMyStory.com.

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