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Covid

Do you ever think that life will never be quite the same, not in a doom and gloom way, just different?

52 replies

IdratherbeinCornwall · 20/06/2020 20:24

It's difficult to put quite into words what is more of a feeling.

Something feels that things will never quite be how they were, not because we will ne ever get back to normal, but because the pandemic has perhaps changed your outlook.

For example dh and I have been having the same takeaway from the same place for years. The place closed during lockdown, and when they reopened it just wasn't the same. We'd got so used to not having it.

Walking, I've always liked walking but I've found a real joy in walking in my local park, obviously because there isn't much else to do. But I've really grown to love and appreciate it more than ever.

Some other things like just browsing round Asda on my day off, I've got a newfound appreciation for this small pleasure.

It's like things that I enjoyed before I don't think I want to go back to but things I took for granted feel so great now.

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IdratherbeinCornwall · 20/06/2020 20:25

I think it's because our routines have changed so much for many of us.

There are certain things I literally cannot wait to do again, others I don't think I'll ever bother with again.

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Apossibility84 · 20/06/2020 20:28

All back to normal eventually

If this country can go through 2WW - children evacuated, the blitz, young male population decimated, we can get through this!

I went to friends for drinks this evening. Some of us hugs, some chose not to.
We sat in sun in garden and chatted. Bliss.

We will be back. No doubt about it.

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Apossibility84 · 20/06/2020 20:29

I reckon will completely go back to normal.

In every single way.
Not in Immediate term but not long.

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EmmelineGreen · 20/06/2020 20:29

We can get through it but things were not ‘the same’ after WW2. Any big societal upheaval will result in changes in attitudes and behaviour but it’s probably quite hard to predict at the moment what they will be.

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TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 20/06/2020 20:30

I hope so. Life has been calmer, quieter and much kinder to the planet. This is quite interesting.

apple.news/AWTOzawvjS6mosFI_TTgZ7A

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cushioncovers · 20/06/2020 20:31

I think it will all blow over and go back to normal within a year or so.

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Drivingdownthe101 · 20/06/2020 20:38

I hope the dirty scumbags who didn’t used to wash their hands now do so more often.
I hope strangers don’t come too close to me indefinitely.
Otherwise I enjoyed my life before and want to get back to it.

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IdratherbeinCornwall · 20/06/2020 20:41

Drivingdownthe101 Grin I enjoyed my life. I'm definitely not one of these people who has been loving lockdown.

I agree about hand washing and not standing too close. Not holding out too much hope on that one.

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Waxonwaxoff0 · 20/06/2020 20:45

I think life will go back to normal. Some things might change - working from home might become more common. Travel abroad might become more expensive.

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beela · 20/06/2020 20:49

I've always liked walking but I've found a real joy in walking in my local park, obviously because there isn't much else to do. But I've really grown to love and appreciate it more than ever.

I feel the same. I have always liked where we live, but I really really love it now.

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user1972548274 · 20/06/2020 20:50

Life changes all the time just usually not so fast or so noticeably. It's not really the big deal people keep making out. It's normal for feelings to change.

I find the people who keep protesting that everything will go back to exactly how it was quite defensive.

The world has changed.

I expect that the people who want to recreate an identical version of their old life because it worked for them will have the chance in time. The rest of us can take forward the positives we have found.

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Saladmakesmesad · 20/06/2020 20:58

I’d love to think it will change but I don’t think it will. People will go back exactly to how they were before. Many already have.

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Drivingdownthe101 · 20/06/2020 20:58

I don’t think I’m defensive. It’s just that after the death of my brother in his 20’s I’d already made the changes I needed to make my life exactly how I wanted it.
After years spent with DH and I both in high pressure jobs, moving house all the time (we lived in 4 counties and 6 counties in 9 years) we took big pay cuts to move closer to my parents. DH negotiated mainly working from home so he could spend more time with us all. I went freelance so it was less pressure. We downsized. We made an effort to appreciate the small things in life. We stopped doing everything we didn’t want to do, and started doing all the things we did. We already appreciated nature, and local spaces. We worked out what made us happy.
So yes, I do want things to go back to ‘normal’, because our normal took a lot of effort to get to!

