If you could would you skip the next 18 months of life?

[severeine]

I have hated 2020. I hated lockdown. I hated the sanctimoniousness it brought out. I hated the lack of social contact, the tragic consequences for some and isolation. If on balance a period of time is a net drain on quality of life, and I realise this is hypothetical, if you could, would you just go straight to the end of it and restart living when conditions are better? Before any of the "but how do you know things will be better -second lockdown, economy ruined, new virus" merchants pounce,I realise any talk of a less awful future is hypothetical.

@Wouldbegood have it for lunch

No because that would be 18 months lost with my kids.

Seems to me the pandemic has highlighted key differences like extrovert/introvert, rule follower/rebel, optimist/pessimist, pragmatic and dramatic.

I deplore the tragic consequences and am tired of the day to day limitations but have got on with it and realise it won't crush me like it might others. Sanctimonious people? I'm more concerned by the conspiracy theorists, vaccine deniers and piss poor governmental response.

No because I like winter and I’d be missing two! If you could skip just to this time next year, then yes

My baby is due in two months so I probably shouldn't

Unsure. Lockdown has been super horrendous for me and this year has robbed my family of so much that we cant get back. I am pregnant so dont want to skip the birth of my child in November but of I wasnt I would probably say yes.

I have seen absolutely nothing of value in this year and loathed every bastarding minute of lockdown. For extroverts who enjoy socialising and being with people this has been truly awful. I hate not feeling in control of my life and I hate that there is no clue or sign as to when things are going to return to normal, if ever.

I find that so massively depressing.

I had only said this to my mother recently that I'd love to be put into a coma or something until this was all over. Between being placed on the extremely vulnerable list and being locked in my house for 4 months.
The traumatic breakdown of my engagement and having to relocate back to my home country in the middle of a pandemic. Having to adjust to living with my parents again, having to leave my pets behind with my ex and just minor things that keep going wrong ... I'm done with this year and this pandemic. I just want it to be over so I can try and live some kind of a life again.

No! Lockdown was not great but compared to migrants on boats, the ongoing crap in Syria etc. I am bloody lucky. Actually, lockdown did me the world of good; I slowed down, saved money, appreciated what I had instead of focussing on what I didn’t have etc.

I am more than just the good bits, I am also a product of the shittier times too and fast forwarding over the bits I didn’t like would make me a different person because I wouldn’t have learned the valuable lessons learnt during the crappy times.

I didn't mind lockdown in the least bit. But then I am very antisocial. I missed seeing my best friend, but she's nearly an hour away by car at the best of times and we talk every day. My teenage DD had a terrible accident the week before lockdown, ended up in casualty and nearly died. I was so grateful she survived and so caught up in looking after her that lockdown flew by. What with working from home and looking after her and DH (who hasn't been well but used lockdown as the opportunity to get fit again and is now back working) and trying to get shopping and selling stuff on eBay because we had sod all money and actually managing to stay on top of the bills I was grateful for the "down time" because my employer gave me a lot of leeway and there were no worries about trying to get into the office or business travel. And at the end of this my DD is walking again and both DH and myself still have jobs. So much to be grateful for. Whatever the next year brings I will face it with fortitude because I have so much to be thankful for.

Having said of that, I have to face the reality that not everyone was as fortunate as we have been. People have lost businesses, jobs, family members. It's been really shit. I don't think fast forwarding is the answer though. We all assume that in a year or so it will have died down, but what if things actually get worse? Wouldn't we need time mentally to prepare for that?

I have not particularly enjoyed lockdown nor have I massively hated it - a curate's egg, like most of life. I would not fastforward the next 18 months because you just don't know what you are going to miss, even small moments of joy. I had a story when I was little about a boy who was given something like a spool of thread and he was able to wind it up to fastforward through parts of his life he wasn't enjoying. When he reached the end of his life and compared himself to his peers, he realised he had few memories and hardly any mental resources to draw on in his old age, and not much of a life to look back on. He chose to go back to the beginning and live his life all the way through. I think that story really resonates with me when life is tough, I must have read it at an impressionable age...

