These Are Your Stories

THESE ARE YOUR STORIES a creation inspired by the pandemic, told by your Ogden community

A letter from the Ogden Downtown Alliance

I

n September, we opened a call for art in three categories: written word, digital media and mural painting. The collection of works found within the following pages are the selected submissions - unfiltered. Everything inside this magazine and the murals that go along with this publication are all creations by locals. Stories written by your neighbors.

Drawings and paintings created by friends you may not have met yet.

Around town you will see seven murals that relate to the stories found within these pages. We hope you will get out, explore our community, find these murals and share them on social media.

Most importantly, no matter how this pandemic has impacted your home or work life, we hope you are able to find connections within these pages. We hope you are able to articulate things you may only have felt since March. We hope you are able to see there is still so much to appreciate and enjoy.

Together we will prevail. As a community we will weather these challenging times by finding common ground, caring for one another and making a combined effort to maintain the things we hold dear.

The Ogden Downtown Alliance hope you will be inspired to recommit to intentional support of our local businesses; Ogden-area retailers, artisans and restaurants need you. The people, and places, that make our mountain town wonderful and unique.

Now and always, we commit to putting local first.

Enjoy.

2

Ogden Downtown Alliance

4

Bikes by Manuel Garcia Taking a Long Walk by A. J. Park Warrior Pose by Rachael Lever Water Bender by Solenne Songer @frostbite.studios

5

Winston the Bun by by @tattoosbykylie Historic Soul by Kiki Coquette

6

Leon by CADO @noise_explosion Facemask by Rachael Lever

7

Haikus by A.J. Park & Kiki Coquette

8-9

Club Q by Shila Garcia

10

Reimagine Learning by Britt Bowerbox

11

Art by Jayden Quinn

Table of contents

12 Art by Tamia Green

Haikus by Riley Brown, Marshall Middleton,

MaryKate McKinney, Collin Snow, Josh Montoya,

William Kirk Coziar 13

Untitled by Kennedy Conroy You Good by Izzy Felix

14

Untitled by Kennedy Conroy (cont’d) Coffee by Izzy Felix

15

A Robbery by A. J. Park School from Home by Manuel Garcia

16

Mural Information

17

Dia de los Muertos by Monica Rodriguez

18

“Nothing” by Ellie Lever

19

Decompress in Ogden Canyon by Vanessa Colunga

Back cover

Covid Succs by Vanessa Colunga

ogdendowntown.com

3

BY ANN J. PARK

Take a Long Walk

Bikes

BY MANUEL GARCIA

I love to walk in the mountains. Putting my feet on the earth, feeling the rhythm of walking on a trail is a meditation for me. It allows me to look at my life from a distance, to evaluate where I am, and where I’d like to go. Walking to a mountaintop allows me see into the distance. I love to surround myself with wilderness.

The sounds and smells and sights of the natural world calm me, inspire me and define me. Many people who have never left the pavement before have walked the trails this year. In the absence of concerts, parties, and shopping, many have experienced the quiet of the woods. I hope they found solace, comfort and enlightenment while they were there. I know I did.

Warrior Pose

We all together settle into warriors battle in the light

BY RACHAEL LEVER

Water Bender

4

Ogden Downtown Alliance

BY SOLENNE SONGER @FROSTBITE.STUDIOS

BY KIKI COQUETTE

Historic Soul

That morning I awoke in a mood. Coffee put on, a quick bath. To the closet, I needed a little extra something to get me into today. Outfit of the day dawned. Feeling Fly. Open the gates, let’s seize this day!

Out the door. Down the steps. Good morning 25th street! Something felt off. This town, was looking like a ghost town. The eery quiet consumed me. My obsession about where to brunch faded. I walked alone; it felt more like floating. I absorbed every feeling. I let my mind wander back in time.

The day fades to black and white. I see old fashioned cars and trolley lines. The red light district & the lifestyle of the underground, always bustling, never to be found. Train station, hotels, bath houses, & more, Historic 25th Street is never a bore.

Winston the Bun @TATTOOSBYKYLIE

Indeed times have changed,but the stories remain. Do you feel compelled to find them?

Suddenly I’m home,here above the ice cream parlor. Staring at a mirror with no reflection.

Boots off at my bedside. I may no longer be alive, but my spirit will live on forever.

