To find the early COVID era nostalgic?

[Acco]

I’m mostly talking about the pre-lockdown and lockdown 1 era mostly but just 2020 in general to a lesser extent (but not 2021, I still hate it and it doesn’t seem that long ago). I haven’t thought about COVID for ages but I was taking about the toilet roll hysteria with my in laws tonight and then I saw a TikTok throwback to all the 2020 trends and sounds and it gave me a warm feeling inside. It’s an era I’d never want back but I remember the lovely sunny days in the garden in April and May 2020.
Anybody else feel this?

I loved it, so for me YANBU.

We’d moved into our dream house about 2 weeks prior which needed a lot of renovating….all of a sudden, a lot of time to do renovating!

Sitting in the garden, going for long walks in the lovely countryside around the village, getting takeaway meals from the local pub, having a glass of wine (or 3) if I fancied it during the day, group zoom calls doing quizzes etc and just the slower pace of life.

BUT I appreciate I was so, so privileged and can completely understand why those who had a shit time aren’t nostalgic for it.

I literally replied to another poster saying I should have read the thread first. My mistake. This is something me and family/friends say to each other in private. I shouldn't have written it here. If I could delete it I would.

If you liked "family walks" or a quieter schedule with fewer activities etc., why can't you just do them anyway? Why did it require lockdown for them to happen? You're not legally required to pack your children's afterschool hours with endless classes.

@Acco I know exactly what you mean! Obviously the pandemic was hellish and so many people lost loved ones, but for me in my own little bubble with my DH and DDs it was a time that I look back on with fondness. We spent quality time together that we usually didn’t have time for and I am grateful for that.

You can, if you report your post you can get it deleted. If you wish, not saying you should or shouldn’t.

I heard birdsong, but I also heard ambulance sirens, every few minutes, every day, for days and days on end.

Given that the streets were empty and ambulance sirens are to move traffic away from busy routes I've never understood why we heard ambulance sirens at all.

I hated it mainly due to having covid very early in 2020 then working at home all summer while my husband was lazing about on furlough and then I had a stroke

I genuinely can’t work out if you’re taking the piss. You’re sorry to hear that many people had a devastating time in Spring 2020. WTF.

You’re obviously very very privileged.

No a lot of people were not enjoying the sunshine, doing stupid TikTok dances or baking sour dough bread! People were trying to stay alive, trying to keep others alive, tried (and many failed) to stop their mental health spiralling. You had a lovely jolly in your garden, great. Millions were not so lucky.

I don't know... I think there genuinely are a lot of people without any self-awareness who genuinely enjoyed lockdown and who haven't really managed to connect the dots.

Posting (apparently without irony) about delicious walks and trying new butchers and the joys of home schooling without any reference to the context. I don't think people mean to be unkind I just think if you live a very charmed life and don't come into contact with anyone outside of your bubble you might genuinely not notice.

I think also a lot of people who struggle with normal social interactions loved it because it gave them an excuse not to have to deal with people. Often people who self-identify as "introverts" when they actually mean people with social anxiety. While I do have a degree of sympathy, and I can understand how this may have been socially liberating, I think its dishonest to present this as an overall social "good" and to fail to acknowledge how badly it affected many people to be starved of social contact.

That's partly what made COVID so shocking: it laid bare what an incredibly divided society we live in, in so many ways. And the fact that these threads are still popping up is really quite shocking.

It was the first time the world was accessible to me, people wearing masks, people suddenly realising how sick people have to live. I miss that, I don't miss burying my friends through Zoom.

If I ignored the worry of the unknown and not seeing my family, that first four weeks were rather lovely. Beautiful weather and the longest time off work I have had in 20 years. I enjoyed reading and crochet in the garden whilst my employer got their act together for remote work.

No.

I had a baby in 1st lockdown in a hospital I didn’t want to go to, in a mask by emergency C-section. My husband had to leave whilst I coped alone almost immediately after. I was left for hours when I pressed the buzzer and had to care for a newborn whilst attached to a catheter bag.

I had no support or visitors for weeks. My parents lived hours away, my husband was a key worker. Doctors wouldn’t see my DC for an eye infection or torticollis.

