I’d covid hadn’t happened…

[Mancity126]

Personally and for the world life would be so different I genuinely can’t comprehend. For me personally, I would still be in my old job, still have certain friends, my kids MH (and mine for that matter would be a lot better. That being said it’s certainly also had some positive impacts on my life, for example I started a side business which I absolutely love and it’s enabled me to get a much better work life balance. On a global level trump would likely still be president and Boris Johnson still our PM. The most stark impact is definitely on my kids but all areas of life have been so impacted and it feels like the world has been fundamentally been changed. What ways would your life be different if covid hadn’t happened?

My sister started AA just 3 months before first lockdown and all services closed. Horrendous timing. She never started again and is back to where she was and things are not good.

@Tomanyhandbags @bloodywhitecat so sorry.

@bloodywhitecat I'm so very sorry for your loss, that's awful.

Also @Tomanyhandbags sorry for your loss

It feels weird to say, but my life improved immeasurably because of covid, or more accurately the lockdown. Because of the isolation a few people from work started a friendly WhatsApp group and they have become my main group of friends who I adore.

I now work from home which is better for my mental health and a better work/life balance. Due to this I was able to get a pet that I have the time to devote to.

I recognise that I’ve been so lucky through all this, no one I loved passed away or even lost their jobs. I feel for anyone who suffered during this time and I hope things can finally start to improve for everyone

I think I still would've lost my dad but I might have spent time with him beforehand along with dd who was only 7 and didn't see him much those few months. On the other side I'd still be friends with my best friend. Wouldn't be able to work from home, would probably still not have got round to getting married and prob wouldn't appreciate the people around me as much or have any hobbies as Covid made me get out and start doing things. I also wouldn't have met one of my good friends

This.

My little sister and my mum would perhaps have made it through.

So sorry for everyone who has lost someone.
We were extremely lucky in that we’ve only had positives. Don’t know anybody that was seriously ill, or adversely impacted by treatment delays etc. We dialled down our wedding (not through choice!), but had an incredible day and saved a fortune, so did our house up with the left over cash. Not commuting enabled us to save more, so whilst we’re not living the carefree post-covid travel dream we expected, we do have a buffer for rising costs of…everything.
We’re both less stressed and have kept up the daily exercise habits. Generally found and kept a better balance in life, feel less thinly spread between work/3 hour commute/family/friends/acquaintances and the enforced retreat and wfh has given me a new view on priorities. It really was a reset for us, life changing. Apologies if that sounds unbearably smug, I can’t believe it myself.

💔 I’m so sorry

@Justtheonethanks9099
Many meetings are online. Some people have found it easier. I’m sure she knows but you could nudge her.
List here

My dad would have been alive, I would have been running one household instead of two, my mum wouldn’t be a shadow of herself, my DD wouldn’t be in therapy for months. Nothing positive has changed in my life since Covid.

My parents wouldn't be so old. Both in their 80s and covid curtailed their life as they knew it. They were active with a wide group of friends. Fear of catching it kept them locked
Up and both suffered mentally and physically. They lost friends and family.

So sorry to those that lost loved ones.

Sadly point blank refused to meet online. Or to have a sponsor. Or do therapy or counselling. The drink is number one.
But thank you for posting the link.

Same here. It's hardly affected me aside from losing a bit of fitness through gym being shut. Job was actually much better, I was doing my whole day's work by lunchtime every day as roads were dead.

Fortunately none of our family or friends have suffered badly or lost their lives to Covid.

The differences for us would be - I would still be employed, DH’s work would be 3 years established rather than just getting off the ground, and DDs would have sat their A-levels and be in courses they chose in the Uni of their choice.

Not that much difference only I'd be working in the office 4 days a week. It does seem mad that it came along and now so many of us in knowledge-type work are only going in a few days a week.

I agree that Trump would have won 2020 if Covid hadn't happened - it messed things up sufficiently for non-die-hard Trump fans, and possibly even some of his fans who were sucked into anti-Vaxx nonsense, that they didn't vote for him, and they would have if it hadn't happened.

What?

Very lucky to have only benefited. Luckily no one close to us died, though a friend of mine has Long Covid which frankly sucks.

A big chunk of my self-employment and DP's entire job went up in smoke as a result of Covid but we both got swiftly rehired. DP at a higher salary and I was able to stipulate WFH as a condition of joining full-time (I wasn't prepared to work in an office previously). Which in turn enabled us to buy our first house (which we love) at what, in retrospect, was exactly the right time. I don't know if we'd have had such an easy route to that if not for Covid.

Got fitter from months of not being able to do anything except exercise. Found the first lockdown a much-needed respite from constantly being on the go and felt refreshed for it (the winter lockdown less so).

While some friendships have been strengthened I feel a bit sad for the ones that have drifted but I intend to rectify that.

I probably wouldn’t have ended up separating from H

For me, nothing would be any different.

We have been more fortunate than most during this period. We haven't lost anyone or known anyone to be seriously ill.
Both husband and I went from commuting 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, to once a week. It's been life-changing. We both spend far more time as a family with our children and spend much less money on childcare. We have saved the money usually spent on childcare and travel so that we have a pot put aside for a rainy day.
My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones/suffered in any way. I know it has been a terrible time for many.

It had its benefits for us. My partner now works at home every day which he likes and suits us all. It also made it easy to go very low contact with his parents. Our kids school/college were great, online lessons that followed the usual timetable. One of them much preferred education at home although they both did miss their friends. It’s not really had any negatives for us personally but we do know people it has affected hugely. We’ve been very fortunate.

My friend wouldn’t have been trapped thousands of miles from her dying mother for over 18 months and so wouldn’t have chosen to take her own life shortly after that.