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Jingstohang · 20/06/2020 21:11

I had a full life before lockdown, now I'm shielding. Normal would be nice, although i have enjoyed the slower pace of working from home. I've worked harder but with no commute.

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NotStayingIn · 20/06/2020 21:16

To put it really bluntly: if you are rich things will soon be the same. If you are poor, it might take longer. Real change rarely happens. The world hasn't changed, it might seem it superficially, but there has not been a fundamental change.

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TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 20/06/2020 21:24

I think there will be changes. If you look on the virus as a war (not an actual war, but we were forced to change everything to deal with it).

Society changes dramatically after a war.

WW1: women got the vote. Women worked much more widely.

WW2: Eroded the class system. Women went into munitions rather than into service. Women took on traditional male jobs.

And now: working from home is calmer and better for the planet, not every day, but some days. I think this has pushed the digital revolution much much further forward. Most people don’t want to return to the commuting and hassle. And really a lot of people don’t have to.

I look forward to this destroying the horrible macho presenteeism that is still prevalent in the Uk. And hopefully this will prove to be a seismic change similar to the erosion of the class system.

This will just be the start, and it will take time but know we’ve seen how much our lives can change for the better, let’s hope it carries on

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DisobedientHamster · 20/06/2020 21:28

No. I think most people will go back to the usual. I'm a long-route walker and I'm bored AF of walking now.

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WanderingMilly · 20/06/2020 21:28

I think we'll go back to our usual ways very quickly. I say that with sadness because I wish we wouldn't....I would like to see more regard for the planet and climate change, a future with less flying, less pollution, more working from home, less travel... But it won't happen. there will be the usual stuff, lack of regard from everyone.

To answer your question, no, I don't think things feel different and will be back to 'normal' very soon. In my personal life I haven't noticed a great deal of difference during lockdown as I live on my own and I'm not trying to home school children or wfh. But I have enjoyed fewer people about, lanes free from traffic, no heaving crowds. Sadly that's already changed....

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Nihiloxica · 20/06/2020 21:31

My life, and my children's lives, have changed for the worse.

No fucking way am I carrying on with this dreary eternal no-fun present.

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Muchtoomuchtodo · 20/06/2020 21:34

Technological advances will be maintained I hope

More working from home
Less need to attend hospitals, GP’s etc
Don’t know why but I never used to zoom / FaceTime my family, will keep doing this

I think foreign holidays will be more carefully considered for a while, and likely to be more expensive

We will hopefully not take NHS / carers / retail staff / delivery drivers / teachers etc for granted

I’d like to think that health and education might get the finance that they need to provide the services that are needed.

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SpnBaby1967 · 20/06/2020 21:41

I'll never enjoy going for a walk again, its lost its appeal after 13 weeks of it being the only activity I can do with the children.

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Drivingdownthe101 · 20/06/2020 21:42

@SpnBaby1967

I'll never enjoy going for a walk again, its lost its appeal after 13 weeks of it being the only activity I can do with the children.

Haha I feel the same. I used to love a walk. Now it’s just another chore.
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MarshaBradyo · 20/06/2020 21:45

Back to normal when we can

I reckon we’ll get a bit of sprung spring effect and people will go a bit nuts, spending (if they have the funds).

But mostly we’ll move on very quickly.

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NotStayingIn · 20/06/2020 21:45

Maybe I'm being pessimistic but I just don't think this will lead to the fundamental changes that WW1 and 2 brought about.

And even the working from home isn't going to be such a fundamental shift. Not to society as a whole anyway. How many zero-hour contractors do you know working from home?

I would LOVE change, but personally I can't see it.

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Uhoh2020 · 20/06/2020 21:53

I hope to god queuing outside shops does not become a new norm

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