Bryan Reynolds [00:00:04] Hello, hello, hello, welcome to Episode 11 of the Linkage podcast by Episcopal Retirement Services. This episode is for the week of July 5 2020. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Bryan Reynolds Vice President of Marketing for Episcopal Retirement Services, and I'm here with Kristin Davenport, our director of communications for ERS and our executive producer. How are you, Kristen?  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:00:30] I'm doing well. Bryan, it's good to talk with you today.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:00:33] Yeah, it's good to be back after the July 4th holiday.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:00:37] Yeah. It seemed like there were just fireworks everywhere you turn. That was quite a celebration.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:00:42] Yeah, absolutely. So The Linkage Podcast is dedicated to educating our audiences about issues regarding aging, informing people about the mission of ERS and the way that we bring our mission to life and our everyday interactions with residents, clients, families and our staff members. So, Kristen, why don't you tell us a little bit more about the show that we've got coming up today?  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:01:06] Today on our show, joining us, we have two residents. We have Vivian Kline, who is a resident at Marjorie P. Lee. Vivian is an author and she talks with us about her book, among other things, the goings on in Hyde Park there at Marjorie P. Lee. And we have M. L. Gorman, who lives in our Dudley Square community at Episcopal Church Home and Louisville. And M.L. Gorman is quite a gardener. And I know you guys had a great conversation about that many other things. We'll also check in with our president and CEO Laura Lamb and get the latest for this week.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:01:44] Sounds like another great show. I surely enjoyed my interviews this week. So with that, you want to set up your interview with Vivian?  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:01:52] I'd love to. Bryan Vivian Kline is a wonderful resident at Marjorie P. Lee. Vivian has led an interesting life. She's an author and an artist. Let's hear how Vivian is taking both of those parts of her her life experiences and personality and putting them to good use, helping her neighbors make it through this time of healing distance.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:02:23] Welcome, Marjorie P. Lee resident Vivian Cline. Vivian, thanks for being here today.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:02:29] It's my pleasure.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:02:30] And how are you doing today?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:02:33] I am doing just fine. It's very hot outside and very cool inside. And it's a very summery day and I'm doing fine.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:02:41] Can you share with some of our listeners what you've been doing during these times of restriction or being cautious about what we do and how we do it? What have you been doing to stay engaged?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:02:55] Well, I ended up being one of the few that liked her hair better now than before. One of the things that all these women cannot get to the hairdresser and they are bemoaning the fact. So I end up as a knitter knitting these strip, knitting them together to make colorful hair bands. And I just give them away and I wear them myself. And we all say that when we are allowed to be close together again, we will take a big photograph because I must have done a 30 or more. You have a photograph of black heads, white heads, a coloreful band and it can promote ERS. As a matter of fact. Or maybe it's just for ourselves.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:03:49] I love it. What a great invention. That's the proverbial taking your lemons and making some lemonade out of that. That sounds wonderful. I actually have seen you wearing one, but I will look for more photos to come of that. That's wonderful. Well, and I know in your lifetime, in your career, you've had so many different artistic pursuits. Not only are you an enamelist and are very accomplished and have work in galleries all over. You're also an author, an author of four books. And I thought maybe you can share a little bit about writing those four books, but also maybe are you doing some writing right now?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:04:30] Well, the strange thing is one of my books is slowly being turned into a musical.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:04:37] Oh, my goodness.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:04:37] And when that happened, the person who is to write the music came to me and said I should be part of it. And I said, I don't know anything about writing a musical. Well, you're the author. And it's been four years. It takes a long time. These people are busy. And it's had its ups and downs. But at the moment, it's somebody is doing the music for the second act. And it might actually come to pass.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:05:08] Is this a Cincinnati production?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:05:12] I don't know what production will be. When you write a book. The big thing is to get it published and that's that. But when you write something that becomes a musical, you have to find it director. You have to find singers. You have to find money. You have to have a place. So I don't know. I'm just very curious and find it very interesting because it's been different kinds of people than I would have met otherwise. Which is fun and it's ongoing. I say it's a race between it will get done before I die or not. And we'll see.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:05:54] And this book is Let Freedom Sing. Is that correct? The name of the book?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:05:59] Yeah, that's what it's called.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:06:01] Tell our listeners a little bit about your book.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:06:04] Yes. Well, it's a good story in itself, I guess. I went out on a ladies day to a antique show and they were interested in Crystal and I was not. So I wandered to the back where there were people selling works on paper, movie posters and elderly couples sitting at card tables with shoeboxes full of postcards. And these postcards, they were lable tags because people, I didn't even know it then. People collect postcards of a city or postcards about a holiday or trains. And I came upon one that said Negroes. Well, I hadn't seen that word in so long. It sort of sparked my interest. So I picked one up and I bought one. And on the way home, I thought, that's a good thing to collect. It doesn't take up much room. And it's kind of interesting. So I ended up collecting a lot of postcards, but I specialized in the history of the Negroes in America. And I came upon one that I had to research, which became the cover of the book. And it's the story of the first Fisk Singers, who came up from the after the Civil War as boys and girls in a small school. And the white business manager and singing teacher had overheard them singing songs not yet called spirituals. And he thought that if they sang them in northern churches, people hadn't heard them before. They could make some money for their little school. And they did. And they did this for nine years. And they went to Europe and they sang before the queen and the Queen's portrait painter painted their pictures. .... That picture was what was on my postcard. So I thought, oh, that's such a good story. I will make it into a book. And I being from Cincinnati more recently, I decided to include characters in the past from Cincinnati. So it is not just a straight story of the singers, but it includes Henry Ward feature and the woman who started Rookwood pottery. There are all kinds of people in it and the beginning of baseball, as a matter of fact, which started right here in Cincinnati. So it's been fun. It's been a long time. Blooming, so to speak.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:09:05] Well, that is very, very interesting story of how you turned that little, new hobby into something that became a really it sounds like a major research project and then a book and now a musical. It just seems like the gift that keeps on giving.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:09:24] Yeah, well, I did the research long enough before I had a computer, so I worked in the library in the basement doing research in Cincinnati, wonderful library. And the only other people in the basement were people muttering into their little machines. And they were known as the Geanies. And they were people doing their Geanie, their history of their own family.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:09:53] Their genealogy. Oh, wow.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:09:55] Yes, their genealogy. So that sort of dates it because now you want to do research, you can stay in your own comfortable home and do it on the computer.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:10:06] Well, that's for sure. Well, that is an amazing story. Are you writing anything new these days?  

