What have you learnt from this pandemic?

[pawsies]

For me I am a naturally cautious person and tend to think of worst case scenarios on a daily basis. I am a catastrophiser.

Therefore I'm very reluctant to book things far in advance. I wouldn't book a holiday years in advance. Maybe months but more likely weeks.

This pandemic has reinforced that. I can't see myself booking a holiday for 2022/2023. I want to go away in January but probably won't book anything until December.
Seeing the hassle people have had to go through to get money back/travel insurance etc puts me off booking anything earlier.

What about you?

You can be over-peopled and lonely at the same time. I really love my immediate family, but it is is healthy for all of us to have personal space and a mixed social life.

That I was right when chills ran down my spine when I first read The Handmaid's Tale in 1998.

I was wrong to think that people turned each other in to save their own skins... the did it just because.

I already knew that the general standard of critical thinking in society was pretty dire.

That swathes of the population are self-serving and can't imagine lives in different curcumstances to theirs.

That I need external motivation to function.

That I'm quite reasonable at cutting hair. DH went to the barbers last week and they found it quite easy to redo his awkward, unforgiving, wiry hair

That worrying about things that may never happen is a waste of time. I worried about all sorts of things, but a global pandemic that would wreck the economy was not one of them. Never even considered it.

Prepping for emergencies is a good idea (within reason).

BogRollBOGOF
You can be over-peopled and lonely at the same time.
..
Absolutely. There have been times in my life when I've been surrounded by people and acutely lonely.

I've appreciated not having to see anyone for three months.

Another thing I have learned from the pandemic is that it is possible to do some good, ie be socially helpful in some ways, quietly, from home without seeing people. That is modestly satisfying, especially as no one who is not directly concerned has to know.

I'd be happy to stay like this indefinitely but I know how difficult it has been for others, especially those with children at home.

I learned that my mental health is more fragile than I liked to think it was.

It has also reinforced to me that I really now wish that I didn't live quite so far from my now frail and elderly parents. That time with them now is increasingly short and precious. Both were shielding and have been very ill during lockdown with non Covid issues. I really worried at some points whether or not I would ever see both of them alive together again. Fortunately I did, last weekend.

Perhaps it has therefore also taught me what is really important and what isn't.

Sadly though, like others on this thread, it has also taught me that people can be horrible judgemental snitches. I realised that the stasi never actually died out, they are still alive and well and hiding in plain sight. They have now morphed from being the Covid Police to the Mask Police. You see a lot of it on here. Arses, the lot of them.

I honestly never thought I would see the day when people wanted to report others to the police for sitting on park benches, or that even the police themselves would try to nose into people's shopping trolleys and challenge those who had, perfectly legally, bought Easter eggs and other chocolate, or wine etc.

Crazy, and I am done with it.

That I really do love my job. It has been my steady rock through all this. I'm a Care worker for people withlearning disabilities. All the staff pulled together to support our service users and reassure them when they had to cope with not seeing family, being unable to go out to the places they love and all the other changes brought on by the lock down. I myself was off sick (not Covid related) for 6 weeks and couldn't wait to get back to work. I'm also immensely grateful that my job is secure and I that I don't have to work from home as I live alone and cannot see family very much so would be incredibly lonely if I couldn't go to work.

That I took the little things like going to the shops or out for meals etc for granted and won’t be doing that again

That freedom is obviously so fragile it can be taken away in the blink of an eye and no one really cares, they are happy to have their freedoms taken away on the perceived notion of feeling ‘safe’

That SOME people are sheep and really lack critical thinking, risk assessment and the ability to research

That the mainstream media are extremely dangerous and need investigated for the mass hysteria that has been whipped up

That lockdown was never about flattening the curve, it seems eradication is the goal now, at least In Scotland anyway

That I’ll never take school for granted again, I admire teachers, I could never be one

That my life really was a well oiled machine before this, my routine was really good and I miss it

That some people who use community nursing services never really needed them in the first place and this has come to light with the pandemic. Educating patients and families should be the first port of call every time if appropriate

Oh and another one

There are an awful lot of people that absolutely love the drama of all this, as if they’ve waited their whole lives for something like this to justify the way they are

Some people have zero critical thinking skills or common sense.

