[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]

Emily Cheek
Narrator

Andrea Cheek
Interviewer

April 15, 2022

AC: (00:01)
Okay, hello. Hi, how are you?

EC: (00:05)
I'm Emily.

AC: (00:06)
Yeah

EC: (00:06)
Cheek,

AC: (00:07)
tell me about yourself.

EC: (00:08)
I'm a 29 year old. I am a bartender. I graduated from North Carolina Central University with honors, and I love traveling. And it's it's a myth though.

AC: (00:25)
Yeah, I guess it's pretty cool. Um, who are you to me?

EC: (00:30)
Oh, I'm your sister.

AC: (00:31)
That's, that's my sister. So, yeah, this is going to be about COVID. And just like the stuff surrounding it, I guess, your feel and experiences. How has COVID affected you personally, in like, any type of way, monetarily, emotionally, physically?

EC: (01:01)
Well, when it first came out, I was in full alert. And we didn't really shut down. And honestly, I went through probably about a year I like quit watching all news outlets. So I didn't even know what COVID was. And I went into my shift. And somebody was telling me, there's this crazy virus going around, and we might have to shut down. And then like, three days later, we shut down my restaurant, because all of the US shut down for like, a little over a month. And so that was pretty unfortunate. However, the company I worked for, paid for my time off. So they paid for all of us and took care of us and everything like that, and offered, like if we needed food or anything like that to help us out. So that was different. And then it was right when Spring Break hit at the beach. So it was kind of crazy for me, because I'm so used to really crazy, like super busy $4,000 worth of sales by myself. If I was serving $10,000 worth of alcohol if I was on the bar, and the streets are at the mercy. But after that, Panama City Beach is in Florida, so we opened up full force, and we had a mass band aid for about a month. But after that, nothing really nothing. The beaches were crazy. There were no like rules for anything. It was basically normal.

AC: (02:40)
What happened at what happened?

EC: (02:43)
Nothing.

AC: (02:44)
What do you mean?

EC: (02:45)
Like it's everything. They're sci fi. And I didn't even I didn't I've had COVID twice, but I was working with the public ain't going out to bars and different events and stuff and didn't catch COVID One time in Florida. I didn't catch it until I came back to North Carolina, when they had all of these rules and regulations.

AC: (03:07)
That's crazy. Why do you think you didn't catch it in Florida?

EC: (03:11)
I I don't know. Honestly, because I went out like drinking and stuff. And like, I've definitely gotten sick and a bottle for number two, and still did not catch it. I didn't even get like a cold there the whole time I was there. That's wild. Yeah. And I come back here and I catch it. And I was working at a place that you had to have a mask on the entire time. Worked out at the gym. And you had to have your mask on. Yeah. So it made like no sense. How I got it. I really think I got it from Marshalls

AC: (03:50)
Yeah, tell me. You've had COVID Twice?

EC: (03:56)
Yes, I was The first time I was really sick for like two days. And then I was fine. I had like a like, the night before. I had went to the gym. I had went or No, I didn't go to work that night. But I hadn't went to the gym. I came home, I was laying on the couch. I was talking to you. And I said man, my head starting to hurt a little bit. And I normally don't really get headaches or anything hardly ever. Like if I get sick, like it's rare that I'm really sick. And I went to bed and I didn't get out of bed the whole next day. And I had a fever and I was just sweating. And then the next day I kind of got up and I still had a fever. But it finally broke. And then like right after that I was okay. Yeah. Yeah. And then with that one, I had a pretty bad call. And then the second time I call COVID I had actually been vaccinated and had my first shot. And I called it in between. And I got up and I said, Oh, my head hurt again. And then I went to work. And I didn't feel that great. And I left work because my sister said she didn't feel good. And I went to a drop through testing place. And three days later, they told me I had it, but I knew immediately I had it because as soon as I got home, I walked in the house and laid on the couch. And I was like sweating. Because I had such a bad fever. That's not good. But then like, the next day, I was fine.

AC: (05:46)
What did you like? What was the worst symptom that you had? COVID the fever yo, yeah, that was that was your son?

