to think life is more 'normal' than 'lockdown' now?

[fodderbeet]

Am I right to think that for a lot of people life is now more normal than not for most? Almost everything is open, pools, gyms, shops, restaurants etc. Sport has resumed at a local level, clubs and committees are meeting again, holidays are happening, life is happening again.

Admittedly in the scale of things our lives changed far less than most due to location & occupation and always having a preference for on-line shopping over trips to the supermarket, but I was surprised to hear from a friend that they're still very much in 'lockdown mode' and how restrictive their lives still are.

Am I being unreasonable to think that for most life is more normal now?

No. Lost my job. Been in employed in aviation for 25 years and know I don't stand a chance in hell of been seriously considered for any other roles in other industries against better suited people.
We also have our own business also aviation. No work.
We have no reason to go out anywhere.
Shopping is a mare cos twats seem to want to hug or touch me everywhere I go.
Earingbout no longer a chic. Needs to be booked or planned.
Just been to hairdresser in our local small town. Allowed 20 minutes to find a parking space but the car parks were empty. Waitrose car park was half full. Every other shop closed on the high street.
Our relative have been stuck in a local lock down area so seeing family very difficult.

2 hospital appointments cancelled in our family.
2 operations cancelled.
Physiotherapy cancelled.
I'm unable to exercise or even get a physical examination on a leg/foot problem hindering my ability to walk. I've had 6 Eappointments and still no closer to any improvement. Everyone says it needs to be seen but I need yo wait until they start physical consultations again

Ds can't get a dental appointment for TMJ. Econsult drs appointments said, see a dentist we don't deal with TMJ. He's current eating a liquid diet.
Trains running a reduced schedule here into our major city, so getting there isn't as easy.
No not much normality here at all.

Very little on my life has any resemblance of my life 5 or 6 months ago.

Still doesn’t feel normal. The masks etc are a constant reminder that things are still strange. Maybe once the kids are back to school it will feel a bit better.

. If you are not back to work yet there is probably a good reason

Shutdown of entire sectors tends to be a good reason.
I don't see your job being all that safe as you're clearly not particularly bright.

For me it’s not. My social life revolved around music (singing in a choir, going to gigs) theatre, cinema and eating out with people who aren’t in my household.
Can’t go to visit friends who live in other parts of the country unless I shell out for accommodation and they can’t visit me. Lots of that would happen in the summer (I’m a teacher).
I used to do volunteering of a sort which has still not restarted.
The museums are not yet open and you will have to book a (free) ticket so won’t be able to go when I fancy it.
Basically I can go to shops and be at home, or go for a coffee/meal with my daughter who is in my ‘bubble’ (I live alone). I’ve never been a leisure shopper. It’s fucking grim and boring.

If you are not back to work yet there is probably a good reason

What, like working in an industry that’s still forbidden from operating? That’s a pretty good reason.

Again to the people that can't read, I said in areas where the business is up, running and doing well. I'm not talking about or concerned about areas that can't function in covid times.

I'm still on furlough
I'm worried about having a job to go back to
There's no playgroups to take DD to
I can't take her swimming
Our usual outing destinations are either a cut down version (museum's with no interactive bits) or closed
DP is working between home and the office again now
I just did a long journey with a toddler who was desperate to walk around the train and I had to wear a mask the whole time while she had a meltdown

No not normal

Fairly normal. DS is back at nursery and I started a new part time job which means being in the office. The cinema reopens in a week or so - DH and I have annual passes. DH works from home anyway. I'm not particularly restricting shopping and I've had some takeaway coffees. Family have been to visit.

I miss seeing my NCT friends and having the opportunity to sign up for a toddler class or group. I miss the outlet in Swindon - not going near with their figures! I miss sitting inside a café with DS and sharing some cake - I feel a bit squicky about high chairs still. But generally speaking, if it wasn't for the masks, I could probably pretend to myself that everything was normal if I wanted.