 

Vivian Kline [00:10:13] Hither and yon. Yes, I have written up the story of the beginning of the book all the way to the musical, just keeping track, and eventually that in itself will make a story, I think. What else have I been writing? I've been writing short things. The first thing I did was put all the letters my husband and I wrote to each other over our whole lifetime. I found he had kept them all. And I had kept them all. So I typed them all into the computer and it became a book. And it's called Love in the Forties. Nineteen forties when mail came twice a day.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:10:59] Yeah.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:11:00] Which it did.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:11:02] I love it. That is a great theme for a book especially. It gives us that little peek into the way correspondence was so important and so different from how we correspond now.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:11:16] Absolutely. One of the reasons we began writing so much is when we first had a long and wonderful date. We were separated because I went back to college and we were not allowed off campus, nor could we have any visitors because of the polio epidemic.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:11:36] Oh, wow. Wow.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:11:39] A little bit like right now. I mean a different illness and we could not get off campus. So we began writing and writing and writing.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:11:47] Well, there is a very good life lesson there for all of us. You know, when when you're a little bit changed from your normal patterns, a little bit restricted, that doesn't mean life is over. You just have to adapt and go on. I guess that's a really good lesson for today as well. Well, Vivien, it's been wonderful talking to you. I know that you're going to be celebrating a birthday soon, so let me say happy birthday to you.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:12:12] Thank you very much. I'm going to do it on the computer. My daughter has taken a lot of my email addresses and we're going to Zoom on Friday.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:12:24] Oh, fantastic. I love it. Well, I hope that Friday is a wonderful celebration for you and your family and friends. And I would love to see a picture that Zoom conversation. I bet it's going to be a big gathering of all the people that you love. And I hope it's a wonderful, wonderful day for you.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:12:44] Well, Vivian, thank you so much for talking of them here today. Best of luck with your musical. I can't wait to hear an update on that soon, I hope. Covid is not getting in the way of the progress of that and that it can come to fruition soon for you.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:12:59] Thank you.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:13:00] All right, Vivian. Take care. Have a great rest of your day.  

