To think our new normal could be a better way of life?

[Wehttam]

Ok first of all, hear me out. Maybe this is hypothetical fantasy but I think it has merit.

As we are adjusting to Lockdown and both its benefits and disadvantages, I have started thinking about how civilisation may be able to use this as a starting point for a new way of life, accepting the previous 24/7 have it all lifestyle is fundamentally poisonous to our wellbeing.

I fully understand this is a global pandemic and is catastrophic for many people, losing loved ones, suffering illness and the fear of how this could potentially affect many people’s lives going forward economically is a worry no one wants or needs, I am not minimising this nor am I advocating for blanket suffering or pain before you come for me.

Environmentally this is momentarily allowing the planet to slowly recover from one of its biggest problems, Us. Look outside, the air is cleaner already, the noise we had so become used to has quietened, our frantic pace of living has slowed, for most of us this will have untold health benefits as well as benefits to nature we will see manifest further over the coming weeks.

I fully appreciate how for many people this is an uncertain time, those suffering DV or poverty are living in hell, the situation right now is unpeeling the veneer society generally paints over these problems though. What if our new reality was to help those who are vulnerable and suffering but still maintain this level of calm muted living.

Excessive commuting, over consumption of single use anything, traffic everywhere, takeaways, shops, bars clubs, restaurants catering for every niche or whim, flying everywhere incessantly, worrying about having he latest this or that, which all means sweet FA at the moment. What it all boils down to is all of that was needless to actually live and breathe properly wasn’t it?

Eventually once Lockdown starts to be lifted, are you willing to go back to that chaos the outside world had become? I’m not so sure I am and I dont think it will be any good for those who do. Thoughts?

I hate consumerism, the compulsion to buy buy buy, and upgrade constantly. So I’d love to see that change.

But Mitty O’Meara - I’m thinking she never had 2 football mad boys who are pining for their team sport?!

Agreed. It comes from such a place of privilege.

I agree too. I'm busier than ever (NHS - working from home but doing more to free up front line staff). I think the idea is that we're all in our big houses, with loads of space around us, a family who we all connect with and feel safe with, with loads of free time. Not sure how many people are really living that life for various reasons.

"Excessive commuting, over consumption of single use anything, traffic everywhere, takeaways, shops, bars clubs, restaurants catering for every niche or whim, flying everywhere incessantly"

Apart from living 17 miles from work, I rarely did those things before.

I want to...
go for a walk on the beach
go for a swim
go kayaking
chat to my friend in person
see my children be well-educated and socialised
have the option to visit my elderly parents and large extended family

If that's "chaos" I'll eagerly have it back again.

No, I want normal back.

Well given a lot of people work in these places where people go to be catered to on a whim, or in the travel industry, then no, it clearly won’t be better for many people.

And that piece of writing by Kitty O’Meara really grates on me I’m afraid, seeing as a large number of people are at home panicking about their jobs and income and homeschooling their kids and not seeing their friends and family..... I’m finding it very hard to find much peace in this personally

Agreed, lot of twee fucking nonsense

Thing is, those things you are dismissing as shite chaos, provide the jobs which enable other people and their children to live.

I want normal back. I expect most people do. People want to go to restaurants, go on holiday etc. In 3 years time nothing will be different to how it was before covid-19. Except we'll probably be paying more tax.

Agreed. It comes from such a place of privilege.

I agree too. I'm busier than ever (NHS - working from home but doing more to free up front line staff). I think the idea is that we're all in our big houses, with loads of space around us, a family who we all connect with and feel safe with, with loads of free time. Not sure how many people are really living that life for various reasons

This! Absolutely this!

MC people in office jobs living in houses with gardens are getting to avoid the commute, more family time, less pressure to ferry dcs to lots of activities, enjoy the garden and family time and will have the power to demand wfh as a norm once this is over

And I am sick to the back teeth of comments like this! I guess we are middle class but this is not what we are living. The past two days are the first two days I have not been wfh for three weeks. I have worked every day of those 21 days as it is so bloody hard to get my job done whilst taking care of two young children. We have a garden adn I am grateful every day for it. But we certainly aren't effing relaxing in halycon family time in it. Never been so effing busy, and never had such a crap time with the kids. Telling my kids repeatedly to go away as I am working, or spending the time I do have with them trying to force them to do some school work is bloody horrible. Used to go to work, come home, make dinner and spend time wiht my kids. Had far more time with them then than now!

The poem is sick.

Me and many others have had multiple breakdowns, suffered dangerously with mental health, lost their jobs, their savings, had screaming, crying children missing their school and their friends and their trips and their exams and their proms and fighting (really fighting) with their siblings. People worried about their key worker relatives, elderly parents. Oh and "People died, and grieved, and suffered".... you know, that small factor.

Someone needs to write a real poem.

Personally I want "normal" back - and my normal was far from perfect.

