To miss the first lockdown?

I miss how wonderful it was being able to enjoy our local area free of crowds of tourists and traffic, also how good it was for my child being free from school.

I don't miss the fear, the lack of support, or , of course, the tragedy of so many deaths.

Completely agree with this.

I was a midwife on delivery suite, working with colleagues struggling to get enough ppe to protect so we wouldn't, you know, die.

Supporting women having to attend hospital on their own not knowing if partners could be with them at their most vulnerable.

DH in hospitality, both of us still working full time throughout the whole shitshow. No furlough for us, self employed friends losing their businesses. My mum who was our childcare asking for a note in case she got stopped by the police on her way to out house.

Yeah, fucking marvellous it was

Those of us who found elements of lockdown they preferred can keep them though.

For example, I worked full time in an office in 2020, and was doing 60hr+ weeks. I work 45(ish) now and I’m at home for 90% of the month. Hugely prefer it.

You can slow down, socialise on your own terms, find a job that works better around your preferences.

Lockdown was a factory reset for me. Didn’t like my husband, left him. Didn’t like my job, have a new one.

Keep the bits you liked. If you liked a slower pace, slow down.

I would normally hesitate to say it, because I know I was lucky. But yes for me it was a peaceful time, with walks by the river, and time to sit out in it garden and read. The biggest bonus was being able to work from home.

My mum actually enjoyed it as she rarely leaves the house, and she kind of enjoyed others being in the same boat.

YANBU. You are being honest about your own personal experiences, whilst acknowledging it was a terrible time for others.

Setting aside it being sparked by an infectious disease, which we know killed and caused distress to many, I get what you are trying to say about getting to experience a slower pace of living and appreciating things more. I was talking to another Dad about this at the park earlier, our families came together recently for a BBQ, and we still have a greater appreciation for being able to share food together in person again. I know someone else who regularly says she is craving a ‘lockdown day’ at home, and plans them when off work. I spoke to another Dad at the park after school recently who told me all about his allotment, and how he only had the time to find out about and get it going during lockdown.

I similarly didn’t find the first lockdown hard. I’m a SAHM, spent a lot of time in the garden with my then 18 month old anyway. Actually, it was the only time ever my teacher husband could work from home, eat lunch with us daily, and him physically being in the house meant I could leave and run whilst my son was napping, which was out of the question before. So even though all our groups stopped and I couldn’t see my Mum, we saw my DH more than every before during the day.

I found the second Winter one much worse, as it was often too cold to be outside. I remember the rule changing to acknowledge that 2 adults meeting for a walk can include a toddler. A friend would try to meet me and my then 2 year old for a walk, but it really was too cold. We sat talking through our car windows at a distance, and it felt crazy she couldn’t pop by for even a cup of tea. That was really isolating and lonely.

Moving forwards, can you find ways to simplify your life? Have a day at the weekend which you keep very loose with no set plans, just chill at home together? Re-connect with those you’d like deeper connection with?

Ultimately, OP, you can’t be unreasonable for the way you feel. You feel what you feel. It’s valid. There’s no right or wrong. It’s neither reasonable nor unreasonable.

I wish I had a similar experience, unfortunately I was working in a customer facing role essential retail. I was spat on and sworn at with minimum ppe at the start. It was traumatic.

Some of us still had to work and take kids to school etc.

So wasn't really a slower pace of life.

And the stupid restrictions in place.

I had a baby born in April 2020, and it was the weirdest time I think I've ever had... First baby, so didn't have a clue anyway, but I didn't feel cut off from the world in the way I did with my second, because everyone else was stuck in too! I remember the sun, walking the quiet streets with baby in its pram, the empty city centre on our one daily outing. Personally, I enjoyed it 🤷‍♀️ though probably an element of rose tinted glasses

I liked the peace and quiet of the towns and being able to really hear the birds.

Everything else was utterly, utterly, utterly shit. I was / am a Forgotten Freelancer whose industry shut down but received no financial assistance from anyone or any organisation.

I was single, home alone and terrified. I lost my life savings.