I still have nightmares and I’ll never have another child.

Is that to me? It actually did make us change our lives for the better. We changed our jobs so we could work from home for the foreseeable. We home educate now and spend a lot more time travelling and enjoying nature. It took the lockdown to make us realise what we were missing.

That's partly what made COVID so shocking: it laid bare what an incredibly divided society we live in, in so many ways. And the fact that these threads are still popping up is really quite shocking.

But individual experiences and feelings are valid whether we agree with them or we don't.

History is made up of threads of experience. It would be rewriting history to claim that everyone experienced bleak times.

I think we have to be careful. The OP was possibly clumsy but their experience is not invalid because it was not universally experienced.

We live about 100 metres from an ambulance station, we definitely heard less sirens in lockdown.

I loved it. WFH took some getting used to and I was working hard but generally I enjoyed it. Lost no family members though. Doubt would feel the same way if I had, however.

(And ironically WFH has enriched my life in so many ways.)

Fair enough, and I’m sorry for coming on a bit strong. I think I was more upset with the OP rather than yours, so I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, I do apologise.
I absolutely understand why it was paradoxically a good time for some people, I think it is just when people don’t acknowledge that paradox, it is upsetting.

If you were enjoying the garden in the sunshine with family and no financial worries hiw lovely.

Working hard no.

Worries about vulnerable no.

Unable to see family in care homes elderly or disabled relatives hell on earth... so no to the selfish I'm alright Jack Brigade

Selfish people appeared to enjoy it whilst no concern for others who struggled

@lifeturnsonadime

But individual experiences and feelings are valid whether we agree with them or we don't.

History is made up of threads of experience. It would be rewriting history to claim that everyone experienced bleak times.

I think we have to be careful. The OP was possibly clumsy but their experience is not invalid because it was not universally experienced.

Individual experiences are valid and, as I've already posted, there's nothing wrong with acknowledging you had a positive experience.

What's shocking about some of these posts is the total lack of awareness of the contrast between these lovely pastoral lives, fully of walks to the butchers and birdsong and drinking wine in the garden, and the hell experienced by so many people.

I just think anyone with a more rounded sense of the "history" would acknowledge that they were in an unbelievably privileged position. And also approach the subject with more respect and less of this "jolly fun for the whole family" tone. I find it disrespectful and grating.

It was a horrifying experience for many. As much of the comments suggest. Although I know a few people that have been able to pivot their lives in that period. When I look back it’s a reminder of how resilient we can be - never nostalgia - more so memories that belong in a future text book.

I must say the only thing I miss is the endless time I had with my daughter. It was just me and her and she found it scary so it was so important for us to turn our home into a safe space. I’d say I only missed it for that reason. Now life is at full speed and whenever we reminisce about our “old house” and “old neighbourhood” we had happy memories there but most of it was during the covid period so it’s strange.

I ended up doing lots of volunteering whilst furloughed. Through this I met so many neighbours and people I call friends. Honestly it was the first time I deeply realised the importance of connection, people and access to everyday things.

It was a horrible time but I think there are a small number of people that might be able to relate to you. I know many people that started businesses. Had babies. Bought homes or moved abroad. Built communities that they are now able to see in person now that we are on the other end.

Feels like waking up from a bizarre dream. The type that keeps you up because you don’t want to fall asleep and end up in it again:

Sirens coming from the ambulance station means they are less busy. They have time to go back to base.

Indeed as another poster said some very privileged people loved it

Worked in icu can't say it's 'nostalgic' if I'm honest.. traumatic yes, nostalgic no

a little song...free speech and all...yes I know I've missed a section but I'm tired.

🎤Summertime
And the living was easy....
Posters jumping
Got their trampoline high

Cos they are rich
And they had all they needed
So stupid plebbies
Why did you cry?

You had food to deliver
Knew your patients would die
But posters danced in their gardens
And enjoyed the sunshine

You are worth nothing to them
Not until you resign
Then they'll moan here on Mumsnet
'Bout no one to serve wine...

They will get on their high horse
Say you caused a pile-on
Maybe interest gets higher
And their smiles will be gone🎤

U are absolutely BU