Some people are total drama llamas.

That the mainstream media are extremely dangerous

I agree with that. They've been absolutely awful with the reporting mistakes they've made and their posturing masquerading as "news". I hope there's an enquiry/investigation into their actions once Covid is under control. Reporters like Laura Kuensberg and Robert Peston don't deserve their jobs - they've both been utterly woeful and proved themselves incapable of doing their jobs, which is reporting the news - instead they've been following their own agendas and it's not acceptable. Even the basics were fouled up, such as giving the impression all businesses/organisations had to close whereas most could stay open if SD was followed. Same with giving the impression that public transport was for key/essential workers only, which was never the case either. Time and time again they failed miserably to actually check the rules which were clearly written on the Gov.uk website - perhaps reading is a skill that the media reporters lack?

That I need to be outside and watching the seasons change.

I’m a crap teacher and have no patience.

I can make amazing meals with zero ingredients.

That significant sections of society are

i) fucking morons
ii) contrary
iii) gullible
iv)selfish
v) incapable of understanding risk
vi) not able to understand how science and scientific research actually works
vii) utter, utter whackjobs

and our government is not fit for purpose.

That the world can be turned upside down so quickly, that we lack control in a way we never would have imagined and that we are all remarkably vulnerable.

That my zombie apocalypse approach to having a fully stuffed freezer, fridge, store cupboard and wine rack has been entirely justified.

That having oodles of books on my Kindle meant that I never wanted for reading matter.

That I can live with dh every day and not want to stab him.

Just reinforced what I already knew.

The world has gone mad. Humans are inherently selfish.

@user1497207191

That the mainstream media are extremely dangerous

I agree with that. They've been absolutely awful with the reporting mistakes they've made and their posturing masquerading as "news". I hope there's an enquiry/investigation into their actions once Covid is under control. Reporters like Laura Kuensberg and Robert Peston don't deserve their jobs - they've both been utterly woeful and proved themselves incapable of doing their jobs, which is reporting the news - instead they've been following their own agendas and it's not acceptable. Even the basics were fouled up, such as giving the impression all businesses/organisations had to close whereas most could stay open if SD was followed. Same with giving the impression that public transport was for key/essential workers only, which was never the case either. Time and time again they failed miserably to actually check the rules which were clearly written on the Gov.uk website - perhaps reading is a skill that the media reporters lack?

Completely agree with Kuenssberg and Peston. They certainly are a pretty Toxic pair. I often wonder if Peston started asking his question when the briefing started and the cut to him when they could be bothered. To be honest, most of the journalists asking questions at the briefings were poor.

Beth Rigby from Sky was very poor as well, but I've never rated her. same questions each time. They should have used "Bruiser" Bolton. He's the bloke you'd want on your side in a bar room brawl.

That the world economy is pretty much a house of cards. That the people people with real power on the planet are those behind the likes of Google, Amazon, i.e. powerful and totally unelected, and we should be wary of their power and influence.

Having a service based economy heavily reliant on tourism/hospitality isn't a good idea after all!

Don't vote tory.

On a more positive note - I've learned that I can save money!

By not spending on crap (coffee/pret/etc) or having any form of social life, I've managed to save two grand!

I used to spend £20 a week on takeaway coffee and balk at the price of even one now.

I am really not a social person. I've loved not seeing people.

If people are at home too much they buy excessively loud garden power tools.

I am currently listening to a neighbour hoover their garden (which they do on any dry day). 🤬

That I am considerably less risk-averse than I thought I was.

Have found myself getting really wound-up by people not being able to think critically about real risk assessment.

Pandemic preparedness is bullshit (UK and USA were rated at the top) and politics comes before doing the right thing in so many countries.

Also that I've loved spending so much time with my 2.5 year old DS. I can honestly say I don't think I've been sick of him once during the whole time.

I don't want to live in a flat any more
I hate going into the office and would happily never go back
Lockdown hasn't been hard for me
Boris has a comb over of note
That I want to move out of the UK