To ask what you miss about lockdown - light hearted

[Nopurchase]

This is light hearted and OK so I know that this is unreasonable and 100% I wouldnt want to go back into lockdown but there is a part of me that misses that initial feeling of feeling safe and cosy at home with my family (not that I dont now), playing games, no school runs, working from home being able to go out for a walk and it was so quiet and peaceful you couldnt hear any cars and so many birds, this was before all the big restrictions came in. I know it was so hard for so many people and dont get me wrong for us it was immensely difficult a lot of the time mentally and extremely stressfull, but there is a part of me that misses close family time in a bubble.

What do you miss?

I had it "easy" although being a manager was very hard during those months, especially getting people back to work in July 2020 when our onsite services reopened.

I did have worries about very elderly parents a couple of hundred miles away, and a DH with cancer who was told to shield (if I never hear the word "shielding" again I won't be sorry) but we got through it, worked at home when we had to and spent a lot of family time together.

What hasn't been acknowledged in the aftermath though, is that those who were able to work at home (and continue to do so) were/are served by a whole other group of people who couldn't and can't. I think this has widened a divide which was already there, and hasn't been good for our society.

This is true. I have no problem at all with people saying they enjoyed it because of a particular privilege they had or something specific to their circumstances, that's totally fair enough. There is nothing wrong with having enjoyed all the time you spent sitting in the garden admiring the blossoms etc.

But it should be very clear by now that it was a time where inequalities were exacerbated. If there's one thing that was not happening, it was people being equal in respect of material matters.

I get why people say they liked not having to go anywhere but everyone has that choice anyway. Wanting to keep everyone locked in their houses so they don't have to go to a social event they could just say no to is incredibly self centered.

I couldn't agree with you more @Pickingmyselfup. Everyone complaining about all the activities and invitations they don't want to fulfil. Just say no.

I agree. I think the only reason the 2021 lockdown was able to happen is because of the vaccine. People were only willing to limit their behaviour to that extent because it looked like light at the end of the tunnel. It wouldn't have happened otherwise.

to the point that I wonder if the poster actually understands the word "material".

all the times people say "check your privilege" - but not when it comes to this.

I kind of get what @Hibye23289 means, although I wouldn’t have used the term materialistic. Ordinarily my social media is full of families going on big days out, having friends round for dinner, going out for meals/drinks etc and our life isn’t like that at all which I can sometimes feel bad about. It did feel like it levelled the playing field a little bit because all anyone could do was go for a walk and cook at home so I didn’t feel the same guilt that my children weren’t going to Alton towers/go karting/ to the trampoline park and I didn’t have to feel sad that my friends aren’t the sort of friends that come round for dinner/drinks.

In most other ways lockdown was shit for me , dp worked full time throughout and I was stuck in with 4 kids, no garden and a baby who only napped in a moving pram which wasn’t ideal when trying to stick to the rules and only go out once a day! My eldest also developed depression and anorexia and my second did absolutely no school work (despite me battling with him daily) and is still behind now with GCSEs next year.

The weather was good though and it was nice to have it so quiet outside when we went for walks.

@EmmaEmerald
Yes I did say that. OP asked for lighthearted parts not the crappy parts 🤦🏽‍♀️

Got drunk every day for months 🍺

I fear internet language has evolved beyond me.

you had a "wonderful time" implies no crappy parts, or only a tiny bit of negligible crap?

I think it was not so much about privilege it was more about your life as it was at that time.

We have a large garden but to have had my 2 teens and 2 under 10s stuck in the house day after day with dh working from the kitchen table would have been purgatory. But my kids were grown up in 2020 snd I did relish In not doing school runs 2 days a week or having to run round after my elderly parents.

I know thst sounds selfish but lock down was for me the first time since being a mother in 1989 that I just sat in the garden and read. Utter bliss.

I still can completely understand how fecking awful it was for my kids trying to wfh with young children.

@Nopurchase

Ideally its somewhere on the route you are delivering, so now it tends to be schools, businesses, pubs or supermarkets that will let you use their facilities, but during lockdown we had to go back to the office which took about 20 minutes out of delivery time, so the tendancy was not to drink much so you didnt have to go which is less than ideal in summer.

Nothing, because my life was broadly unchanged, just a bit more boring. But, of course, it was all ridiculous and totally unnecessary.

Well, that's made me feel smug about my life over the years, thanks! 😂😂

I miss my husband being at home.

The beautiful weather. Although could only go out for my one walk to enjoy it but it was glorious for once in Scotland (Sod’s Law). The feeling of something a bit historic happening despite the fear of getting ill. I don’t miss sweating in masks and only being allowed certain journeys.

i was called to give blood as I have a rare group, I remember the train being dead, then the city centre being dead and I was half an hour early due to the train schedule. It was nice to wander about in silence.

The weather during the first lockdown but nothing else.

I don’t think this is a lighthearted topic. Sorry

It eradicated my fomo for life. That was brilliant.

Everything. I loved the slower pace of life when all I had to do was go to work every day.

Some snippy comments but each to own. Lockdown was clearly devastating and terribly for many, an interesting time, a sad time. a liberating time and a fantastic time depending upon your circumstance.

I can't see how anyone being honest about their experience detracts from others equally honest experiences. Or are we all only able to see one view?

@BashirWithTheGoodBeard totally get that, some people struggled massively. I did a lot of zoom calls and was a check in and chat person for the NHS responder service. Some of the people I spoke with weekly for months were lonely and anxious and that was so bloody awful. One person in particular I still call now and have regular catch ups - she's awesome!

Slowing down.
No FOMO

Drinking 7 days a week being socially acceptable

@EmmaEmerald
How naive of you. There is rarely good without bad in life and hate ti burst your bubble but I know my about my own life than you know about my life so that's the end of that

I miss the quiet and not having to rush around doing social things.

I gave up wearing makeup every day, and took up walking.

The best part of it for me was that I saved enough money to be able to pay for DDs Masters.