...to miss the good old days?...

[MissTheMundane]

AIBU to miss life prior to 2016? The days before I'd ever heard the words 'Mexit', 'Brexit', 'Woke', 'Covid', 'Whitty' and 'Truss'. The days before 'fake news', Trump and Borris?

The days when home schooling was something you only read about or saw on TV documentaries. The days before the word 'transgender' appeared in the news 20 times a day. The days before gen z were words I'd ever heard of.

The days before my mum and countless others died due to the rise of COVID and the fall of the NHS. The days before my public sector pay decreased massively, my workload doubled, and the cost of petrol rose exponentially.

The days when the queen was alive with Philip close by, and there was a strange but secure familiarness about that. The days when Harry still seemed the loveable but rebellious cheeky chappy we all thought we knew. The days before pizza express and non sweaty arm pits.

The days before Russia almost bought us back to the cold war and Ukraine just sounded like a nice but far away place we didn't know too much about.

The days when you could phone a GP and have at least a small chance of being able to see them that day, or any day! The days when you could call an ambulance and actually believe it would come and someone would rush you to hospital. The days when you trusted that if you got seriously ill, the NHS would treat and save you.

The days when no-one joked about stocking up on toilet roll because it just wasn't a thing!

I know life wasn't all sunshine and Roses prior to 2016. I know a lot was wrong then too. But looking back it just all seemed so simple then. So much more secure and familiar.

So much has happened this last few years and I miss the simplicity of life before.

If you could have told me in 2016 how the next 7 years would pan out, I don't think there's any way at all I'd have believed it. No chance. Just no way. I wouldn't even have believed a quarter of it. I just wouldn't.

Anyone else miss the old era?

I just can't believe there's anyone left unable to spell Boris tbh

😁😁😁😁sorry!

Pre ChatGPT as well. Social media was still scary but we’ve reached new levels of batshittery with technology.

I asked chat to write me a mumsnet thread it wrote one on screen time and another on breast feeding.

Money may have gone further in 2016. Prince Andrew had still met Epstein though just not known.

I just can't believe there's anyone left who is unable to spell Boris tbh.

Fixed it for you.

OMG can you imagine if we start asking Chat to start writing responses!!!!!?????

Yes!

I miss the old days but I think of them as pre 2020 rather than pre 2016. I did think certain things would go away though - but they’ve got worse. I was thriving in 2019.

Yes op l am with you on all of these things.
Took so much for granted

That's been happening for ages.

13 years of tories, plus brexit, global pandemic, war in Europe, economic turmoil, public services in ruins.
Last time I felt pride in the UK was 2012 olympics. The world felt a lot bette then.

Yes to all of these.

I'd like to add (though might be longer back in time) being able to book a weekend away without having to plan 6 months in advance, or else you're left with a caravan for 2 at £200 a night, or a hotel room for 2 at £400 a night. And those are the bargains. We also have: End of May - "Double room for 3 nights, 2 adults, £1440". Or even better, "Family En-suite Room for 3 nights,, 1 double 1 bunk bed, £2925". WTF?

Plus big chunks calving off major glaciers.

Not necessarily in that order.

Sorry, I voted YABU. Yes there's been a lot of drama and changes in the past 7 years, but it was ever the same. People always look back and think things were rosier. But they were just different. There were a lot of terrorist attacks for a long while, for one thing. In the 80s and 90s there were many high profile disasters - from that point of view things have improved massively. Many historic sex offenders have finally been held to account. More people survive heart attacks these days. Etc, etc.

I'm sorry to hear about your mother but there again, my family has experienced several losses since 2016 too, just none were covid related.

Did something significant happen in 2016?

Agreed.

It seems better looking back but in reality it wasn't. All the problems we have now (bar covid) were bubbling under the surface - famous sex offenders were still abusing people, we just didn't know, there was still poverty and terrorism and international tensions all ready to kick off. The NHS was still struggling, politicians still self serving liars. We just weren't so aware of the extent of the trouble the world was in.

@MissTheMundane - YABU for using 2016 as the year number because it was already too late by 2016. Go back another 10 years to 2006. You still had forums (i.e. Mumsmet) but none of the cancer that is "social media". That's the time we should roll back to.

Yeah, looking back I think that was a good year! We just had no idea what was going to come out way :(

That's the year before world craziness set in! Trump came to power in 2017 and after that (not blaming him!) everything else started to go tits up!

Oh come on its not all bad

Don't be a prick. The first post was perfectly OK.

maybe in 10 years time we will be wishing we were back in 2023 !

Oh god, what more is there to throw at us!

I'm happy we're the other side of a pandemic, aren't you glad that's over?

Agree with everything apart from the queen or any royals being something to be grateful for, ever.

I just can't believe there's anyone left who is unable to spell Boris tbh.

Fixed it for you.

Nope. The original sentence was absolutely fine.

I'm with you on pre-Brexit and pre-pandemic life, OP. Not fussed about the royal family though.