 

Vivian Kline [00:13:03] Thank you.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:13:07] Kristin, what a great interview with Vivian Kline. I really enjoy hearing about her writing and her stories and her life at Marjorie P. Lee.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:13:19] Bryan, she's a quite a creative woman. She's one of the folks that's featured in our art show, which is going to premiere at Marjorie P. Lee, of course, it's a virtual art show. But glad she's a part of it. And many others at Marjorie P. Lee.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:13:34] Yeah, it's so, so cool that we have so many creative people within our communities. And for them to share those experiences I feel are so special.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:13:45] Well, Bryan next up on the show, we have our president and CEO Laura Lamb. It is always great to hear from Laura because her guidance is so key. Well, all the time, but especially during these challenging times. So here's Bryan and Laura's conversation.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:14:05] So we're back this week, the week after the Fourth of July, with our president and CEO Laura Lamb. Hi, Laura. How are you?  

 

Laura Lamb [00:14:12] I'm doing well, Bryan. How about you?  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:14:14] Good, good. Good to hear your voice. It's been a an interesting week, kind of the news cycle. And I think it's very pertinent to to where we are as a company. And we were talking about it a little bit earlier. But we're seeing more and more infections in our community, particularly in Hamilton County, which has impacts on our business and our staff and our residents. Just wanted to talk about that and the impacts on our our communities at Marjorie P. Lee our Affordable Living Communities and how you're kind of seeing, you know, that those rates of infection and how how they impact us.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:14:54] Yeah, it's been a difficult week for sure. You know, as you as you alluded to, that really the elephant in the room is what's going on in Hamilton County. And, you know, last Friday, a week ago, right before the holiday, I think the the city of Cincinnati did exactly what they needed to do. And they voted seven to two to make the city of Cincinnati a face masks mandatory. And then we came back from the holiday and the state of Ohio published their data that really showed that Hamilton County was trending in exactly the wrong direction.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:15:36] You know, we were rated as a red, which is level 3, which is second highest category in the state. And at that time, we were only one of five counties. But as recently as yesterday, we're up to 11 or 12 counties and in Ohio, that high rating. And they again, they're trending towards the highest rating, which would be purple, which my understanding is that would be another stay at home order.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:16:05] Right.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:16:06] So we're moving in the wrong direction, Bryan. And it's very concerning because at the same time, we're again reopening and the governor of Ohio and Kentucky has issued guidance on, you know, outdoor visits for residential care and outdoor visits for nursing. And, you know, our organization has to take all that in and balance the desire for us to reunite with our families, with the responsibility to provide the safest environment that we can for our residents. And it's been like like I said, it's been a heavy week understanding what would be the best action for our residents in our communities.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:16:56] Yeah, I know you were. You talked with our staff. We have these biweekly staff meetings over Zoom that are are really great, well attended by our team. But, you know, you talk this week about the concept of caution fatigue. And, you know, there's a lot of people out in society that are naysayers of using masks and things like that, but it's really about protecting each other. And while people don't always see symptoms, they may have symptoms. I think what we talked about a recent podcast we were listening to about that. So can you talk about the caution, fatigue in these really basic steps that I think are so important, not just within our own organization, but maybe in our greater society?  