@heartsonacake

No, of course not. I loved lockdown and I’m enjoying the social distancing when out and about; I like the orderly rules and systems now in place in shops/restaurants and I like that everything’s cleaner.

I don’t understand why everyone’s been whinging to be quite honest It is what it is, even if you don’t like it we have to get in with it and being so down about it is just going to make you even more miserable.

Right. So because YOU liked it, presumably from a massive position of privilege, people who have had their lives turned upside down shouldn’t complain about it.

I don't even know where to start with what's wrong with this 😳

To sum up: The COVID risk is tiny. Fuck everyone else, they're going to be "in and out of each other's houses all winter". And apparently I must have had a shitty life because lockdown was fine for us.

OK, then. Glad that's all sorted 🙄😅

@ExhaustedFlamingo

I don't even know where to start with what's wrong with this 😳

To sum up: The COVID risk is tiny. Fuck everyone else, they're going to be "in and out of each other's houses all winter". And apparently I must have had a shitty life because lockdown was fine for us.

OK, then. Glad that's all sorted 🙄😅

It’s very concerning that someone that stupid could be out there teaching children.

No I wouldn’t, but largely (like many others) because I have a small child and 18 months is more than twice his life again.

I also don’t mean to be negative, and you’ve pointed this out in your OP, but I think that life could still be very very hard in 18 months. With the combined effects of Covid and Brexit. Not just economically - both things are a disaster for the future of the NHS, for example.

I do find it hard to accept that this happened in ‘my’ time though, if that makes sense? I know how ridiculous that sounds but it’s just how I feel.

But it does help me to feel grateful that this didn’t happen at any other time in my life. I feel so grateful that it didn’t happen when I was a teenager and living with my controlling abusive alcoholic father and my friends were my lifeline, for example.

But then I feel so sad for the people for whom that is the case.

I think AvoBaconHalloumi has it right. I've always suspected there are a load of miserable people who want everyone else to be as miserable as them as covid has really confirmed it

I would. Probably in a heartbeat. Life is shit. (Positive )

I turned 30 mid covid, I hated my 20s, early-mid were horrendous and the end was better but still a constant uphill battle to get to where I wanted to be. I know how you feel because if I could have slept for a decade, I would have.

I am determined to enjoy my 30s. I don't want to "skip" ahead and miss a moment. After the misery, I don't want to miss any joy. I'm having a 31st instead of a 30th because Covid wrecked my plans and don't want to miss the rematch. I actually wanted a celebration to mark the occasion!

I wouldn't personally, I mean Covid and the restrictions are a giant PITA without doubt. The upside for me is that (despite losing my first (holiday of a lifetime) holiday in 20 years) I've spent a lot of quality time with my immediate household, we have made the most of lockdown/isolation/SD.

I'm a glass half full person, so maybe that's why.

My DD 16 is keeping a record and memorabilia for prosperity. She figures it's an important historical event and wants to be able to show her kids/grandchildren.

My theory is those who didnt have particularly nice/ enjoyable/social lives before enjoyed lockdown as there was nothing to miss out on

We were seeing people quite a bit pre-lockdown. I'd meet up with friends at least once or twice a week, we'd usually see friends/family at least once a week on average, and we've realised we like our own company and would happily live like hermits. We both liked working from home (although it was more difficult in some ways) and I did miss not easily being able to talk a problem through with whoever happened to be in the office, but the benefits (no commute, being able to stay in pyjamas all day ) outweighed the disadvantages overall.

I know we're in a tiny minority though and that for most people it was really tough. All my clients have MH issues and the whole thing made some of them incredibly unwell.

No I do not want to skip the next 18 months, but I strongly object to the powers that be robbing the population of a single day of a full and fulfilling life for a disease that is now killing 5 times less than flu.

It was nasty for a while and in the UK we've taken our main hit. The only way NZ/Aus will prove correct is if a vaccine is found quickly, otherwise you are just delaying the inevitable.

Not a chance time is precious. I have lost my job and suffered a great loss through coronavirus but I'm alive and getting on with it.

No because if I fast forwarded through all the shit times in my life I wouldn’t be the strong, resilient woman I am today. In fact I would’ve died of old age years ago so wouldn’t even be alive!