STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It is definitely Friday, and that means it's time for StoryCorps. Meagan Hillman is the public health director of the small town of Lamar, Colorado. Bryan Herrera owns a hardware store in Lamar. They were friends for years. Their kids went to the same school, played on the same sports teams, and then the pandemic hit. Meagan and Bryan were on opposing sides. At StoryCorps, they sat down for their first conversation in five years.
BRYAN HERRERA: Business for me ramped up like crazy because people are trying to enjoy their outdoor space, and they're interested in fire pits and planting gardens. And then we were all nervous that you might come in and shut us down. When it came out that we were essential, it was like, I'm going to be able to pay my bills. We can stay open.
MEAGAN HILLMAN: I imagine it felt scary when you get told you can't have your business open.
HERRERA: Yeah.
HILLMAN: You know, I came at it of fear for so many people passing away, which was really devastating. But my job complicated things between us. My nurse, who was a really tough cookie, she called your business and say, hey, we've gotten a lot of complaints.
HERRERA: When the call came through, I remember it saying, we've got some reports that you guys are not social distancing. And I said, no, no, we're not. You guys aren't wearing masks. No, we're not. We were at least 10 deep at the register, and we were shorthanded. And I said, I've got a store full of customers right now and hung up the phone.
HILLMAN: That shook my nurse, which, of course, shook me 'cause it was kind of like a screw you and I was like, are you sure you were talking to Bryan?
HERRERA: Mm-hmm. I probably came across a little harsh. And that does bother me, you know, because it's not who I want to be.
HILLMAN: That isn't you. You're a really nice person. But since that day, I haven't been shopping at your store.
HERRERA: Yeah.
HILLMAN: When all of this came down, it put the spotlight on me, and every time there was different restrictions, I just dreaded releasing them because it would come with a flurry of hate.
HERRERA: Mm-hmm.
HILLMAN: It just got very personal. People on Facebook saying, why am I shutting this town down? I should have my brains bashed in, and people were threatening to come out to my house. So we thought about leaving Lamar several times.
HERRERA: It hurts my heart to know how nasty the community was to you. You had a responsibility. You had a duty to see that people are healthy.
HILLMAN: We still are a community.
HERRERA: Yeah. We don't always agree 100% with each other, but we don't just write each other off.
HILLMAN: Thank you for being willing to talk it out. I wasn't sure that you would be.
HERRERA: Well, you're a good person that I have a lot of respect for.
HILLMAN: Same. You know, maybe we'll make a move to say hello more than we would before.
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INSKEEP: Wow. Meagan Hillman and Bryan Herrera in Lamar, Colorado. Their conversation was recorded as part of StoryCorps' One Small Step Initiative, bringing people together for conversations across divides. You can learn more at takeonesmallstep.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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