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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find the early COVID era nostalgic?

549 replies

Acco · 15/10/2023 21:00

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?

OP posts:
user1471538283 · 19/10/2023 12:58

@PenguinRainbows - how can you call people miserable when they've witnessed or been part of truly traumatic experiences?

It was a global pandemic. Not a 3 month holiday.

RelativePitch · 19/10/2023 13:14

Selfishly it was a lovely time for my family. We had a relative who was wearing us down prior to lockdown and the pandemic put boundaries in place which we were too weak to do ourselves. Fantastic to get bonus time with our DCs. And a break from school for DS2 was most welcome as it was reaching crisis point. But I know how sad and lonely my DM was, as were many, many people.

Ramalangadingdong · 19/10/2023 13:28

TheBellas · 19/10/2023 12:30

Why are you laughing at people’s trauma?

You would do it again? It may happen again let’s hope none of your loved ones experience the devastating effects such as dying alone, mental health breakdowns, domestic abuse, suicides, loss of homes.

Show quote history

And the higher than average number of kids who were injured or killed because they were stuck at home with sadistic parents and no one keeping tabs on them. For them it was the best time ever.

TheRealLilyMunster · 19/10/2023 17:07

PenguinRainbows · 19/10/2023 12:20

YANBU. Lot of miserable souls here 😂

We loved it! Getting paid to stay off work, watch all the tv you want, read all the books you want, play all the games you want. Enjoy the sunshine.

Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Congratulations - you are a prime example of why humanity is fucked.

readbooksdrinktea · 19/10/2023 17:13

PenguinRainbows · 19/10/2023 12:20

YANBU. Lot of miserable souls here 😂

We loved it! Getting paid to stay off work, watch all the tv you want, read all the books you want, play all the games you want. Enjoy the sunshine.

Would do it again in a heartbeat.

There is something seriously wrong with 'wanting to do it again' when it comes to a devastating global pandemic.

EvilElsa · 19/10/2023 17:17

PenguinRainbows · 19/10/2023 12:20

YANBU. Lot of miserable souls here 😂

We loved it! Getting paid to stay off work, watch all the tv you want, read all the books you want, play all the games you want. Enjoy the sunshine.

Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Aw, yeah so miserable. Fancy people not enjoying a pandemic that killed their loved ones, lost them their jobs and ruined their mental health. They should all just cheer up a bit and be glad that you had a great time sitting in your garden reading books.

Port1aCastis · 19/10/2023 17:19

Those of us who lost relatives and friends to COVID would disagree, they definitely have lost their heartbeats so no I wouldn't wish that time again on anyone. Sunny days do not matter when folks are grieving.

pumpkinspiceisnotnice · 19/10/2023 17:21

I think people like the @Acco , @PenguinRainbows and the few others that commented in support, fall into one of two groups.

Truly privileged but clueless, that live in a little bubble and Covid did not have any negative impact on their lives.

Or

They are just unsympathetic, heartless humans that don’t give a shit about anyone except themselves and wouldn’t even spit on someone if they were on fire. Penguin is definitely this one as they are wishing for a pandemic to come back. They want more people to die and suffer so they can play games and chill at home.

Changedname81 · 19/10/2023 17:23

No. I got told by a nurse and a dr wearing full PPE that my baby didnt have a heartbeat. I drove to the hospital in my own. Was home alone and had no one to help me or comfort me as we could not see anyone. (The father left me when I told him I was pregnant in the Feb)

Three days later I had to go to the hospital for a procedure as it was a missed miscarriage and had not a soul that loved me with or near me.

Then I grieved for weeks. Alone. And went crazy. Alone.

So no.

readbooksdrinktea · 19/10/2023 19:37

Changedname81 · 19/10/2023 17:23

No. I got told by a nurse and a dr wearing full PPE that my baby didnt have a heartbeat. I drove to the hospital in my own. Was home alone and had no one to help me or comfort me as we could not see anyone. (The father left me when I told him I was pregnant in the Feb)

Three days later I had to go to the hospital for a procedure as it was a missed miscarriage and had not a soul that loved me with or near me.