EC: (05:54)
Yeah. Like I didn't really have anything else. I had a bad headache, and then a fever and then it would break. But the two days was like my max. Everything with it. Like not filling Okay,

AC: (06:07)
down. Those are that's that I think that's good. Biomega and me a pretty healthy. Okay. You mentioned getting vaccinated. I want to talk about that. What were your thoughts when the pandemics first started about vaccination,

EC: (06:26)
um, I really wasn't for coming out. I don't like I'm more conservative, but I'm more than anything I don't like the government involved in, like my life. I don't like them in my financial taxes, and I don't like them in my business. So I thought that it was just another way for them to kind of control people. Like, you can't go in here if you don't have a car. Yeah, stuff like that. And I think they probably should've went about it a different way. Instead of trying to, like force you to get something. So the reason why I did get the shot was because I had plans this summer to go to Europe. Um, I don't think that's actually something I'm going to do right now. And it's because of what's happening in Russia.

AC: I wouldn't do it.

EC:
Yeah. And that's like, the only reason but I didn't get the second shot for a vaccination yet.

AC:
Yeah, because you got sick,

EC:
Because I got sick in between. And also because like, I had all these people I know, have been vaccinated and got it worse. The time they got vaccinated. Like our mom, she did not catch COVID Once that whole time. Our whole house had covid. That first time we had COVID No, even you got sick. I got [inaudible]

EC:
It was.

AC:
It wasn't

EC: the whole house had covid

AC: (07:56)
I didn't have COVID

EC:
It was Andre.

AC:
It's no, no, it's not. I didn't have COVID I had a cold. And now we have.

EC: (08:05)
She was dying.

AC:
Okay. All right. Bye.

EC:
She our mom has a weak immune system and our dad. I don't know he doesn't catch anything

AC:
He doesn't.

EC:
My dad didn't catch it either time. But my mom got vaccinated and still and then caught it. Yeah, the first time we had the vaccination wasn't out yet. The second time the vaccine was out everybody pressured her into getting vaccinated. Yeah, I didn't pressure her.

AC: I did

EC:
do what you want. And she got vaccinated. She got COVID Horrible ended up in the hospital everything she got COVID pneumonia.

AC:
Yeah.

EC:
So for me, I'm just like, you're making all these people get it, but they're still catching it. I understand that it's supposed to lessen the the severity of the symptoms. Yeah. But they're still getting sick, you know, so and then especially with like, everybody and like, a lot with the fertility and stuff like that. I don't think it's going to really necessarily mess up fertility. But they are offering $9,000 More for donor eggs for people who haven't been vaccinated than people who have been vaccinated. Yeah, so something is up with that in my eyes. That's kind of odd.

AC: (09:28)
That's weird. Yep. Okay, um, thoughts on the mask mandate.

EC: (09:34)
I hate the mask mandate. I cannot stand it. Yeah. I literally hate it so much when especially if you work outdoors. Like when I was bartending in Florida and we had to have it they did let us pull it down when we were outside at tables. Because it was so high. It made it so hard for us to breathe and the heat in them when it came back in this summer in North Carolina, they told us we couldn't really have it down outside. It was awful. I was I had horrible breakouts on my face mask. Yeah, I couldn't breathe out there. The humidity with that running around. Having all these tables outside having my full bar to take care of it just does not work for me. I understand if you think you have it, and you're going to get tested or anything like that. Yeah, go for it. I hate the mask mandate. I did enjoy it this winter, though when I didn't want people to know that I was and I wear my shades and muddy my mouth. Yeah,

AC: (10:38)
I don't know. Yeah, I think that's a really good look.

EC: (10:41)
Yeah.

AC: (10:42)
I enjoy it.

EC: (10:43)
I did enjoy that.

AC: (10:44)
Do you think you were doing like, you were serving tables when that was happening? Right? Yeah, for both time. Yeah. And how do you think that having the masks like cover up your smile made your tip suffer?

