Straight from the Heart
By Kathleen Kuo
I have been working remotely from my home in Las Vegas since April 1, my first day of employment at Nevada Humanities. It feels strange to be homebound 24/7, leaving only for essential errands, and I feel this lack of human connection even more so because of Nevada Humanities’ emphasis on producing and forging meaningful human connections and programs. I had harbored dreams of traveling around the state, being able to meet my coworkers in Reno, doing a loop of all the state parks, and more. But COVID-19 shut those dreams down. The days can feel lonely as I work from my dining room table, wondering when I’ll ever be able to have those meaningful human connections again, outside of conversations with my boyfriend and video chats with my out-of-town friends. Thank goodness for canine companionship, helping me to feel less alone, and forcing me to get outside for fresh air and exercise multiple times a day.
Simba, our 4 year old Shiba Inu, who we adopted in January pre-pandemic. Photos/Kathleen Kuo.
In June, I wrote about the inception and debut of our newest program, Humanities Heart to Heart, a series of essays and creative works documenting life in Nevada during COVID-19. As the program curator, I pour my energy daily into contacting potential contributors around our state, asking if they will share their pandemic story, and then working with our staff and communications team to make those stories come alive on our website and social media platforms. One of the most rewarding aspects of this work is when I hear back from our writers after we publish their pieces; learning that this process was cathartic for them, or that their writing created positive ripples in their respective social networks, always brightens my day.
We at Nevada Humanities are proud to offer this rare statewide forum that highlights stories and narratives reflecting upon the COVID-19 pandemic. As we read these heart-to-hearts, we rejoice together as we learn about wedding planning during a pandemic, pregnancy, and finding purpose and small ways to connect; we mourn and grieve together when we are unable to be with our loved ones in their final moments; we empathize as we read about the concerns of immunocompromised individuals, what it is like to be newly diagnosed with ADHD, or have cancer during a pandemic; we share our concerns about the state of our nation, capturing snapshots of life-changing events in our personal lives as well as our reaction to ongoing injustices; we resolve to find humor, joy, and progress in our perceived moments of failure as well as moments of peace, as parents, dog dads, and creators; we learn about what gets us through the day, from video games to baking; we learn about the importance of mental health and self-care and compassion and the power of storytelling; we offer students, educators, historians, and more, a platform with which to share their perspectives, now, and for the future.
Four, almost five, months later, I am regularly stunned at the depth and breadth of the reflections we receive. Though the phrase may be trite at this point, Humanities Heart to Heart reminds me that we truly are all in this together. We are universally affected by the pandemic, and these stories from Nevadans, our fellow humans, reinforce that human connection that we are all so sorely missing these days. As I read, I share the raw emotions channeled through these pieces, and I feel my small world expanding. I feel like I’m still able to make meaningful connections with new people, and that through these stories, that I am able to travel vicariously and listen to our contributors in person. I hope someday soon when it is safe again to do so that I can travel and meet our writers in person, and have the chance to thank them, face to face.
If you haven’t read a heart-to-heart yet, or even if you have been keeping up with us since the beginning, I encourage you to go on our program page today and start reading. I promise you, it’ll be worth your time.
Is there a story that you or someone you know might like to share with us as a part of our COVID-19 narrative series? E-mail Kathleen Kuo, Nevada Humanities Program Manager and curator of Humanities Heart to Heart, at kkuo@nevadahumanities.org if you are interested.
Kathleen Kuo is a Program Manager with Nevada Humanities charged with managing and curating Humanities Heart to Heart.
Thank you for visiting Double Down, the Nevada Humanities blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog author and do not represent those of Nevada Humanities, its staff, or any donor, partner, or affiliated organization, unless explicitly stated. All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. Omissions, errors, or mistakes are entirely unintentional. Nevada Humanities reserves the right to alter, update, or remove content on this blog at any time.