Yes we really enjoyed it too. It was glorious weather & spent the time outside horse riding & on the farm.
Work was relatively unchanged (supermarket & farming)
I'm quite introverted & self sufficient so actually it was a lovely time.
I found the winter lockdown later on in the year alot harder. The NHS seemed to stop functioning eg GPs which took its toll on a few older family members.

That doesn't take away from the dreadful time people who were immunocompromised, got sick, lost loved ones etc. They must remember it very differently.

U must be looking back with rose tinted glasses. I worked in a hospital at the time then moved to community. It was an absolute nightmare

I got covid early on.Right at the beginning and it was pretty scary.But fortunate enough to have a lovely home and garden to recover in.But no.It seriously impacted on my DHs new business and made a serious dent in our savings.Plus it was very stressful for our DCs with small children stuck at home and one and ICU nurse.So no I absolutely don't miss it and hope we never have to isolate like that ever again.

I mean I get it. I'd love to do like a week of it again as I'm not a people person. But Yabu because it went on ages and I was slowly losing my sanity and considering dyeing my hair green just for something to do by the end of it

I enjoyed some of it. I got a hot tub (yeah I know, hated on here) and really benefitted that chilling in there after work. I got fit, set myself some challenges and lost 24lbs in 1yr. But I missed a lot of things. I wasn’t a fan of 100% WFH, I missed my colleagues. Now I go to the office 5 days a week out of choice, as I need that human interaction. The only adult I saw for most of that first year was my local friend for dog walks (God rest her soul, she passed earlier this year after a sudden illness). I missed my family 5hrs drive away and was sad to not spend Christmas with my mum and adult son. My teens hated it, one ended up self harming. So no, i’d hate to go back to lock down days. Above all, I was terrified one of us would get covid and die.

Delulu to the max.

YABU

people were dying
kids out of education
people working in hideous circumstances
people losing their jobs
exams, weddings etc cancelled
people not able to mourn the dead properly
the elderly abandoned in care homes
give your head a wobble

YABVU.. I drove my Y13 18 year old son to drop his books off at school today. He's very socially introverted and awkward. I told him to go out with his friends today. He said to me, "You don't worry about me. I know lockdown wasn't very good for me. But I'm OK now"

He was 13 when it started.Had an awful impact on him mentally and he's only just getting better now. I dread to think how many other kids have been impacted.

I understand that you enjoyed it OP but for so many people it was horrendous and thinking of it brings back so many bad memories. That's why you're getting the reactions you are.

Personally lockdown for me included DP getting his terminal cancer diagnosis on his own, not being able to see my DF when he was dying and having to deal with a grieving DD whilst having no human contact.

I get where you're coming from but it is going to stir up so many awful things for people.

No surprise you’d get people coming on and screaming at you for all the bad things that happened. Yes, they did happen. However, some of us, despite all that going on, got an experience of a different way of life that for various reasons resonated with us better than the status quo.

I never had to fret about after work socials or horrible commutes, and that’s valid.

Just because X number had a shit time doesn’t mean we all had to have a shit time.

Others of us, diagnosed or not, had a nicer experience than usual because we weren’t forced into society. Imagine telling someone with social anxiety or agoraphobia or some other condition that they’re unreasonable for enjoying a time out from the strains of normal life. Sheesh.

FWIW, I was not on furlough and worked 10-12 hours a day at my computer in a one bed flat. I didn’t sit in a paddling pool fucking around.

Absolutely not, YABU

We had to shield. DH worked from home throughout the whole thing. No furlough for us. However DH wasn't able to walk any further than our tiny garden for months. DD had her first steps and first birthday during the first lock down. I have a photo of the first time we went out as a family it was September 2020 to our local beach in the pouring rain. My walks with DD were also only when it rained as it meant we had playgrounds to ourselves (when they were open). Whilst being petrified that if DH got covid he'd die on a ward and I wouldn't get to say goodbye.

I'm sure it was pleasant for many people not having to do anything whilst the government paid for them to do so. However the reality for many of us with vulnerable family members was very different.

Edited to add: I also ended up with a home birth that went wrong because we didn't want DH to have to make a trip to hospital for the birth. I also had to have my cancer diagnosis on my own as we weren't allowed to have people for support.