 

Laura Lamb [00:17:43] Sure. Well, in essence, caution fatigue is a phenomenon. It's not it's not because of the pandemic. It's not a new thing. It's the brain kind of when you when you're basing your actions on fear and safety, that that the human brain can only do that so long it's not sustainable. And so caution fatigue says that when you're stressed and you're worried and you're overwhelmed, which most of day we've experienced those emotions, that you wear down. And so you become fatigued and it's harder to do the very things that you may know that are important. And the analogy that we shared with the staff that I think really resonated is is is it's kind of like that. You know, we're we're in this period where we've been plopped down in the middle of a marathon. The only problem is, is that we don't know where we are on that twenty six mile stretch. Right. We don't know where the finish line is. So we don't know how long we're gonna have to keep this up. And that creates anxiety. It creates worry. So, I mean, it creates this feeling of being overwhelmed.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:18:58] And, you know, caution, fatigue is you have to kind of reframe your thinking to say you have to we we have to do something differently because we don't know where the end of the finish line is. But we know that these things that are based on science do work and that the two that, I feel like I'm a broken record with your Bryan, but I'm going to have to do it again. Just begging people to understand that their science, medical science behind wearing a mask and social distancing. You know, Bryan, we came across a really effective video for our staff and so much so that the residents wanted to view it as well. And what it did in very simple terms is really demonstrated the difference of, you know, air particles in the air and what happens if you have a mask on versus when you don't. Right. And you know what happens to air particles if you're two feet apart vs. six to eight feet apart. And it's compelling.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:20:10] An indoor and outdoor and air.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:20:13] Exactly how air flows different indoor vs. outdoor. So the science is behind it. You know that the best thing that we can do. And if we all just focus on these two things and did them as if our life depended on it because it does. And if it's not our life, it's somebody else's life.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:20:35] Right.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:20:35] We have to wear masks. We have to social distance. And Kentucky. Did you hear the news that Kentucky has mandated masks in public?  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:20:46] Yeah. Yeah.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:20:49] I think that is amazing and wonderful. And I cannot wait for Ohio and Indiana where other communities that those governors do something similar, particularly if we continue to trend as an example in Ohio and even Indiana the way we are.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:21:09] Yeah, and I think the other part of it, too, is we have to make these assumptions that either we have been exposed to the virus and may be asymptomatic, or person that you may be next to in the store or, you know, if you're going into the grocery store or wherever. Not everybody necessarily is sick, is carrying around this virus, even if even if you're not in a highly populated area. Right? 

 