EC: (10:57)
Yeah. I like and I literally like, for real? It did. Because if that would take it down for a second. They'd be like, Oh my God, thank God, I got somebody here with the parties. And then people would come up to me like when we had it in Florida and stuff. And like, we'd be without like our mask, because we only had it for 30 days. And people would come in to eat, they'd be like, can I just tell you how nice it is to see somebody smiling at me taking my order. And I'll say it that guy. Wow. And in North Carolina, a lot of people were like that, which was kinda it was kind of weird to me because I was in Cary, which is a very, like, more left wing liberal area. So I was surprised with how many people like really were like, Oh, yay, yeah, I can see your smile and stuff. Because it is kind of like a disconnect. Because they really, you don't know what people look like. Yeah, like that mask is definitely a catfish. And

AC: (12:04)
I agree completely with that.

EC: (12:05)
And it's such a like, Oh my God, that's what you look like. Yeah,

AC: (12:10)
yeah. Just dropped the mask mandate at school. I told you. My heart was broken.

EC: (12:13)
Yes. It's nice.

AC: (12:16)
Yeah. Um, how do you feel about the people who choose to get vaccinated? Like, do you think that they're making, like, do you think that they're doing something that they probably shouldn't?

EC: (12:30)
No, no, I think it's all up to you. If you feel better, vaccinated, get vaccinated. If you don't feel like vaccination is the way to go. Don't do it. I felt like I was kind of pressured into it. Because most of the people in my family are vaccinated. And because I wanted to travel and they were making it really hard to go like to Europe and stuff like that you had to be vaccinated, you did so. But now that I'm not going there and going to the Dominican, I do not have to be vaccinated. So, um, how to, like debate on if I should get the second shot or not,

AC: I think you should

EC: yes, but I think that people who do get vaccinated need to stop pushing it down other's throats. And I think that they also need to stop saying, you don't care about society. You don't care about people. You're selfish. No mind your business. You don't want me telling you what to do. Do you know so mind your business? Like our sister's boyfriend? He thinks you're so selfish.

AC: (13:31)
Her fiance hates that.

EC: (13:34)
You're just an ignorant stupid hick if you don't get it.

AC: He's from up north.

EC: Yeah, I was like honey, just call that talk slow, don't mean I am.

AC: Okay,

EC: I can make my own choice if I want to get vaccinated. And they all got vaccinated. And guess what, they all got the 'rona on the second wave through

AC: (13:53)
how do you think America and like our government handled like, all this whole pandemic crap?

EC: (14:00)
Yeah. Yeah. These were nice, but I appreciate it and [inaudible] like, but I think like, the way, I love my man, Trump. He should have definitely let us know what was going on a lot sooner than what he did. And I do think that they really, really used the vaccine as political propaganda. And I think they used it to kind of cut sides and to distract from like real issues that were going on in the world. Instead, not saying COVID wasn't a real issue, but saying there were other things that are a little more like you've really need to pay attention to, but they were so focused on the mask who's making us wear masks. Yeah, he's making us get vaccinated. And I I think they use that to distract the people for the tween, like who they wanted to represent. And I think that it was just a ploy. Yeah, they took advantage of a lot of people.

AC: (15:14)
I think that it did take advantage of people.

EC: (15:15)
I do think that that they took advantage of America's fear.

AC: Oh, dude

EC: that's what they did. They had all these people scared to death and telling us that they were like shipping bodies and all this in New York, like scaring everybody, you know? And there's just way better ways to do it. Which I mean, nobody's gonna turn in to the news for something happy. But yeah,

AC: (15:39)
not in America. Yeah,

EC: (15:40)
we don't I think they really use the mask and stuff like that. During the political campaign. It came at the perfect time. Yeah. So that, and that's why I think like, I don't think COVID Fake or a hoax or anything. But I do think that like, they push things to their agendas, both sides do.

AC: (16:00)
Of course they do. Did you? Like do you have any governments around the world you think did do a good job?

