Five on the Drive — A Pandemic Antidote
In December 2019, a cluster of patients in the Wuhan province of China, began experiencing respiratory symptoms, which the whole world would in a short period of time call the Covid-19 pandemic. Now with the global death toll approaching 7 million, I reflect on the massive societal changes in America from schools, the workplace, recreation, and all manners of social interaction.
Collectively, my family and friends masked everywhere (but going nowhere), wiped down groceries and purchases from the outside coming in, performed mandatory 20-second hand washing, and modified socialization and travel to minimize Covid-19 transmission risk.
Loneliness and isolation peaked with the public health swings. Most people we know have encountered Covid at least once, and for me that time came in March 2022, when all four members of my immediate family tested positive.
Serendipitously, a ray of hope emerged in our very own Oakland neighborhood when two hosts, a married couple and a widow constructed a weekly ‘5 on the Drive’ event within their garages or driveways. ‘5 on the Drive’ refers to five PM gatherings every Friday.
The hosts, informed of all current CDC or local public health guidelines, creatively devised these gatherings to include all the local neighbors via a neighborhood directory provided by the Homeowners Association. The nature of these gatherings varied from coming together wearing masks with your own food/drink, and at other times, a more intimate gathering in the garage with garage door open for proper ventilation.
When safe, the host and hostess prepared a main dish, sometimes highlighting a holiday like July 4th or Saint Patrick’s Day and asked for contributions related to their themes. They provided camp chairs at the garage, paper and plastic supplies, a rectangular table positioned in the middle of the garage, where it housed delectable desserts, salads, and other side dishes.
Our hosts provided the culinary catalyst, which neighbors supplemented with their own offering. Our neighborhood community contributed some of their favorite bubblies or alcoholic beverages and at times there was music and dancing.
One neighbor loves baking and all things sweet; we have collectively experienced her brownies, chocolate chip cookies, a medley of cakes, and most recently, smores with marshmallows and melted chocolate. One neighbor provided lumpia, or Filipino eggrolls, on a large platter.
Some events carried a theme. At Halloween, those interested arrived in costume. At Christmas, we wore ugly sweaters, or red and green garments displaying trees or even Santa. For the Jewish attendees, a menorah greeted the guests.
This gathering had such predictability, visibility, and importance in our neighborhood, it even attracted the mail carrier’s attention. When the specifics of the event were explained, he said he would share this with his family in the Philippines, who adopted their own version.
On Saint Patrick’s Day, I slow-cooked corned beef with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, which my husband, Ted, helped me carve and arrange on a large white platter.
On Labor Day weekend, I brought a healthy version of homemade potato salad, with potatoes, sliced olives, fresh snap peas, marinated artichokes, celery, pickles, green and red onions, and fresh parsley, mixed with a stone-ground mustard, oil, and vinegar vinaigrette.
We brought a huge bowl and there were only two spoonfuls left at the end. Multiple members exclaimed that this was one of the best potato salads they had ever eaten. Such feedback really warms my soul and keeps me active in the kitchen — inventing, cutting, chopping, and mixing. I have my Papa to thank for his original potato salad inventions, although he used mayo, which I find unappetizing.
In the garage gatherings, there are the “sitters” and the “rovers.” I usually assumed the former position due to my blindness, whereas Ted moved from group to group. Generally, Ted and I visited at least once a month since the group’s proximity in the garage often yielded high noise levels, which made it hard to engage in specific meaningful conversations.
Although at times I felt the chatter of 15 to 20 in the garage space overwhelming, due to my vision loss and gradual hearing loss, I performed best when one person at a time joined me in the chair next to me and talked with me.
I shared a particular affinity with one woman, now 51, who transitioned her career from paralegal work to becoming a nursing graduate, successfully passing her boards in July 2023. Finding common ground has always provided a foundation for many of my friendships, and this one was no exception.
I felt gratified knowing that she sought me out at every gathering, whether to review rigors in her studies or vent about the vigor of the medical-surgical arena. As a retired nurse, I recalled my first triumphs in my nurse intern program, much like my friend experienced when she obtained the position in a hospital where 200 had been interviewed and 10 gained employment.
As a social forum, 5 on the Drive kept residents updated on the neighborhood’s most current events. One represented a married couple’s year-long process of home repair and renovation after floods and windstorms early in 2023 blew off a substantial section of their roof, flooding most of their home.
Collectively, the neighbors followed the progression of repairs, renovations, move-outs, and ultimate return by New Year’s Eve to a home with a speaker system, shiny hardwood floors, and removal of some walls. Their whole experience gave my husband and I a warm feeling as we assisted them in obtaining an alternate living situation in a nearby all-inclusive rental community.
Frequently, neighbors recount their travels, cultural events, nights out on the town, and what favorite books and movies to watch/read to each other. Many members of the group are aware of my book club and my voracious literary appetite. As a voracious reader, I frequently shared book titles and summaries with my neighbors and received their favorite picks.
One neighbor amazed us with his recounting of long-distance biking, most recently a 300 mile trip in Southern California and his ultimate success of not having a flat tire until the end of his journey.
When I asked various attendees what 5 on the Drive meant to them, the responses were unanimously positive, i.e. for the host and hostesses, kept them from having meltdowns, and for the rest of us, represented a neighborhood meeting ground that has prevailed for almost four years.
Out of a total world population of almost 8 billion people, my Oakland neighborhood of 20 households, while not providing immunity from the Coronavirus, provided insulation from the untoward isolation of the pandemic.
I feel grateful and reassured by living in a neighborhood that is aware of, concerned about, and supported by each other. This so deeply contrasts my early childhood suburban living, and my perceptions of the anonymity of high-rise apartment living. Never in my wildest imagination could I envision that viral molecules could prompt such an intimate organization of my community.
