My Life as an Essential Employee

Welcome all, to the modern-day, silent, and swift apocalypse. 

My name is Marisa Silk and I am a senior at Norwood High School who is currently living in this so-called apocalypse. As a teenager during this pandemic, my responsibility is supposed to stay at home and further my studies. However, my quarantine looks different from other teenagers my age because I actually leave my house for a specific reason. 

My part-time job that I have had for two years is not one that every teenager has. I work at New Pond Village, an assisted living home, as a waitress in the dining room. During these times of the Coronavirus, the elderly are at most risk especially in assisted living homes where they are so close in vicinity to each other. My job has become an “essential job” since the elderly need service especially during these times. 

An “essential worker” is anyone who has an occupation that is deemed necessary to work during the pandemic and not stay home. These are jobs that are essential to fighting the pandemic and slowing it down. The government has insisted that we continue to come into work. This is among many other occupations such as doctors, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, and many more. 

My job has completely transformed. I used to wait on tables and deliver food to residents in the dining room. However, now we do room service to each individual apartment. New Pond Village has taken great precautions during the pandemic. It’s what we have to do because the residents are the ones who put their trust and money in us to help and protect them. 

New Pond Village does not allow any visitors and the residents are told to stay to their apartments with having social distancing in mind. This has restricted the residents and created a sense of great sadness over them. I am fortunate to bring them a smile and share caring and encouraging words with them as I deliver their food. 

My daily routine is as follows. I go to work through the main entrance where my temperature is taken. Then I put on a lot of hand sanitizer and wash my hands throughout the shift. We take their meal orders over the phones. Then we put their meals together with gloves on in the kitchen, and put them in a brown bag that is decorated with kind words and illustrations to spread joy and kindness to the residents during this trying time. We then deliver over 100 bags in over 2 hours to get every resident dinner. This is imperative since we want the residents to be fed and have all the essentials provided. They can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner which can be sent up to them. We also provide snacks every other day to each resident. 

Our community of workers at New Pond has banded together to do all that we can for the residents at this time as the virus spreads and increases. As a teenager, it is not normal to have a job that is considered “essential.” However, our responsibility is to the ones who could be harmed the most from this virus until a vaccine is ready. 

It truly is scary for me to risk myself every time I go into work wondering if I will get the Coronavirus. I use endless amounts of hand sanitizer and wash my hands at any moment, but there is still that fear in the back of my mind as I expose myself to this environment repeatedly. I try to stay a distance away from the residents. I’m also frightened that I could spread sickness of any kind to the residents which I would never forgive myself for. I have a new level and awareness of my job than I had before. 

However, I see why my job is essential and I want to do all that I can to help the residents because they are always kind to me. They always ask about college, prom, school, or any aspect of my life that can connect them to something in my life. They have become a part of my life and I want them to continue to be a part of my life. 

My mom is a pharmacist and I see her going into work every day as well with the fear of getting the virus too. It’s an odd thing to be in the same role as my mother to continue working. We joke that we are the only ones supporting the family right now by going into work. It’s a funny, yet scary concept and contradiction as we try to help others while possibly harming ourselves in the process. 

In this new age of uncertainty, we do not know of the timeframe that this virus will continue to affect thousands of lives. This could end sooner or continue for many more months. However, I do not want to regret not helping when I had the chance. I am in the position to do good and I would never forgive myself if I turned away from the residents and my co-workers who also put in endless work,  effort, and care as well. 

My life in quarantine is not the same as other teenagers. I have come to value the good that comes out of my job. The kindness I can give and receive in return for upholding my responsibilities. When I drop off a bag and see a resident’s face light up, it makes it all worth it to me. It also reminds me of all the ways someone can be “essential” during these times. 

I implore my generation and younger generations to stay home and do their part by participating in social distancing. You are “essential” in this aspect to flatten the curve. I also want everyone to spread kindness, whether it’s over social media or just by saying kind words to their family or neighbors. Everyone can benefit from this. 

My co-workers have put these inspirational messages and designs on the bags to remind them that they have a strong community supporting them in every way. The residents appreciate our work and efforts. Many of them have been collecting the bags instead of throwing them away to be reminded of the kind words. 

Sure, in a sense, I’m an “essential” worker who has the responsibility to go into work, but every one is essential to life as we face this virus together. It is going to continue for a while and division will do no good. We have to be united and do what’s in our power to fight off this virus. 

I hope my story is notable and inspiring in some way to others in my generation or to any adult. This apocalypse was sudden but we are being tested. Let’s not fail the test now. We must confront this swift, silent, yet deadly virus or it will continue to laugh at us in the face until we are all defeated.