EC: (16:09)
I think a lot of the European countries like Sweden, yeah. But I think like the way that they, they kind of like really took care of their people. And like, let them stay at home, let everything calm down. Let them kind of figure out what COVID really was. Stuff like that. I think that's what they should have done for us. And while those stimulus checks, were an honest, I didn't give us anything substantial enough to sit at home. And that kind of upsets me because I'm a big patriot and I just feel like our government kind of threw us to the wayside with that a little bit and then used us in the rat race to presidency.

AC: (16:50)
Listen, I need to talk about something you during our conversation already. You've said the words steamy and Rona owl. Ah. That how How's it feel to just talk about a global pandemic in such a way like what much slang, slang? Like, how is that?

EC: (17:15)
You know, I didn't even think about it. It's like, that's like, everybody. Did we have names going around for Yeah. And honestly, the names are crazy. The tiktoks are wild you download Tiktok

EC: I downloaded Tiktok during the pandemic and I was so against it. Because I was like that was for little kids and I am grown. Tiktok, tiktok. I want to do this Facebook and Instagram. Yeah, because I work too much in Snapchat, because I like I like got to do is post a pic. And talk to my friends. No, now I'm like learning all these cool things. And Andrea who's gonna show her videos, she enjoys them. Sometimes she enjoys I would say 98% of the videos.

AC: (18:09)
I'm not gonna lie. 99

EC: (18:12)
Yeah. But it was we were on lockdown. We didn't have anything to do. It was fine. And I will say tiktok is very tall. You will get on there and it will be 9 o'clock. And all of a sudden it's two o'clock in the morning and

AC: So I've heard

EC: And then you're like, what happened? I just scrolled that now they do have people who pop up and tell you hey, wait a minute. Do we know that tiktok can be fun, but you've been scrolling for a while. How about you rest your brain? Okay. And then I get mad and just say that nine.

AC: (18:52)
That's pretty good. I

EC: (18:53)
think like the [inaudible] and the 'rona and all that.

AC: (18:56)
[inaudible], Rona, panorama. Yeah, Panorama

EC: (19:01)
Panorama, I do say that.

AC: (19:03)
You do say all those things. And it isn't like you say it to be funny. That's just it's a part of the vocabulary

EC: (19:11)
now. I think it's kind of it's part of our culture. It is it? Uh, yeah, like I didn't say like some, the pandemic was awful. But there were some things that happened that really probably helped a lot of people during the pandemic.

AC: (19:24)
Yeah, yes. Like, what,

EC: (19:26)
I think that no one you're worth at a jog and kind of happened and like realizing just how like short life is and like how you need to really, and it's something I struggle with is I put limitations on myself and like timelines, and like, oh, I should be doing this right now. Because I'm this age. Yeah. And so and so and, like, career stuff and stuff that makes me happy and everything like that. But I think that it made a lot of people realize that Look at that job spit. Why? Who cares? There's another job. There's always something else you can do. I don't care. Yeah. Literally, they took our right to travel and everything like that way. So you need to see as much stuff as you can, because you see what they can take away from you in a moment. Oh, and then when it comes down to jobs, you know, I am really guilty of this. But there's so many people and it's like you work and work and work. You don't take that vacation. You don't take that 30 minute break to relax. You don't take that. That two week thing and all that you know why? Because you think that the company can't go home without you. Newsflash, they can. And I think the pandemic showed us that all these businesses that put all these people on furlough, and all these people couldn't go to work, but like they were keeping certain ones and like you were so easy, disposable. Like there was a case like when at the place I will serve. And they did let certain people go down there because I didn't want to keep paying them.

AC: (21:08)
That's my style. They were like, really good. That's not.