FIND the corresponding mural

by Lindsay Huss on Washington Blvd across from Peery’s Egyptian Theater

ogdendowntown.com

5

BY RACHAEL LEVER

Facemask I got my first facemask in April. My mother-in-law made it. She spent two months sewing facemasks madly, as if her frenzied cutting and stitching would tuck the virus away forever into seams and elastic. It’s a pretty mask. Blue floral fabric, two layers with a filter, and I feel like I’m suffocating behind a bed of flowers, but at least it’s pretty. She made masks for me, and my husband, and all my kids, and all her kids, and their kids, and, and, and. She was so sweet to do it. That was before I even knew I needed a mask. That was before I had to wear a mask to the grocery store.

It was before.

Now, my son and his friends sell cans of soda, and cut cornstalks and bumpy squash on the corner of our street. And people stop and buy it, often giving more than the price, smiling. I walk to work at the elementary school every morning and the crossing guard, with her smiley face mask, wishes me luck at school and we smile with our eyes through our masks. A nothing. An everything.

BY CADO @NOISE_EXPLOSION

6

Ogden Downtown Alliance

haikus

BY A.J. PARK

Walls between our faces.

Build no walls between our hearts. No one is alone.

A path walked together. But not too close together. Social Distancing.

You remember me.

My chin – a forbidden sight. I am still right here.

FIND the corresponding mural

by Aelias Lorenzo at Lester Park in the Nine Rails Creative District

BY KIKI COQUETTE

Ogden Utah Roots Past Or Future Still Untamed Ogden Is Our Muse

Community Rise Ogden Pride We Are United BetterTogether

Mountain Strength Be Brave Rivers Run Wild Seasons Change Wind Whispers Stay Kind

FIND the corresponding mural by Gracie Songer in the Junction by Sonora Grill and Wing Nutz

ogdendowntown.com

7

SHILA GARCIA

Club Q

It’s been a long day. A long month. A long year, also, it’s only April 12th. A quick trip down memory lane has me sitting on the beach, sipping a cocktail in sunny Florida.

The sand is built up around my feet, the slightly chilly, overly salty waves crashing into the seam of my spring dress. Looking out to the horizon I am hopeful that the seasons ahead would bring travel, parties, holidays, a big gulp of normalcy. Now here I sit, on a couch that is covered with dogs, piled what seems like neck high laundry and a pillow from another sleepless night. I’m looking into my dining room which although it’s cute it’s definitely not the sunny Florida skyline I was remembering. As I stare that dining room of mine I notice dead flowers that should have been tossed a week ago at least, it looks like someone left their cup filled with who knows what sitting after dinner last night, none of the chairs are pushed in and for some crazy reason there are crayons on the floor. I let out a long sigh and continue to fold laundry, but I can’t get my mind off the “shoulda” and “couldas” of this year. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and we’re all locked in our houses. We aren’t shopping, we aren’t going to church, we aren’t having weddings or school or brunches. We’re all just sitting and waiting for our daily update on the stupid virus. If you’ve ever read The Hunger Games, or seen the movies, you can relate these feelings to the book/movie minus the fighting…well, leave that part in because people WERE fighting for toilet paper just a month ago. Savages.

As I stick yet another pair of leggings, the official uniform of the WFH Mom, in my

8

Ogden Downtown Alliance

laundry pile I think of my family and my teenaged son sitting down in his room in the basement. I know this isn’t a good thing for him, in fact, I’m not sure I’ve seen a smile from him in a little while. Poor kid is stuck with his lame parents 24/7. No work, no school, no friends, no parties. I can’t imagine being 18 and locked in the house.

His only sense of joy these days are the Amazon packages arriving daily. I should do something for him, I think.

I quickly peak into my husband’s office and notice his ears are covered with headphones again, he’s probably tired of hearing me cry about not being able to see my friends. If I were him, I’d probably have headphones on too. I should do something for him too.

After I finish laundry, I guess I can throw something together. Maybe I’ll bake one of those breads I see on Instagram, or we can do a puzzle together, I am sure both of those will really brighten my boys’ outlook.

Well, it’s now 11pm and I just finished DJing and “bartending” at Club Q, the hottest new dance club in Ogden. Oh, you haven’t heard of Club Q? You thought we were quarantined. Unfortunately, we’re still stuck inside but luckily, we had Club Q open in our very own living room! Yea, that’s right, a dance club right here in central Ogden.