Then I grieved for weeks. Alone. And went crazy. Alone.

So no.

That's horrible. I'm so sorry.

Changedname81 · 19/10/2023 20:42

Thank you for your kindness. I’m 42 years old and I still don’t think I’m over it almost four years later.

Also I realise my experience was not the worst that people endured during lockdown (losing loved ones, etc). But it was my experience of April -June 2020 and no not a time I’d like to revisit.

Yettisrus2 · 19/10/2023 21:02

I found the whole thing utterly soul destroying, the only good thing was my sun tan. Walking into a shop and there being nothing on the shelves, queueing to get a loaf of bread, seeing people mass buying cat food and literally clearing the shelf, I actually stood in disbelief watching them being so selfish.

I remember being in the gym the night they said they were to shut (something they had originally said would stay open for peoples health) and the atmosphere was just so sad, I've never experienced anything like it.

I went for a drive the weekend before he announced lockdown to a couple of beauty spots near me, it was lovely weather I recall. Then we were all told it was people like me and those who went to the beach that were the reason we had to be put into lockdown as we didn't do as we were told. I never understood how sitting on my own on a bench in the sun was going to increase someone's chance of catching covid though.

So no I don't look back on it fondly.

Rudderneck · 19/10/2023 21:31

Nostalgia is a very personal emotion, and can exist along with other less positive emotions.

My grandmother was often nostalgic for elements of her time in the war: the companionship with other WRENS, being away from her village and doing new, exciting things, the music, the sense of purpose. But it was also a scary time where she was in London during the Blitz, her fiance was in serious danger and she often didn't know where he was, many men she knew were killed on a regular basis, and food and other goods were scarce.

I don't see any reason why the same couldn't be true of the covid lockdowns.

TheRealLilyMunster · 20/10/2023 13:37

Rudderneck · 19/10/2023 21:31

Nostalgia is a very personal emotion, and can exist along with other less positive emotions.

My grandmother was often nostalgic for elements of her time in the war: the companionship with other WRENS, being away from her village and doing new, exciting things, the music, the sense of purpose. But it was also a scary time where she was in London during the Blitz, her fiance was in serious danger and she often didn't know where he was, many men she knew were killed on a regular basis, and food and other goods were scarce.

I don't see any reason why the same couldn't be true of the covid lockdowns.

Perhaps your grandmother was nostalgic about those times.

But I doubt that she would have gloated to people who had gone through horrifying experiences during the war, about what a lovely time she had.

Those privileged enough to have had a jolly old time during covid should maybe take a moment to read the room, and consider that those who lost family and friends, risked their health as care workers, or lost babies alone surrounded by Dr's in full PPE might not want to hear about it.

People seem to be bereft of empathy, or the capacity to even consider someone else's feelings these days

GilChesterton13 · 20/10/2023 13:49

Those privileged enough to have had a jolly old time during covid should maybe take a moment to read the room, and consider that those who lost family and friends, risked their health as care workers, or lost babies alone surrounded by Dr's in full PPE might not want to hear about it.

Are people being forced to read this thread? It's quite clear from the title what the thread is about, so if anybody doesn't want to "hear about it" they can just not open it.

newamsterdam · 20/10/2023 14:20

TheRealLilyMunster · 20/10/2023 13:37

Perhaps your grandmother was nostalgic about those times.

But I doubt that she would have gloated to people who had gone through horrifying experiences during the war, about what a lovely time she had.

Those privileged enough to have had a jolly old time during covid should maybe take a moment to read the room, and consider that those who lost family and friends, risked their health as care workers, or lost babies alone surrounded by Dr's in full PPE might not want to hear about it.

People seem to be bereft of empathy, or the capacity to even consider someone else's feelings these days

Show quote history

I''m sure Granny would wonder why a person would go onto a thread specfically about nostalgia for those times if they don't want to hear about nostalgia about those times?
It's them that need to read the room, and not go into the wrong room in the first place!!

