Editor’s note: A coronavirus pandemic that saw some of the first cases in the Keys in March changed life in ways no one could have imagined. A checkpoint kept visitors away from the island chain for a time, affecting many jobs, from servers to hoteliers. Policies were changed to address coronavirus spread in the community. Ultimately, the Keys reopened to visitors as workers in the tourist industry returned to work. Each week, the Weekly will highlight a local who spent some time to share their 2020 year. This week, Charlotte Twine met up with Jimmy Anderson, 69, a retired disaster case manager who lives in Tavernier.
Describe the year 2020 in one word. Very easy. “Bizarre.” (Laughs) It really has been bizarre.
Can you give me a specific example of a moment when you realized that 2020 was bizarre? I do have a specific moment that really made me realize how serious this is. The roadblock. (Laughs) The Monroe County roadblock. The Conch Republic. (Editor’s note: The U.S. Border Patrol established a blockade in 1982 at the top of the Florida Keys to combat the increasing drug trade in South Florida. In response, Monroe County “seceded” from the U.S. and declared itself the Conch Republic. The barricade was removed.) (The 2020 roadblock) reminded me of the Conch Republic when nobody from Dade County was allowed down here. And like in 1982, the roadblock hurt the community, so the business owners said you have to get rid of the roadblock.
What was your worst moment of 2020? No hugging. No kissing friends. Not seeing someone for a long time and then seeing them and not being able to hug them.
Do you know anyone who got sick from COVID-19? No.
Do you know anyone who died from COVID-19? No.
Did you experience financial stress in 2020 due to the pandemic? No. I was secure due to my retirement — the Florida Retirement System, Social Security — and side jobs.
What got you through the stress? Sailing. I call my Hobie catamaran “my shrink.” That’s where I get my therapy. That’s how I release stress. As soon as I push off from land (laughs), I relax totally.
Do you practice social distancing personally? Yes. Due to me being at high risk.
Do you practice social distancing at side jobs? Yes. For example, when I’m installing windows.
Has the social distancing caused stress? Yes. No hugs or kisses! (Shouts, and then laughs.) I’m a big hugger.
Do you think the social distancing works? Yes.
Did you notice any physical symptoms from stress? No, not really. I’m pretty good at handling things I can’t change. Like with sailing and windsurfing as therapy.
What was your best moment of 2020? Sailing with friends and family on my shrink. One time, for three days in a row, three baby dolphins came up to my boat. Three days in a row. This was on the Bay. Out by Cowpens. I believe it is nature touching me: “Everything is gonna be all right.”
Did you gain the “Quarantine 15”? I don’t even know what that means.
A lot of people gained weight during Quarantine. No, I didn’t.
What’s your secret? I eat healthy. And sailing and windsurfing keep me in shape.
Any further thoughts on 2020? We will all be happy when it’s over. But I’m a happy person. People always ask me why I smile all the time. And I say it’s better than the alternative — 6 feet under. I think 2021 is gonna be a great year because the country will be changing.
And I have a wonderful and supportive wife, I really want to say that. A lovely birthday together. We were here during Tropical Storm Eta. We were rained in together. When the rain stopped, we got to go on a beautiful bike ride. It was great.
I don’t mean to sound like a cliché. All Keys people, we all stick together and help each other out. Whenever I needed help in my house and was stuck, I called a friend and they came over. My Keys friends. It’s always been like that, as long as I’ve lived here, for forty years. I feel that the community is still there, even through all the changes.