Wanting to do something fun and silly for boys I decided to transform our living room into a fun dance club. I sent invitations to my husband and kiddo and hired 3 dogs, also known as Three Dog Day, to be the “club kids”. Lights were hung, disco balls were reflecting the smiles from everyone’s face.

FIND the corresponding mural

by CADO @noise_ explosion along the Ogden River Parkway at the High Adventure Park The music was loud and exciting, and the outfits were extremely extra, the only way to show up at Club Q. I poured fake, pandemic themed drinks and overly charged their fake debit cards. We wore wigs, and funny sunglasses. We danced together and with our dogs. We opened the curtains in hopes someone driving by would catch a glimpse and smile or laugh at us.

Club Q was pure silliness, but it brought a few hours of smiles and laughs for my family.

We’ve all been struggling to get through this weird time. I can see the pain, the uncertainty and the confusion in the eyes of my family.

I can hear the sadness in the voice of my friends and family. But we are pulling through together. We are lifting each other up in ways we were not just a few months ago. Flowers are being sent, cards opened, wine delivered and although we aren’t seeing the smiles these gifts are bringing, they are happening behind the masks and behind the closed front doors. We are down right now; we are unsure of what is next but one thing we aren’t skeptical about is our connection to each other. Now is scary but I am grateful for the silliness, the friendliness, the neighborly connects, the themed zoom calls and virtual brunches. I am grateful that I’m getting to know my family on a deeper level and see my friends in a different light. I don’t know what tomorrow will look like, or even what this afternoon will look like but I know what my support looks like, and I know where my love comes from and for now, I know what is filling my cup.

Lights were hung, disco balls were reflecting the smiles from everyone’s face. The music was loud and exciting, and the outfits were extremely extra, the only way to show up at Club Q.

ogdendowntown.com

9

+ Content on these pages was submitted by students and is presented by Nurture the Creative Mind

Reimagining Learning March 13, 2020, was the last day of my junior year of high school. As millions of people began adapting to a new quarantine lifestyle, students across America found themselves bored, unproductive and anxious for the future of their schools.

For the majority of American youth, standardized education begins at the age of six, in first grade. For some, even earlier with preschool or kindergarten classes at the ages of three or four.

From this point forward, academic achievement in core subjects (English, math, science, social studies) becomes the indicator of success in learning among students. Those able to learn the subjects quickly and efficiently are lifted to new opportunities, and those who cannot are simply left behind.

The synonymous connection between the current American system of education and learning itself is deeply flawed. By establishing the vast difference between the two, we can begin to understand the many deficiencies with how our schools are currently organized.

Learning has existed since the beginning of humanity, and is ingrained in all parts of the human experience.

As newborns, we learn to communicate and begin exploring the world around us. Learning is not confined to a certain place, time or situation, and gives us the ability to find fulfillment in knowledge and discover our passions. Learning is also interconnected. For example, if I learn to not touch a hot stove by accidentally burning myself, I may be inclined to research the science behind heat or use my language skills to prevent others from making the same mistake.

The current American system of education, unlike learning, was established in the late 1800s and has remained fundamentally unchanged since that time.

Industrialization popularized the concept of a multiple period school day, with bells signaling the transfer from subject to subject. Letter grades of A-E were first used in 1897 at Mount Holyoke College to measure performance on an exam, and the first nationwide standardized tests were administered in 1901.

When contrasted like this, it is clear learning and the education system share only a few similarities. As a student and member of Generation Z, I can attest to this through personal experience. The year I was born, Apple released the iMac G4, hybrid cars were growing in popularity and exciting new technology was everywhere. I have never known a world without

10

Ogden Downtown Alliance

BY BRITT BOWERBOX

the influence of robotic automation, and at a very young age, I experienced the power of a computer search engine at my fingertips. Today, personal mobile smartphones are as common as the clothes we wear.

The question is raised, if all the information one could ever desire is only a quick Google search away, why am I memorizing formulas and classifications, only to forget them after the test is taken? In a world of “look it up,” and “Google that,” ignorance is not the detrimental concern it once was.

Education has not evolved to address the issues of today. Statistics will show suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15-19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017), and an estimated 10-20% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, most remaining under-diagnosed and under-treated (World Health Organization, 2007). Research by the American Psychological Association has even discovered that ​ typical schoolchildren during the 1980s reported more anxiety than child psychiatric patients did during the 1950s.

