To think this lockdown is very revealing

[prince55bananahammock]

We're in a pandemic and the outside stimulus of normal day to day life is removed and our usual rhythms have been interrupted.
At first it's about survival, getting food, dealing with finances, putting new habits in place (hand washing, social distancing etc) so we have plenty to keep us and our brains busy.
Plus we're all glued to the breaking news watching as the cases develop, death rates climb, the lives lost get younger and everything gets more scary - lots of things to process here.
Now we're a few weeks into UK lockdown and in a phase of 'the new normal'. We've accepted our fate to an extent and are finding ways to get through each day- in our own ways.
What I've observed is that there are some people being productive ( gardening, cleaning, using the time for homemaking, baking, sewing etc). Some are developing skills (learning, creating etc), some are making daft videos for laughs and others are curtain twitching and making their disapproval known, some are doing none of this and simply trying to get through the day.
But what I find revealing is the people who are drama queens and kings in their lives. They are missing their fix of attention/ chaos and are so desperate to be 'seen' and acknowledged. Because the rest of us are busy with our own situations, and not sending attention their ways, I find it very outing to observe what they text or upload next to provoke a reaction.
Does anyone else find this? It's easy to spot the drama llamas at the moment?

I've had to unfriend someone I have known for 25 years for trying to flog her MLM candles.

We're all working from home and my boss is definitely not coping at all well with only being the king in his own living room.

I’m a bit exhausted by all the people telling us about this great opportunity to learn new stuff OP. I have young children. I’m way less capable of learning anything new because they’re here all the time, needing attention. By the time they go to bed I’m hardly capable of using the Netflix search engine, let alone learning mandarin.

I find the people doing tic toks over the age of 18 the most attention seeking personally.

I'm often intrigued by posters complaining how constantly annoying they find certain celebrities.

Are these celebrities knocking on your doors and barging in uninvited? Surely, you can call the police.

Otherwise, they are easily avoided.

I've noticed that some middle aged men seem to be existing in their own little circle of hell at the moment. I wonder who they normally throw their weight around at. I feel sorry for their wives.

How many middle aged men have you had the chance to observe from lock down and how exactly does this "little circle of hell" they are in manifest itself IYO?

@ChipotleBlessing so true, all the motivational and be productive posts. I had a complete melt down hissy fit yesterday as I just couldn’t achieve everything I thought I should. Lightbulb moment this morning, I’m trying to work at keeping a company going, at high risk shielding wise in the middle of a pandemic. I stepped back and today have done the important things I need to do, yes, I could clean the whole house now I’ve finished work, I could organise the slightly chaotic office or spend some time on my online course. I’m having a beer in peace and quiet whilst everyone else is chilling in their rooms. Which is fine!

I thought I'd seen it all, until I saw a fb friend post the contents of her vacuum cleaner, her hair balls including the greys I thought WTF get a life....just another pointless post.

I often think of those who are suffering greatly due to this pandemic. Those who have lost their livelihood, those locked down with a violent partner, those whose cancer treatments are on hold for now etc. Also frontline workers.

@Matogirlies that’s scraping the barrel for their Facebook ‘isolation daily update’ 😂

I unfollowed the Facebook drama llamas. I'm going to have to block DB now, sending 'look at me' messages to his entire address book. Twat.

I find it very sad that some posters on here are belittling others for posting the minutiae of their lives on FB.
If that’s what it takes for them to get through this period, I’d much rather be scrolling and liking their posts than just one of my acquaintances commits suicide because their mental health is shot.

The fact is, you don’t ever know how anyone is really coping and those people posting about baking with the kids or crafting might be needing attention/support from their Facebook pretend friends to help them cope. Fair enough.

Yes, vacuous celebrities are also people too. I don’t follow any or do Instagram but I imagine that a lot of them have fragile egos and again, if they don’t get the attention they need, some will cave. I don’t wish anyone to suffer any more than they’re already doing, during this pandemic.

My biggest concern though is for my real life friends.
One has very recently been widowed (not Covid related) and I can’t visit her due to the restrictions and I worry about how she is coping. She was married at 18 and they were never apart.

I'm too busy doing stuff to do more than read threads like this one. I really can't be arsed to take photos of everything and upload it all for the edification of others.