Laura Lamb [00:21:33] I mean, there's a lot of debate about this virus. You know, is it is it contagious when there's when people are asymptomatic, when they're pre-symptomatic? You know, are the symptoms so that you discount them? So, for example, the one example that I heard recently is, oh, that's my I woke up and, you know, my neck is stiff. Oh, I'm assuming that's because I slept on it funny.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:21:58] Right.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:21:59] Well, maybe not. Maybe that's the first sign that, you know, is that a symptom or is it a pre symptom? And, you know, I don't want to get into that debate. But your point is excellent. We have to assume that everyone has Covid. That's the bottom line, that every we have to we have to change our thinking that we everyone has Covid. And therefore, you know what it reminds me of Bryan? Years and years ago in health care, we made a transition to universal precautions. Anyone that's worked in health care knows that universal precautions are, you know, wearing, you know, wearing gloves, you know, washing your hands. All these things that we, in fact, reinforce with health care workers that these are universal things to keep yourself safe and keep your patient safe. Right. And in a world of Covid, when it's a new virus, the science is evolving every day.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:23:09] We have to adopt this universal precaution mindset, I think. And what that means is, in addition to everything we've learned about other diseases, we have to add in our toolkit wearing masks and social distancing as universal precautions that we all take every day, every time we leave our house, period.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:23:33] And not wait till it's too late. I mean, I think there's we were talking earlier. There's so many examples of the warnings we've heard over the months from Italy and then New York. And now we're starting to see it in towns like Houston and down in Florida, where the ICUs are starting to become overwhelmed, overrun. And, you know, I'm sure everybody down there now has a story of somebody that's infected and in the ICU or have lost a loved one. And, you know, we don't want to get to that point.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:24:04] No, absolutely not. I hope that, again, our leadership in our states and our cities just take decisive action. And you know, that I kind of alluded to it, but I probably should say that, you know, I talked about that we were agonizing over these trends internally. And, you know, we we made the very difficult decision to stop outdoor visits, visits with families. And that that wasn't anything that we intentionally used the word agonize that, you know, we know that the psychosocial health of our residents is so important. Yeah. I don't I don't think anybody does what we do for a living and doesn't understand.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:24:55] Right.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:24:56] That that at our core. But in this time in Hamilton County, because we don't know who hasn't and who does it, we simply have to protect our residents and and really make sure that the outside exposure is greatly, greatly reduced. And so for the time being, we are not going to have in-person visits for families at Marjorie Lee and Deupree. And in lieu of those in-person visits, we're absolutely upping our game on technology and using all that time that we were having hosting those visits with in-person, pivoting and providing those same visits via Zoom and other technology so that residents and families can see each other frequently and enjoy each other's company.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:25:57] I know it's not the same.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:25:58] Yeah.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:26:00] Gosh, we just have to we have to get a handle on the county. And I know that once the county numbers start coming down that, you know, we we will see a change in our trends and and then we will be able to have in-person visits. And so it's not it's not if we'll have in person, it's just it's just a matter of when.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:26:25] Right. And all the while, I have to speak so highly of the staff that have really done such a great job of taking care of our residents or catering to the needs of our residents. They've been fantastic from everything I've heard from you and Ginny Uehlin and the other staff.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:26:43] So they really have Bryan. They have just what do we always say? They have risen to the occasion. They really have; they have reinvented their work. They have reinvented what they're doing. This afternoon, I was invited to a party at Marjorie Lee this afternoon at four via Zoom. And we're doing an an art and writing a show ship with Leading Age Ohio. And, you know, it's not that we can't do fun things. I mean, our our staff have delivered wine and cheese to all the residents' apartment. And we're going to jump on the Zoom call it four o'clock and have a toast together and enjoy some art. And I just think that's wonderful. It's just an example of our staff just saying, let's not focus on what we can't do. Let's focus on what we can do together.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:27:38] Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. I know our marketing team's been partnering with life enrichment to get those up virtually. And I think that'll be a really neat event. And there's some great, great artwork there from our residents, so can't wait on it. Well, Laura, thank you so much for again joining us this week. I think these are always really great dialog and discussion and appreciate you week in, week out providing updates and thoughts.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:28:05] OK, well, I'm going to bid you farewell and say wear your masks and social distance. Please, please, please.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:28:13] Will do. Thanks, Laura. Talk to you next.  

 