What are we doing to address these issues? Why has school-related stress only increased since the initiation of the American education system? No one can deny that exposure to stress at young ages can have disastrous consequences as one progresses into adulthood. We are seeing the results of this stress through incarceration rates, drug abuse, crime and unemployment found in communities everywhere.

Today, as schools across America resume, both teachers and students are experiencing an unusually extreme “summer slide” due to the absence of academic routine for over four months. Now, imagine, if during those months of quarantine, students like me had continued discovering and growing, because their learning was not tied to a certain school or routine.

Imagine a new kind of education, one that fosters the innate love of learning within every person and encourages originality, not systemic conformity.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” Education, at full potential, has the ability to end the poverty cycle, bring strength to under-served populations and create more fulfilling lives for all. The same system will always produce the same results, and the time for change has never been more urgent than the present moment.

+ Content on these pages was submitted by students and is presented by Nurture the Creative Mind

BY JAYDEN QUINN

Necessity of Leadership Development Why was I left on unread? Do my friends hate me?

Why don’t I have as many followers? These are only minor examples of the fears that are felt by nearly every teenager in modern day society. Such recurring thoughts can easily lead to feelings of inadequacy.

What many fail to realize, however, is that you aren’t alone with these emotions, instead you are surrounded by millions of people that worry the exact same things.

As such, we are all faced with the same decision. Will I keep persisting through challenge or will I recede in defeat? The option you choose is what defines you as either a leader or a follower. A leader is the person who isn’t afraid to be wrong, fail, or ask for help when needed.

From a young age I was taught to be a leader. A leader isn’t the person who talks the loudest but instead the individual who guides others to finding their voices and who takes into consideration many different ideas. There is not one singular correct approach in becoming a leader. But such an endeavor requires a strong support system. The first place that any child can prosper is in the classroom. Yet as we all can recall, school is not entirely filled with success. There are many failures involved that can be defeating to

developing adolescents if not properly addressed.

Schools need to be a place of nurturing to help guide students along to victory.

A couple years back, I had been traveling to Costa Rica with my family. We were walking through the streets when we suddenly found ourselves lost. None of my family members spoke Spanish which left us in an unfortunate situation. Rather than becoming dismayed and frustrated, I decided to use my hefty knowledge of elementary-level Spanish skills to guide us back to the hotel. In that circumstance, I was again faced with the same decision of either giving in to failure or continuing to persist.

While it was certainly not easy and more than confusing, I mean who knew that being able to describe the weather and colors weren’t needed in determining directions? It was definitely worth it in the end because I left our vacation with more knowledge than I had previously held and with a new sense of empowerment. I learned that while a support system is imperative to success, your number one believer must be yourself. Otherwise you are just floundering in an unforgiving ocean of failure and self-doubt. Every single day you have the choice to be anything you want. My question for you is who do you want to be?

BY MERCEDES RANDHAHN ogdendowntown.com

11

+ Content on these pages was submitted by students and is presented by Nurture the Creative Mind

BY MARSHALL MIDDLETON

BY RILEY BROWN

BY TAMIA GREEN

Coming together

The isolation

Coming apart, sad to say

Fearful of another breath

Protests keep us sane

No faces, just eyes

haikus

Essential worker

Covid hits and reaps

People wearings masks

People yelling about masks

Riots in the streets

It became a task

Don’t get paid enough

Families cry and weep

How long will this last?

BY MARYKATE MCKINNEY

BY COLLIN SNOW

BY JOSH MONTOYA

March was made with fear Empty shelves and barren roads Changed us forever

BY WILLIAM KIRK COZIAR

12

Ogden Downtown Alliance

BY TAMIA GREEN

+ Content on these pages was submitted by students and is presented by Nurture the Creative Mind

BY IZZY FELIX

BY KENNEDY CONROY

Untitled In 20, maybe 30, years from now, my kids are going to walk through the door and tell me that in school they started learning about the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. They’ll ask me what it was like to live through such a momentous period in history: was it terrifying? Being completely honest with them, I would have to say: It’s complicated. I’ll explain that I had turned 17 three days before the entire world shut down, how within those same three days I witnessed my buzzing teenage world dwindle from days spent giggling with friends to days that seemed to blend together with no real agenda.