GilChesterton13 · 20/10/2023 14:29

Nostalgia is a very personal emotion, and can exist along with other less positive emotions.

I get nostalgic at the drop of a hat ("Remember lunchtime, wasn't that great?") so I do have positive memories of some of it - the weather was great to begin with, and wfh/home schooling was enough of a novelty that there were some fun moments with that. But we were heavily engaged with the government emergency response and working extremely long hours, we had very worried and desperate clients on the phone, my Mum was alone, and there was the constant dread of what might happen next, and when it would end. So it is complicated.

It doesn't bother me that some people had an easier (even nice) time of it - that's life. I dislike the tone of some posts basically telling the OP "you aren't allowed to think that" though.

Fairospop22 · 20/10/2023 20:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Yazo · 20/10/2023 20:59

Nope, my dad died and it was awful. All of it was awful, I can only remember the horror of it really. My family don't live close, my dad was dying of cancer scared in his house. Yeah I had some nice afternoons in the garden but not really.

StolenCookie · 21/10/2023 00:04

Rudderneck · 19/10/2023 21:31

Nostalgia is a very personal emotion, and can exist along with other less positive emotions.

My grandmother was often nostalgic for elements of her time in the war: the companionship with other WRENS, being away from her village and doing new, exciting things, the music, the sense of purpose. But it was also a scary time where she was in London during the Blitz, her fiance was in serious danger and she often didn't know where he was, many men she knew were killed on a regular basis, and food and other goods were scarce.

I don't see any reason why the same couldn't be true of the covid lockdowns.

One of the most sensible posts on here.

I understand that people had vastly different experiences of covid - I’d never wish that experience on anyone. But I can’t change the fact that lockdown was generally a positive experience for me. It’s ok for different experiences to coexist.

Rudderneck · 21/10/2023 00:27

TheRealLilyMunster · 20/10/2023 13:37

Perhaps your grandmother was nostalgic about those times.

But I doubt that she would have gloated to people who had gone through horrifying experiences during the war, about what a lovely time she had.

Those privileged enough to have had a jolly old time during covid should maybe take a moment to read the room, and consider that those who lost family and friends, risked their health as care workers, or lost babies alone surrounded by Dr's in full PPE might not want to hear about it.

People seem to be bereft of empathy, or the capacity to even consider someone else's feelings these days

Show quote history

Who' s gloating, the OP asked if people thought it was odd to feel nostalgic, although she also had some negative feelings about covid lockdown as well.

Bluegreenseasoffoam · 21/10/2023 05:59

For a large minority of people, it created fear for our economic and peaceful future which hasn’t gone away.

And changed their perception of their fellow citizens.

Bingsbongs · 21/10/2023 06:05

Not at all, i felt like i was only sane person around in the middle of mad people putting on filthy surgical masks from their pockets,expecting it to protect against a virus, even the box said it dosent- no thoughts on how hygenic is that mask in a dirthy pocket next to dirty car keys wallet etc. Nurses, doctors dancing on tiktok while peoples life saving tests and operations were put on hold,i myself had heavy bleeding while high risk pregnant and was asked to wait at home all day- when i turned up to the hospital i was the only patient,doctor apologised and said usually i would have been called in straight away. People who did not want experimental jabs that were “fast tracked” and did not have safety testing which usually takes a decade- were threatened or made to loose their jobs- for me it highlighted that over half the population is easily influenced just show them what they need to do on the tv on repeat, easily coerced and do not own a mind that can question and think critically

Bingsbongs · 21/10/2023 06:06

Oh yeah and the cringe seal claps for the nhs, when nhs was literally killing people by cancelling operations,.routine bloodtests,doctors appointments,.dental appointments etc

Lateliein · 21/10/2023 06:52

Stop backtracking.

Your privilege shines through. Stupid thing to post. Many people don't have gardens ffs.