Its a real mixture for us with two primary aged DC. Our summers are normally pretty outdoorsy anyway (we're near the coast in a ruralish part of the country), I'm an SAHP and no one round here bothers social distancing children (which I'm fine with), so its been pretty normal for the DCs on a day to day basis. We're seeing people again, our area has no restrictions & we're fairly secure from an employment POV. On the minus side I'm worried about friends who are struggling (couple of redundancies amongst them), DH's work is secure but very strange now it has to be 'socially distant' (which he hates), having to wear masks everywhere is fucking dreary, we can't go abroad on hols or visit my family overseas, and I'm dreading winter. I think its much worse for people with preschoolers. All my friends at that stage are really struggling

My life will never be back to where it was when we locked down
Work has changed unrecognisably and we will all be remote working as they are now closing our hq
My gym has changed and is not going back to the classes I was doing I used to spend all my time there after work and now cannot do that
Mums nursing home still now allowing visitors just now as they recently had a reoccurrence of covid
My community centre still closed And even when open again have confirmed it will not be how it was
I live by my own and I hate this everything has changed so Much
I am looking into taking up a new activity Maybe but again they still have heavy restrictions and not currently taking beginners due to social distancing
I am aware that for a lot of people their lives may well be pretty much back to normal, but for me this is shit and I need to sort my life out and find new things to do

Nowhere near normal here.

Toddler daughter has no understanding of social distancing so it's pretty much impossible to see anyone without constantly restricting her movements - which is more stressful than just not bothering. We can take her to the playground but that's pretty much it.

No toddler groups, no soft play, the one attempt we had to take her into a cafe for a drink we got unpleasant comments even though she stayed in her buggy so it's not like she was running around. Lack of open toilets means we can't go far from home as my husband needs easy access to these. Not seen my family since Christmas as they live too far away. Our church isn't meeting in person until September - and even then we'll have to alternate one adult going as we can't take a toddler who can't social distance! My brownie unit can't meet, my husband's yoga group is still not meeting...

Not for me. I have tried to wear a mask but hate it, so I am not going anywhere.

I think some people are more lockdown focussed and others are more normality focussed. It really depends

I live in Wales in a tourist hot spot.

On a dry day life is pretty much normal except for the ridiculous number of tourists (far in excess of normal years) making it difficult to visit and enjoy certain attractions and beauty spots locally.

In wet weather it is still miserable, but getting better, we can go to cafes and restaurants now (finally!!), so at least there is something to do away from them house when it is raining. But very few pools have reopened and none for family swimming.

We are nowhere near normal. Most of the children's activities haven't resumed, netball is now where near anything remotely back (important to me). Husband is working from home all the time and in his line of work they can't progress lots of projects. Education at all levels is a mess, health care full of waiting lists and social gatherings are extremely limited still. Unless you are doing things wrong, life is nowhere near back to normal.

Apologies for posting and running - not that there is really much input needed from me, but pretty interesting to find an almost perfect split with almost 200 comments and results currently standing at 49/51.

There are some very good things about limited numbers of people in many places you go, having to book, the cleanliness etc.

But things don’t feel very normal to me. People are meeting up less, a lot of things still aren’t open, public transport still feels no go to me.

I'm one of those who lived a pretty socially distant life anyway.

Yes have missed out on some things, theatre trips for home ed and cinema visits. I did miss my mum during lockdown, however I like the cleaner shops and no reason why they were not as clean before. I don't mind masks but yes they are stuffy in the hot weather but they are not that bad, if they are a protection.

My child has never been to school so no change there but I'm worried that an isolated child has become more isolated and she has.

But we are not overly stressed or unhappy. We are okay and more than surviving. It's OK for us. Shops reopening and eat out to help put have made both my dds happy.

I'm sorry that others are having a rough time.

It's definitely going back to normal, probably the most noticeable difference is the lack of parties that DS1 goes to. I'm used to having housefuls of 16 year olds and obviously that isn't currently allowed!

@Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches

There are some very good things about limited numbers of people in many places you go, having to book, the cleanliness etc.

But things don’t feel very normal to me. People are meeting up less, a lot of things still aren’t open, public transport still feels no go to me.

From a selfish perspective I like that places have limited capacity and aren’t anywhere as busy as they used to be. However from talking to the owners of such businesses, they won’t be able to survive long financially operating on those reduced numbers. Not without laying off a lot of staff and/or raising prices to compensate.