Has lockdown contaminated your memories?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

When I think back to before lockdown, my memories have been rewritten to include social distancing. If it's a situation where SD would have been impossible (festival, house party, crowded restaurant etc) I feel really quite uncomfortable reliving it. Anyone else? I'm not unduly stressed by the virus or lockdown, so it's an odd feeling.

@ragged I took DS (8) into Cardiff city centre yesterday, as shops in Wales officially opened about a week ago. Pre-Covid it would have been mobbed, but it was like a ghost-town still - just little clusters of people dotted around and hardly any shops with queues outside. Sat down on some steps for DS to eat his lunch and he said, 'Look at how busy it is!'

I bet psychologists and sociologists are dying to get out there and study us.

I feel like this watching TV and I'm not sure I would rush out to first festival either.

I think it will fade back to normal but its going to take time that's for sure

For me it was remembering birthday parties and cakes that we’ve all eaten after the birthday child/adult has blown the candles out 🤢

I don't feel uncomfortable seeing normal interactions on the TV, it just makes me miss it. I know social distancing is a short term measure in the grand scheme of human history but I can't bloody wait to sit down in a cafe and read the paper, go for drinks with a friend, be able to hug my parents etc etc.

DH and I were going to book an overseas holiday, until we realised we were (probably like a lot of people) thinking of how it used to be. All carefree, strolling round a nice food market, exploring narrow streets, popping into a nice looking bar or restaurant on the spur of the moment...

Maybe it would still be nice, but nothing will be spontaneous any more, you'll end up hanging out in the least popular spots purely because you have to, and you'll have to wear a mask in 35 degree heat. Not trying to dissuade anyone else, but I bet a lot of people think it will be an escape, rather than the same shit but stricter and hotter.

I live in a covid free place, all restrictions lifted a short while ago. Everything has just pretty much bounced back to how it used to be, with added hand gel outside shops. People have almost instantly reverted to pre covid behaviour.

Just realised my last post sounds like it's contradicting my OP a bit!

What I mean is, when you think of a holiday you assume that holiday feeling will still be there, when in fact the things it comes from probably won't be there.

Social distancing now features in my dreams, even if I'm dreaming about being in the pub or something.

@Peacocking that's reassuring. Is it New Zealand?

Nope. And I refuse to let it happen; it's on a par with that loathsome phrase, "new normal". I am taking great care to keep it to a TEMPORARY normal in my mind, by living as I did pre-Covid as much as I can, without affecting others.

Same here Wandering - I am not letting myself get into the "new normal" mindset at all. I have stayed within the guidelines but that has included a lot of socialising and carrying on with life as usual as far as is possible.

@borntohula

Social distancing now features in my dreams, even if I'm dreaming about being in the pub or something.

Yes! I had a dream last night where I was in a cafe with friends and you know how it’s usually a really odd thing that alerts you to the fact it’s a dream? Like a gorilla in a bikini dancing in from the kitchen or something? Not this time. I noticed in my dream that we were all sitting normally close to each other then the woman next to me gave me a massive hug and I thought “oh, this isn’t real”.

No. I don't see it that way. At all. My memories aren't tarnished. That was then, this is now. This is just a brief period. We'll get over it and then adjust. Some things will change, but eventually we'll be back to parties, concerts etc.
I don't have your viewpoint at all.

I’ve been looking back at party videos and it’s feels weird seeing people blowing out candles on a birthday cake then everyone tucking into cake with their germs on. Wondering if I will ever feel ok eating birthday cake again!

Yes! Memories of going to the theatre or a concert are really hard to get my head around or being on a busy tube at rush hour.

Honestly I think I will just revert back without a backwards glance, I am meeting groups of 1-6 people regularly now and it feels perfectly normal apart from the 2m gaps which still feel wrong.

I do. I was reading a book after a few weeks of lockdown, the mother and daughter went shopping, then had lunch. It seemed so strange for me to imagine ever doing that again.

I've been wondering how Corona is going to impact future travel plans.

When I travel to a place completely different from my home (eg a beach resort, up in the mountains etc) I tend to completely forget "home standards", I just go with whatever is happening there.

If we do book that trip to Bhutan that DH and I have in mind for next year, will Corona haunt us? What will be the rules there? Should we leave it another few years? Will Bhutan be enjoyable socially distanced? Will I get that feeling of being somewhere completely different if I'm still using the same habits that I use at home (mask wearing, hand sanitizing etc)?

I'm the same. It's hard to believe that in 4 months how it is ingrained on my brain about SD.

I still look at programmes thinking 🤔 when they're close.

I'm sure after 6 months of been freed we'll settle back into how we were. Although I'm not sure I like that as it just goes to show how dirty people are as all viruses are passed from person to person.

I do however know many people who will settle back into crowds easily. The only thing they would have in common is they all think the virus is an over reaction, it's like flu, are convinced that not cleaning their home or washing hands frequently and mixing with others who are ill is good for the immune system.

People are ALWAYS too close to me in my dreams. I used to have bad dreams about classes that won’t behave, now they’re about classes who won’t social distance!

I was thinking about the last holiday we had, in Feb. UK, moderately busy little historic town with narrow streets. I did wonder when I would feel comfortable going back there, no choice but to push through crowds at certain times.

I think extra hand washing and hand sanitizer in shops, your car, handbag etc will stay for a long time. I do wonder whether the perspex screens in shops will stay for a very long time but other than that I think it will go back to normal quickly and I can't bloomin wait! Coronavirus has obviously been awful and social distancing measures necessary as a temporary step but who would want to live like this long term? It's not a natural way for people to interact.

I used to carry hand sanitiser anyway, I'm quite happy with that and increased handwashing as longterm habits, just not the social distancing.