I don't much care what they are doing, so why would I think they might be interested in my day?

two neighbours (men) in their 80s having an argument and one going towards the other with fists raised, only for the other's son (in his 50s) to push him to the ground
I'd have told them to hang fire for a few minutes while I rounded up an audience

I don't watch celebrities on tv or follow them on social media, and only have sensible, non-curtain-twitching friends on FB. I have no time for drama llamas in rl or on SM. The closest I've got to seeing any crazy lockdown behaviour in rl was one neighbour marching up and down my road ringing a bell to remind people to clap on Thursday. Apart from that I've found people friendlier and smilier than usual, in a 'we"re all in it together' kind of way.

@LilacTree1 I agree too.

I agree it's revealing... I live abroad and am relieved that one of my sisters immediately stepped up to do my mother's shopping so she could self-isolate as soon as that suggestion was made. She's also taken her books, puzzles etc. My other sister doesn't even manage a daily phone call. Obviously there is very little I can do from here except radically increase the frequency and length of video calls!

Here in Thailand we are not in full lockdown yet but heading that way. Schools have been closed a while and almost everyone works from home. We have a curfew. I already knew I had lovely neighbours but my word, I am so impressed with how supportive and helpful everyone is. I'm due a baby soon and the curfew will make getting a night taxi difficult. We don't have a car but one neighbour gave us his spare keys and said if he wakes up one morning and the car is gone, he'll assume the baby is on the way! Another has said she is fine to be disturbed in the night if we need someone to watch our children if we have to go to hospital. We didn't seek these arrangements, people have just offered automatically. I think as we are all expats without our family circles, we do tend to naturally support each other in a way that might not happen at home. We are also all quite understanding of each other's disappointment that, for many of us, our one trip 'home' for a year or two has now been postponed or cancelled.

I also have some friends who make videos every day and share with a group of us as part of an extended game, in which we have to reply with our own videos. Very creative and entertaining! Most people in the group are isolating alone in small flats so it gives them a little project each day. I continually let the side down in this game as I'm plenty busy despite being stuck at home... as others have said, if you have children at home you haven't necessarily gained any time to take up a hobby or learn a new skill!!

One of the biggest challenges I've found is keep my cool when I hear relentless stuff about filling time, learning a language, taking up a hobby, getting the house/garden sorted, watching netflix etc etc etc

I'm a key worker and I'm busier than I've ever been, because the kids are around constantly, I have to apparently home educate them as well as working, the household chores are all still there, and everything is just that little bit harder due to lockdown. I've never been less likely to take up knitting or clean the skirting boards.

@LilacTree1

Completely agree - it's scary as hell.

This thread makes me glad I don't do Facebook. It sounded like a PITA before, now it sounds unbearable. I just don't care what anyone is doing, if I want to know I'll phone you.

I don't "do" social media, so don't engage with these people who can't so much as blow their nose without telling the world, and I haven't noticed any aggressive behaviour the few times I've been out, either.

I think there's a 3rd way of dealing with lockdown, which is to be lazy and embrace the opportunity to do as to fuck all as possible. We're both WFH, but my work is a lot quieter than usual and we're relishing to opportunity to do as little as possible. We're enjoying lolling on the sofas, reading, watching crap on tv, faffing about on the internet etc.

God knows how we'll cope when we actually have to go out and do stuff. It'll be a shock to our systems, that's for sure. I might have to have surgery to have this sofa detached from my arse!

Haven't rtft yet but definitely finding Instagram completely irrelevant. Also Harry and Meghan and most other celebs. I would be pleased if Instagram just slowly died now.

I think this lockdown has revealed how selfish people can be.

I follow a few celebs on Instagram but their content is of a distracting/soothing nature.

No to drama llamas as don't follow any silly influencers nor celebrities.

What I have experienced is the kindness of my neighbours who were so excited to see me today when I opened the door to find some bits on the doorsteps. Was so nice to see and have a chat as I didn't expect it. Just to explain I was taken to hospital by ambulance a few days ago.

I also find it fascinating.

Most of my people have just got on with it and I love that about them. It makes the exceptions more notable though.

I have one friend in my outer circle who is a sleb. She has been pointedly publicly breaking the rules, think10 people having a picnic in the park and she's dressed up to max glam photoshoot clearly hoping to make the side bar of shame for publicity. Everyone ignored her and muttered about not giving her any attention. It was hilarious. God knows what she will pull next for publicity.

Amongst work colleagues some are desperate for bad news to glory over the doom. For example, someone who works for me who has elderly relatives in poor health (like many of us) took a day off suddenly, then quick as a flash one of the vampires made up a reason to call me clearly just so he could find out if there was a family tragedy he needed to know about. There are a couple that want to start every meeting digging to find out who has sick friends/family. Not in a caring way. They try to make out they care. Clearly rubbernecking though. People are shutting them down now.