Is all this funeral business having an impact on people going about their lives?

[ManagementPlan]

FWIW I don't have strong feelings either way on royalty. I can see pros and cons, I think the Queen did as good a job as could possibly have been expected in the role and her death is sad. I'm not particularly interested in hours on end of coverage.

However people seem to be losing the plot. Some people who I've always considered pretty reasonable are ready to snap at anyone who dares to criticise. An example today, someone distraught that a long awaited hospital appointment had been cancelled was told not to be so disrespectful.

But more than that, even in people who aren't outwardly very interested, everyone seems highly strung. I work in school (secondary age) and usually perfectly nice colleagues are falling out with each other and the kids seem completely off the wall. To say today has been lively would be putting it mildly.

Friends are falling out, teenage children are more difficult to manage than usual, shop staff less cheerful. People generally don't seem to be coping very well.

Or is it just people I know?

Well, the DCs school is closed so they are at home.

DH's work is shut. I have contacted the clients I was meant to be speaking to on Monday to ask if they wish to go ahead or not. TBH I am so swamped I really can't afford to start cancelling clients. 3 have chosen to reschedule and 2 are going ahead.

Pleased to say I don't know anyone like this. People are just getting on with life, maybe planning to watch a bit of the funeral, maybe not. I haven't seen a single shit poem or meme (outside of MN) either.

Are you sure people aren't stressed about the cost of living rather than the funeral?

In terms of 'grief' or emotiomal impact- I was witness last night to two friends going hammer and tongs with quite some viciousness debating Meghan markle. And another friend started weeping, but she recently lost her mother and the feelings are overwhelming her. She has held it together during the death of her mother, probate, selling the house etc and the events surrounding the Queen and lying in state have brought it all to the surface.

This isn't about the day itself, it's the way people are during this period of mourning/ rolling news. Everyone seems to be on a really short fuse, even people who aren't bothered about royalty. "Something" seems to have got into everyone's phsyce.

I think this could be it in many cases. Everyone already has stuff they're dealing with and the constant coverage isn't particularly helpful in keeping spirits up.

I work in a museum and yesterday someone came in to buy a fridge magnet and mentioned how surprised he was that we (an independent museum in no way connected even geographically to anything royal) were open during this time of national mourning. I didn't say that it was a good thing that we were or his magnet would need to wait another week or so. We also had a snotty message asking why we hadn't announced that we would be closed on the day of the funeral. The fact that we do not open on Mondays is a sufficient clue for most people.

Our local cathedral is closed to visitors unless they want to spend time in private prayer or sign the books of condolence. Some of the stewards are being really quite unpleasant to people on the way in.

I haven’t found this

But in a roundabout way I’ve appreciated the reduction in normal news. I feel aware of what’s going on with Ukraine and inflation but it’s really light touch

I reckon I could deal with this amount of news generally (and I don’t watch it just radio)