EC: (21:12)
And I know that, like there was one girl, and she had been there, like three people have been there longer than me. And I know for a fact, they were letting people go, who were their last hires, because the other people who were hired after me, were let go. And they said they were doing last hires. And it was and I was like, Well, I'm probably gonna be like, good, because I've only been there like two months. And I didn't really I was still getting the hang of things at that restaurant. I was good at it. But all these people have been there like this one girl had been there over a year. She was great. She had regulars. They let her get. And I know the only reason they kept me was because I was mixed. Oh, and I'm the first mixed female they had hired in, I think 40 years are you Syria, and I'm the first like curvaceous one who is bigger than a size two member. So I was like, like, they needed to keep me. But anyways, I think that the pandemic did show people that like youth and found a new way to live. And I like look at all these people. And they're living their lives, they're picking up and just move into a random state. And they want to apologize to girls. They said, Hey, listening to why they picked up during the payment moved to Hawaii. And now they're picking up this year moving somewhere in a row. They're just choosing where they want to go. A lot of people re redid those vans and stuff. Yeah, all went all around. And it made work different too. Because a lot of places don't even are going to have an officer. And they're gonna go Facebook. Yeah, it's gonna be all virtual. You're all going to do like, that's how you're going to do it. Yep. That's one of the issues I are having with that is some of the companies say, Well, you don't need to be we don't need to pay you like you live in New York. If you live in Texas, because Texas is still a lot cheaper than New York, or if you live in like Alabama. Like you work for the company, but and they weren't there. But then the pain didn't hit so they were own and then they moved back home. They moved to a cheaper place. Well, how are they going to decide that? That's what they need to pay it rather than another thing going on? I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. And labor right now is that like, all time, all time high for people like leaving certain industries. And one of the number one industries that are leaving is my industry, the food and service industry? Yeah. And it's, they're not jobless. They're just going to different avenues because like, in my field, we're really overworked. And we're not treated with respect by management. Nope. Or the customer. Yeah. So it's like we have both sides coming out of so a lot of people just are saying forget it. So that's why people are going to restaurants right now. And it's so short staffed, so there's just a lot of stuff that it's hurting a lot of companies now, but it really helped people. It let them like know that like they don't need that company like they can find something better.

AC: (24:27)
Do you think that having people be inside for so long affected their social skills?

EC: (24:37)
Um, it didn't affect mine. That's probably because I literally didn't stay inside. Yeah. Even during the like, you know, 30 days. Yeah, because I am a very social person and I'll go to my friend's houses for like little house parties. I still didn't catch the 'rona. Well, I think it did affect a lot of people. Because while I think it's great that she could pick up and move and do stuff like that there are a lot of people who really do need a day to day routine. And to help them be able to talk to make them talk to somebody, or to make them go to the store, stuff like that. A lot of people need that routine. And I think it messes a lot of people's like mental health with like depression and stuff like that. If they didn't have like a good home base.

AC: (25:30)
Yeah.

EC: (25:31)
Because I remember like halfway through I was like, I'm lonely. And I flew home for like two weeks.

AC: (25:41)
That did happen.

EC: (25:42)
Yeah I was like, I was having fun with all my friends, but like, I still wasn't getting enough interaction for myself. Like, cuz I like having random people. And that's why I like bartending and serving so much is because I really like just not knowing who the heck's going on. I will you are why I love it, because it just keeps me on my toes. And you don't feel lonely. You like you're meeting all these people. It's fun. And normally like that, add me on like some form of social media and stuff like that by the end of the day.

AC: (26:14)
Let's, I want to talk about the media that came out during the pandemic. You watch Tiger King, I just feel oh, my god. That was like, during the pandemic that was I feel like that was the first thing that really brought everybody together again.

EC: (26:32)
I really did. Tiktok and Tiger came for so many people together. Yeah. And then that was that one show. You watched

AC: (26:40)
the one I watched? love Island?

EC: (26:43)
No, the other one. You know, the one. love is long.

AC: (26:48)
Love is Blind Love was a train wreck is first season. The second

AC: (26:54)
one the second one is even worse. The second one I wanted.

EC: (26:58)
The whole first season I was so invested. It was all I had. Yep. Me and my friends will watch. I'd be like, Oh my god, I can't believe Jessica like Mark ah, it was all it was horrible. And everyone watched it. And then one of the other big things that happened was Cardi B's

AC: (27:19)
Coronavirus. Yeah, yeah, that wasn't what was your favorite meme to come out? There were so many there were a lot there were so

EC: (27:30)
give me some there was Coronavirus that was it was

AC: (27:35)
huge. I liked that video. That guy coughing and it was like, everyone just ran. I thought that was really funny. made me laugh.