Laura Lamb [00:28:16] Bye bye.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:28:19] Well, Bryan this week, it was wonderful to get Laura's take on what's going on in the news and to get those critical reminders for what we all need to keep doing right now.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:28:32] Yeah. Well, it was certainly a little more somber this week, particularly as we hear the news across the country and even here locally about the spread of Covid and just how much we need to need to practice our social distancing and wear our masks and just be alert and stay on guard with things so.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:28:50] Well, on a happier note. We have been making some progress, I know, on our virtual gala, which is coming up in October.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:29:00] Yeah, I'm really excited. Obviously, we've got to do things differently, I think we've mentioned that in the past, that we're going to be doing a virtual gala. This year's theme is Together We Rise Again, a virtual gala held on October 9th. And so more details will be coming out. So we'll just encourage people to check our Web site. We really appreciate our sponsors. The Model Group has been such great partners in our affordable living communities and the construction of those renovations of those communities. And then, of course, Ridge Stone Builders who have done so much of our renovations at our communities, whether it's Deupree House and the Deupree Cottages or Marjorie P. Lee. And now down at Episcopal Church Home, they they've been wonderful partners throughout the years. Next, we've got my interview with M.L. Gorman of Dudley Square down at Episcopal Church Home and Louisville. So let's listen to that interview with M.L.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:02] While we're here this week with one of our residents from Dudley Square down in Episcopal Church Home, Louisville, Kentucky. You're with M.L. Gorman. Hello, M.L. how are you?  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:30:14] I'm fine, thank you.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:16] Well, M.L. you've been with us a number of years and you mentioned it's been eight years. And then you were a schoolteacher, originally hailed from from North Dakota before you moved. I think you said Louisville 50 years ago.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:30:30] South Dakota.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:30:32] Or South Dakota. I'm sorry. Well, thank you so much again for joining us. So, you know, it's been about three months now since the pandemic start. I'd just like to ask our guests, you know, how are you doing? How are you hanging in there?  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:30:46] Well, I'm I'm a very lucky person. I live in one of the cottages behind the Episcopal Church Home, and we we've been under self-quarantine. They weren't tied up. I mean, we didn't. The nursing home was really very tightly controlled. But we've been feeling not that tightly controlled. And I have a small garden outside of my house and the floor to ceiling windows so I can enjoy looking at it. And I've been able to go out and work in it so that I'm not feeling as if I'm in a New York apartment, which must be very hard to do. And so I'm very happy. I'm not very physically active anymore as far as the things I always used to do. No more bike riding for me. Just to be able to be outside and fuss around in the garden, and read the books that I've always meant to read. And so I'm really very happy.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:31:49] Yeah. What kind of gardening have you been doing? Are you vegetable?  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:31:53] I used to be a very dedicated vegetable gardener, but that's too much. Also, yes, this is just a flower garden. I have at the moment because it's that time of year of regular bouquet of flowers outside my window, I planted it so that always looks like I've just picked a flower bouquet. This particular, July 1st usually, is about perfect.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:32:21] The perfect time of year for your blooms.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:32:24] Yes. Yes. They're all blooming at once. It's very satisfying.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:32:29] So besides gardening, I think I heard you say you been reading some books and you have now are hobbies that have been keeping you busy during this time.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:32:37] A young lady that's sort of my honorary daughter brought me some jigsaw puzzles. And I didn't realize how much of your time they took up and how intent I was on getting them done. I hadn't done a jigsaw puzzle for a long time, and that was very engaging. I'm not sure I'm going to do a lot more because I cut down my reading time. But it was beer bottle covers.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:33:09] Did they have a lot pieces? Several hundred or up in the thousands.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:33:15] Unfortunately, it was a thousand pieces.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:33:18] Oh, my gosh.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:33:19] It was quite complicated, but it was fun. I'm not going to do any more. I don't think not. Certainly not a thousand pieces.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:33:28] That does sound challenging like it would take a long time. Before we started the interview you were talking about having gone through past crisis's and challenges and lives and wondering if you could kind of share some of those experiences that you've gone through in the past that have kind of help you get through this current pandemic.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:33:48] My life has just been a long life that has been full would make, when you're an elderly person, would make so many things to think about. So many memories that just the fact that you had the life at all would be a happiness. And I was lucky to have children. I have a son or a daughter. I have three grandsons and three great grand kids, great grandson and two great granddaughters. And so I have family. And you think of your friends. I'm sorry to say many of my friends are no longer with us. But that's one of the things that happens when you're old. You can't help that. But starting out in the Dust Bowl as a kid.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:34:42] Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:34:43] And then going to the Chicago area, I went to Northwestern this school. Living in Chicago for a while. And Milwaukee. And then moving to Louisville, which has been a wonderful place to live.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:34:58] Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:34:59] And when we first came. Here we lived in the country, people were renting an old country sort of mansion that was in kind of bad shape but was very interesting. And so we were able to live out when it was still country before the suburbs had started to take it over.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:35:21] Right. Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:35:22] And Louisville was very beautiful then. And then I have ended up at this wonderful place to live. It's been a long life and very full. And at the moment, I'm very content.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:35:39] I know you mentioned you lived through the Dust Bowl and even through the end of the Depression or through the Depression. What was that like?  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:35:50] Oh, well, people were very poor. And where I lived because of the Dust Bowl, it was sort of double poor. The combination was pretty awful. President Roosevelt stepped in and had many a lot of ideas that people on the Great Plains area were very grateful for. Then the next thing was Pearl Harbor. Well, we were in high school.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:36:23] Yeah.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:36:25] Then WWII. I've had quite a few wars in my life. I'd like to not have any more of those. Yeah, it's just been one event after another, I guess.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:36:36] Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:36:37] Many of those things became the rallying points for our country to come together and work together.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:36:44] Yes. And now we're having kind of an uproar.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:36:48] Yeah.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:36:49] I don't know what will come of it, but I have to say, with probably not any background that people would appreciate because I'm from South Dakota, which didn't get me started in the southern idea.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:37:04] Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:37:05] But I think that we have to make some kind of improvement on our split in this country between white people and black people.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:37:13] Yes. You were a secondary teacher in high school of government and history. I'm sure that the civics part of that, the civility of the discussion where it's been kind of eroded. And I'm sure that's that's something you probably talked quite a bit of back in the day as well.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:37:34] Yes, we did. After World War two, we were so proud of our country. Right. We thought we'd done something wonderful. I don't think we're very proud at the moment.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:37:46] Yeah.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:37:48] And Europe has just said we can't even come to visit because we're not doing well about the Covid crisis. So not only are we not very important anymore, but we've been banned from going to Europe.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:38:01] Right.  