“Was it terrifying?” In a way, it absolutely was. We were dealing with something that we’d never quite seen before, something that felt more catastrophic than any hurricane or flood because it wreaked havoc invisibly. More than anything though, it was a period of deep confusion and dissatisfaction. The easiest way for me to explain what this period of

time felt like as a teenager is a coming-of-age movie that production stopped filming halfway through.

None of the milestones that have been romanticized by media or experienced by past generations ever came to fruition. I rushed out of class the day our “2week closure” was announced, not saying goodbye to anyone in the halls; little did I know I would never see them again. I never got to see my friends open acceptance letters to Universities. Never got to walk the halls with them again. Never got to see them graduate.

In my day-to-day life that no longer felt purposeful, I was mourning the life that I would have otherwise been living. With no new places to go, I took it into my own hands to try and make this a period of learning and local exploration. Running the trail systems in Ogden became my savior during quarantine. As familiar as I was with the trail systems, there were details that I had overlooked (cont’d on pg 14)

ogdendowntown.com

13

+ Content on these pages was submitted by students and is presented by Nurture the Creative Mind

Untitled (cont’d) until mind-numbing boredom took me by the hand and lead me to appreciate them: wildflowers blooming in small meadows, trees forming canopies over the otherwise blazing trail, and the calming rush of a river cutting through my route. After so much monotony, even a fresh layer of dirt on my shoes felt comforting. There’s a quote by Richard Siken that encapsulates the grounding experience I found in these perpetuated experiences: “​Eventually something you love is going to be taken away. And then you will fall to the floor crying. And then, however much later, it is finally happening to you: you’re falling to the floor crying thinking, “I am falling to the floor crying,” but there’s an element of the ridiculous to it — you knew it would happen and, even worse, while you’re on the floor crying you look at the place where the wall meets the floor and you realize you didn’t paint it very well.”

So, what exactly am I going to tell my kids when they beg for details on my experience through all of this? I’ll be honest and say it was complicated and disheartening at times, but that it was also beautiful and enlightening. I’ll tell them about the feelings of elation I got when I heard my friends’ voices in person for the first time in months.

I’ll tell them that nothing quite compares to the warmth of the first time I got to wrap my arms around someone. I’ll tell them to look at everything with fresh eyes and rose-tinted lenses because this world can be a lot to handle sometimes, but appreciation of the fine details can be enough to restore your faith. Plus, if they ever complain about having to go to school, I’ll remind them I did it while the world stopped.

Despite limitations, I found ways to connect with local nature as a means of grounding myself in a time of pure confusion. Human interaction was another beast to tackle, but with creativity my friends and I were able to find ways to show up for each other and try to celebrate the milestones that were so important to us. Whether it be sitting in the trunks of our individual cars to catch up on each other’s lives or dropping off a piece of cake on a doorstep for an 18th birthday, there were ways around loneliness. At one point, and this is almost embarrassing to admit, I listened to my best friend dissect the themes and characters of​Pride & Prejudice​for three hours while we sat in our two cars. I’ve never read P ​ ride & Prejudice​, I never quite plan on it either, but if this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to appreciate the mundane details of everyday life, because you genuinely never know when they could cease to exist.

BY IZZY FELIX

14

Ogden Downtown Alliance

A Robbery?

BY A.J. PARK

I pulled the brim of my cap low over my eyes, and put on my sunglasses, covering the last bit of my face that was visible above my mask. I put on my jacket, checked my pockets and headed inside. I need to get this done. I glanced up at the security cameras and smiled behind my mask. It was time. I put my hand into my jacket and approached the counter.

“Welcome to America First, how can I help you?” the teller said from behind his mask.

I reached into my pocket and took out my wallet. “Thanks! I’d like to deposit my check, please.”

BY MANUEL GARCIA

ogdendowntown.com

15

Murals When we put the call out for submissions to make this magazine, we also recruited five muralists who have been commissioned to create 8 foot x 8 foot murals inspired by one or more of these stories. Look for the indicators on the stories included here and then find the murals around downtown, between November 7th and November 20th.

First, the two Dia de los Muertos murals are at Union Station. But there are five more murals around town including locations along the Ogden River Parkway at the High Adventure Park (18th and Grant), Lester Park (25th and Madison), Historic 25th Street near Needlepoint Joint and on Washington Blvd just north of 25th Street.

Find and share as you discover them @ogdendowntown

16

Ogden Downtown Alliance

Dia De Los Muertos- It’s Not Mexican Halloween

BY MONICA RODRIGUEZ

Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead, a long-standing Mexican tradition, is also becoming a well-recognized and widely celebrated cultural tradition within the United States, further strengthening our roots of cultural diversity.