How will people afford pubs, holidays and restaurants when they are made redundant
Millions will be made redundant, normal will be a recession, what many consider normal is now history, and that was the normal past.
Do people really believe we'll go back in history to a different time that was before this virus? seriously?

Also obviously the keyworkers! The teachers and staff of the NHS.

I was reading about how many of them have lost their lives last night - and reading about their small children, and looking at their smiling photos. It was gut wrenching.

Tbh I'll go back to how I was before and be grateful for it. There's been no art, reading or anything fun here, just a bunch of bored children (including one disabled) and me who are desperate for interaction with somebody else from outside the home.
We have no idea if the air is clearer or it's quieter etc because we haven't left the house in a month, and it doesn't look like we will be anytime soon.
What I will change is shopping from local stores rather than supermarkets and being eternally grateful for pubs.

How will people afford pubs, holidays and restaurants when they are made redundant

Tons of people are already relying on credit cards and loans. This "new normal" is going to leave behind such an awful, black cloud of doom for a long time.

ITaste

Those will be the ones who are likely to lose their jobs come recession.
I don't think they'll be demanding much, except maybe the front at the dole queue.

I'm not sure the people who work in my local Starbucks, MacDonalds, Chinese, pub, cinema, restaurant etc want me to embrace a quiet life of contemplating the clouds at home. I think they want yo keep a rig over their head and food on the table.

We can't fly as DS is on o2 so no foreign travel but I presume those working in that indudtry feel the same.

My life isn't chill and calm anyway. DS us wfh so not much use to me. 4 yo has lost the novelty of being home, can't be trusted in the garden alone, I think the 4 month old twins have hayfever and I'm meant to be providing a rudimentary education to DS whilst trying not to stunt the twins development.

Saying that I'm sure all those people running baby classes are desperate for us to spend our weekdays between school running back and forth too.

My busy life pays someone else's wages

@devlesko
I agree.
Just ask those who made it through the recession in the 80’s how “just like the old days it was.”

Some are going to be in for a massive shock, and again more mh problems.

I was only a kid in that one. Still remember it though. I remember both adults working and then they weren’t. Took one of them ages to find a job never mind both.
And dullsville childhood first trip out was when I was 8.

Things are a lot worse now. At least I had that trip. Many haven’t because they couldn’t afford it even before CV-19.

They wish live would go back. Cos it would be better than reality at the moment, and even this is going to be easier.

Anyone who thinks they’re going to return to the life they had before is deluded.

Trying to reach out for medical treatment for anything other than corona is a total nightmare atm.
So no, I don't agree.

The only thing I need(I have the bloody fingers to show it is a need not a want)to do that I can't is getting my nails done.

Other than that..I don't drive,last holiday was 5 years ago, I don't do bars,restaurants or coffee shops. I walk to work,I do the school run on foot.

However ..

I hate not being able to go comfort my friend whose marriage just imploded.

I hate that I haven't seen my best friend or her kids in months. She lives far away and we mostly see each other in school holidays.

I hate not being able to take DD swimming.

I hate that we had the nice weather and we couldn't just be out and about, in park ,lidos etc.

I hate that people are giving me evil looks for being a "new" exerciser and using their spots. Yeah they didn't use to see me because I was at work.

I hate to see mum crying and going more and more crazy because where she is she is only allowed out for 2 hours.

I hate just meeting up with a friend,have a gossip,pop to the shops on a whim and stop at the little park.

I hate that OH is like a caged animal (normally has a very active,out all day job), worrying and stressing about money(or lack of it) and miserable.

And I hate that there's 3 of us and a cat in a one bedroom flat and that being on top of eachother 24/7 isn't frikking enjoyable or making memories.

So you can take your kumbaya,mother earth, lentil weaving routine and shove it somewhere. I want my normal back!

good questions, important to think about those things, but:

• my family is on another continent and I want to see them again
• I live in house with a garden so I'm fine, but think about all those living in crowded accommodations, in small flats, with no outdoor space

-many have very low income now and struggling to make ends meet, the foodbanks are busier than ever -think about those living with an abusive partner -thousands of people are having their scheduled surgeries and life saving cancer treatment cancelled because of Covid 19.

So I can see the advantages, but no thank you. I also want my normal back.

I cannot wait to see my grandparents, parents, sisters and friends again. We’re lucky, my husband is my best friend and our kids have been fantastic. We do have a largish garden so it’s not been terrible for us being at home other Thant he fact that I honestly feel as though I am missing limbs not being able to see my family and friends

Oh yes, trying to work from home and simultaneously look after my 4 year old whilst also not being able to see family or friends is just delightful, why wouldn't I want it to stay like this forever

also late in the day on this but that Kitty O'Meara poem is badly written, formulaic, clichéd claptrap.

Alsohuman

Where is your evidence for saying we won't?