Please can I join in - I have lurked on these threads without commenting and valued you all as the voice of reason in these times of madness. Feeling increasingly unsettled again after feeling as if we were starting to move in the right direction.
I work in the hospitality industry and am petrified of the calls for mass closure again of all pubs. As a business, we have spent so much money, spent so much time and consideration on doing things right and actually delayed opening up our sites until we were absolutely certain we had done everything to protect people. I am heartbroken at the prospect of blanket closure again that some seem to be baying for rather than taking a considered approach at the demographic, the area and the measures that each venue has taken to protect their staff and guests. Added to that my son is at boarding school (for good reasons I hasten to add) and I cannot find anywhere what is proposed for them even if they do open up. He needs to be at school properly - he is missing out on the types of physical exercise he enjoys and therefore takes part in because I can't find alternatives elsewhere. He is spending too much time on screens when I have to work when I know he should be at camps outside and I am just so so fed up of everything. I thought we were meant to be moving towards a scenario where we could manage all this but now it seems to be eliminate or nothing and yet the government still can't get test and trace properly set up. FGS how difficult is that!
I am feeling really down at the moment as the industry and job I love are both under threat as is my son's education (his school have done brilliantly with the teaching but we all know school isn't just about that).
I just want to scream when I read yet another hysterical headline in the news. I have no idea what that is supposed to achieve. We are encouraged to eat out to help out but on the other hand we are told to get healthy and lose weight. I want to do both thank you and I don't need a patronising govt scheme to point out that I may need to shed a few pounds. Blame that on your fucking scaremongering tactics of the past few months when all I did was stay at home and, because of all the stress, comfort ate the cooking chocolate I found in the back of the cupboard. I was then made to feel guilty if I left home for anything more than essentials (sorry wine is essential when I am under massive stress, there's a pandemic going on don't you know???) and feeling like I was a murderer for daring to leave my home.
Sorry for the rant - I have followed you all along but just needed to let this out. Reading the multiple threads on here you have created has been my lifeline to a semblance of sanity and knowing I am not the only person feeling the way I do. It is hard in real life to broach how people feel and react to the current situation and I find I have to tread carefully as I know my feelings don't always match up to others. I have family north of the border that I know very much believe in St Nichola so it is hard to broach CV with them. Thank you all and very unmumsnetty hugs