EC: (27:47)
I like that one and then all the tiger King

AC: (27:49)
you name so many Tiger King. They were hilarious. And we needed them. It was it was just crazy.

EC: (27:59)
The petitions that people put together to get this man release.

AC: (28:02)
I can't believe she didn't go to jail. You know, she killed her husband.

EC: (28:07)
My favorite thing that came out, the remix to savage with about Carole Baskin.

AC: (28:14)
Okay. That yeah, all right. Yeah, that was pretty good. That

EC: (28:20)
was pretty good. And her and them damn flower [inaudible].

AC: (28:24)
Dude, Carole Baskin. She's, she's, she's wild. She's wild and she killed her husband and these tigers killed her.

EC: (28:40)
And Joe told them.

AC: (28:42)
He did. They should have listened to him. I think he was on something.

EC: (28:45)
He had his two boyfriends. All the Tigers and he had that hair cut. Oh my god.

AC: (28:55)
It was great. Yeah, have you rethinking?

EC: (28:57)
And then like, kind of during the pandemic, I started like, saying, Oh, I'm gonna do all this stuff. I didn't do nothing. So mad. Because I said I had all these months and I should have done something with myself. Yep. And I'm like, Ah, I'm not. I'm just here.

AC: (29:16)
Yeah I definitely did that. Definitely did the

EC: (29:19)
I didn't learn a skill or anything. All these people are learning how to

AC: make bread from scratch

EC: (29:23)
make bread from scratch. Yeah, redo a home loan.

AC: All online.

EC: (29:27)
I watched everything on Netflix.

AC: You did?

EC: I did get into this one show. Sweet magnolia. And I'll watch the second season on that and that was trash, but I've lost like a trainer. I can't quit.

AC: (29:44)
I hate shows like that. Yeah, but you really can't look away. Yeah. And are you think there's gonna be like, in like a couple of years. Do you think they're going to be like documentaries about the pandemic and they're going to talk about Carole Baskin and Cardi B

EC: (30:00)
I think no, tell him any of the funds don't don't have to how can they leave this stuff out? Like they're gonna talk to them? And it's funny so that because I was thinking about that, I was like, wow, kids really read about all this in their text. I said, oh, probably be in there like next year, honestly. Oh, but I think they're gonna make it sound like crazy scary. They're gonna think, like, it was scary, but like, yeah, they're gonna think like, we were like living in the Great Depression. No way. I think it's gonna be like, what we think like, we're like the 40s. And 20s was like that thing. Because I was thinking I was born in the 90s and have been through war, the World Trade Center. And then we had y2k, we had had our first black president. Yeah, we had there was a session happen. Yeah, we had 2012 2012 we had this pandemic happen. And we have an inflation crazy right now.

AC: (31:20)
Yeah. Like my god, like, God knows. Those history books, the 90s and 2000s. how good your book while they're gonna have to remember a lot of all those tests, they're going to these kids are gonna fail. They're not gonna, they're not going to do good on these tests.

EC: (31:37)
I was thinking about that. I was like, That's wild. They literally, like so much has happened. And it's crazy. It is crazy. That I think they're gonna paint it is like, they're gonna have like, know how I did it. It's gonna be so like, nothing but dark and scary. It was scary when it first came out and like, I know people to pass away from stuff and it was scary. But, you know, like, we did have Tiger King.

AC: (32:06)
we did.

EC: (32:07)
And we had Carole Baskin.

AC: (32:08)
We had Carole Baskin,

EC: (32:09)
Beyonce gave us a song.

AC: (32:12)
What more can you ask for? Yeah, Carole Baskin, Tiger King, Beyonce. Nothing. And if you ask for more, you're being selfish. Okay, I think that's about all the time we have. Thank you so much, Emily.

EC: All right.

AC: Yes.

[End of Recording]