As of last year, the City of Ogden now hosts our own Dia De Los Muertos celebration. While speaking to the Director of Dia De los Muertos Ogden, Amir Jackson about the vision and intent of the local celebration he said, “our intent is to respect the tradition, educate the community, and build a legacy where the Dia De los Muertos celebration become an integral strand in the cultural fabric of Ogden.”

Dia De los Muertos is celebrated November 1-3. It is important to know and understand that, although in close proximity and having what could be viewed as similar practices, it is not the Mexican Halloween, a major misconception. The Dia De los Muertos celebration is about honoring and celebrating the memory of your loved ones who have past ones. The themes of death associated with Dia De Los Muertos are not negative, rather meant to be embraced and viewed in a positive light.

One of the key elements of the Day of the Dead is the Altar, or ofrendas. These Altars are created to welcome your loved one’s souls to demonstrate that they have not been forgotten.

This year Ogden will host a community Altar in front of the Union Station, Amir said, “We didn’t want to completely bypass this year’s celebration so we made it a priority to find a safe way to celebrate and landed on hosting a community altar. We all have lost someone we care about, and this is a way for everyone to have a shared experience and honor our loved ones together as a community. Hopefully this will become an annual staple within the community” Typical items used to decorate your altar are pictures of the loved one you are remembering, flowers, religious items, sugar skulls, as well as something specific to your loved one.

The altar is gone now but the two murals that go with the ofrenda will be available until November 20th.

Who will you be celebrating?

ogdendowntown.com

17

BY ELLIE LEVER

NOTHING

Nothing.

There was no one walking outside, no cars on the street. The city had fallen asleep, waiting for the trauma to end. The whole world held its collective breath, not wanting to spread the plague any further. And that was what we did during Quarantine.

Nothing.

We sat inside, remembering how to be a family. “Just roll the clay out like this, Dad. Now you take the fork and make scratches...and now put it on top!” The little cup that he was building slowly grew taller, wider, taking shape as his hands slowly grew more skillful.

Nothing.

Long, long hours of being at the table, board games spread out in colorful glory as we laughed and won and lost and won some more.

Nothing.

We stepped outside our front doors, remembering how to be neighbors. There were people walking now, people that walked past and waved and smiled and stopped to chat from a safe distance. People that we’d never known and never cared to know...until we thought we might lose them. People who could finally take the courage to find out the color of their neighbors’ eyes. “Could I play with you?” The boy asked, bringing our baseball back to us and tossing it expertly into the air. “I don’t have a glove, but I’d like to play.”

Nothing.

“Hey! Do you guys live here? On this street?” The man asked us enthusiastically, waving to us from where he stood on the sidewalk, his wrinkled cheeks dimpling as he grinned.

“Yes,” we replied, smiling back. “Me too! I live just down there in that house. I’ll see you guys later!” He continued walking up toward the church building, and moments later we heard his cheerful voice ring out again.

“Hey! Do you guys live here? On this street?”

Nothing.

The lady who lived a few houses down regularly brought her toddler up to our porch to see our little dog. One day, we went out to talk to her and ended up spending hours on the front walk laughing, talking, cursing the plague, smiling, and reconnecting.

Nothing.

The city stretched, beginning to awaken from her slumber, and we began to remember how to be a community. Cars drove by, and people waved. Colorful and hopeful messages appeared on the sidewalks. “We are so excited to have you back!!” The signs on local businesses read.

“We’ve missed you!” Masked employees and customers scrunched their eyes at each other, smiling behind their face coverings. “You can go ahead of me!” The woman waved us and our over-full grocery cart in front of her. She stepped back to the six-foot distance marker and looked up at the fluorescent lights. Her cart held less than ten items. We did not know her, and she did not know us. And yet, the pandemic that had swept the world had somehow brought these strangers together, to a place where we had a common ground and a drive for increased connection.

Nothing?

No. It was definitely something.

18

FIND the corresponding mural by Brandy Sorenson on Historic 25th Street near Needlepoint Joint and Pig and a Jelly Jar Ogden Downtown Alliance

BY VANESSA COLUNGA

ogdendowntown.com

19

BY VANESSA COLUNGA

This magazine produced by submissions from your neighbors and friends.

Funded in part by