 

[00:38:02] That's not a good progression, right?  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:38:06] Yeah, well, hopefully we can talk more and listen more and come together eventually. I know I lived in the New York area during 9/11, just outside of New York, and I was always amazed how people came together so quickly after that event. And I'm hopeful for that in the future with some some positive dialog.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:38:29] We need to be proud of our country. If we could get back to that, like right after war, to how proud we were of how hard everybody worked and what everybody does, we need to feel that way. And then we can pull together if we need we need a center that we're proud of.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:38:48] Right.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:38:50] And we don't have it right now.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:38:52] You're so right. And I know we're coming short on our time. But I did want to ask you one last question that I think is on many of our minds as we look forward to the crisis, this pandemic being over. What are you most looking forward to doing again?  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:39:11] I will be able to see my family again. Part of my family lives in Bozeman, Montana.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:39:19] Oh, wow.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:39:20] Part of my family is in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Yeah, I am removed from a family. So that's the very first thing that will happen. And I will be very glad of that.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:39:34] Yeah. Seeing your family and getting those hugs.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:39:37] And that will be wonderful. I think many people have the same goal.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:39:45] Thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate you coming on our podcast and sharing your thoughts and your experiences.  

 

M.L. Gorman [00:39:53] Thank you, Bryan. It was very nice to be able to do it. Stay safe.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:39:58] You too, M.L.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:40:01] Thank you, Bryan, for that interview with M.L. Gorman. I met her last year when we were videotaping at Episcopal Church Home Dudley Square community and her garden is beautiful. It was good to hear that she's still doing that. She's still supporting her neighbors and our staff. She's a positive force down there for sure.  

 

Bryan Reynolds [00:40:21] Yeah, she she certainly was a wonderful interview. And it was so nice to touch base with her, particularly since we really haven't seen them in months. Our residents, that is. So that was truly special. And yeah. I wish I could see her her garden this year because it sounds beautiful. Well, that's it for this episode of The Linkage Podcast by Episcopal Retirement Services. For more information about us, you can visit our Web site at EpiscopalRetirement dot com. We have a lot of great content, including our linkage online blog, resources that you can download to learn more about aging and all of the services that we have to offer, and so much more. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to see what's going on within ERS and our communities as well. If you have any questions or feedback for us, please e-mail us at info at ERSLife dot org. We love hearing from our listeners and we love getting feedback. The Linkage podcast is produced by Kristin Davenport and Bryan Reynolds. Feoshia Davis is our associate producer and our technical director is Michelle Hoehn. I'd like to thank our guests today, including Vivian Kline and M.L. Gorman and of course, a special thank you to President and CEO Laura Lamb for always being available and giving her her updates about what's going on within ERS. Am I on behalf of myself Bryan Reynolds and Kristin Davenport, thank you so much for joining us. We look forward to our podcast next week. Thanks so much, Kristin.  

 

Kristin Davenport [00:41:59] You bet, bryan. We'll talk again soon.