To look back on the things we did in lockdown and cringe?

[Applescruffle]

Isn't it all just really cringeworthy when we look back?

The clapping on our doorsteps, all that false commradarie and "we're all in this together" and the drawings of rainbows in people's windows?
Condemning our neighbours for buying Easter Eggs because they weren't "essential" and wondering whether we would get arrested for sitting on a park bench?

At the time I, and probably loads of us, thought we were doing the right things but doesn't it all just look so false and hollow now when we look back and see that number 10 were having parties and Dominic Cummings was running around the country testing his eyesight? My kids missed out on so much while this was going on, my mental and physical health has still not recovered from the effects of lockdown, and for what?

Know what I mean?

I don’t judge anyone for doing any of the things that now seem crazy. It was a strange time, none of us knew what to make of it or what the outcome would be. The government aim was to scare the crap out of us to make us comply and it worked with the vast majority.

My sister was a nurse in Covid positive theatres and a nurse on the Covid wards, the death rate was terrifying.

Why is it!? Not taking anything away/minimising the experience of those who lost loved ones to Covid.

That still doesn't give people the right to be utterly vile towards others. Everyone was dealing with something. And likely still is.

Well said.

I didn't clap on the doorstep, or join in the condemnation of out-of-towners parking at the beach, etc.

I did stay away from people in accordance with the rules, as I didn't want to feel responsible for passing covid on to someone vulnerable. Looking back, I don't think that was wrong, and I did nothing I feel the need to cringe for.

People wanted everything to be black and white - either thinking it was all rubbish, or thinking that there should be zero tolerance on the rules. The people most vehement on the latter became the most rabid about the former, IME.

In reality, it was a new situation, it was changing all the time and there was a wide range of possible responses all with pros and cons. It is easy to pick holes with hindsight, but I wouldn't have liked to have been making the decisions.

My friends part of France there were army checkpoints everywhere , her printer broke she couldn't print out her letter. She lived alone very rurally, that panicked her somewhat. Luckily a friend sorted out something for her.

Honestly, I only clapped so my neighbours didn't think I looked like a dick.

Otherwise it was a bit pointless. I was working from home with 4 kids at home plus home schooling. My dh could leave the house for work after a fee months.

It was a ridiculous time.

I didn't get it when medical people had little knowledge about how to treat it. I didn't get it when they were having to let people die because there was no room in ICU, no ventilators. So you think it didn't protect me, I disagree

Bill Gates talked about pandemics in 2016. Governments were warned by the scientists. It fell on deaf ears.

Who remembers the ‘key worker’ list of parents that were allowed to send their children to school? Then the hatred those parents got for doing so, because people thought their job shouldn’t have been on the list.

I was one of those parents, and I had to put up with the snide comments. However I have no regrets about sending my son in and not letting covid wreck his education.

For a long time I watched flights coming into the UK from Italy and other countries on Flight Radar. Now that did seem unwise.

Even worse, those sad acts that changed their profile photo so that it said 'I've had my covid vaccine ' or words to that effect.

I didn't do any of that stuff you mentioned OP, but I did do all the correct social distancing, mask wearing etc for the first lockdown. By the second one... and the third one... I'd caught on to what a load of nonsense it was and carried on as normal - as did most people I know.

I lost precious time with someone very close to me due to lockdown - I will never forgive or forget that.

Ah, Captain Hindsight has arrived….😏
Of course people got swept up in it all - how many pandemics have we dealt with in our lifetime?

So it was a threat. You said, Just to clarify, it is a fact that for people in their 20s covid isn't a threat I was pointing out that it was a threat, a very definite threat to the people in their 20s who died of it.

I think we were lucky covid wasn’t more deadly, it was a good trial run for a serious super disease.
If a super Ebola or whatever spreads, at least we know what to do. It’s a completely linked up global world now and the next disease might be a 30% death rate like ye olde Black Death.
it might seem silly now, I was a nurse and I thought me, my colleagues, my parents, we were all going to die. The pan banging was so nice I cried the first night.

My conscience is clear; I supported my nurse partner, worked from home in my little backroom NHS support job, and stayed away from both banging pan lids and Captain Tom mania.

Not that you could say anything of this at the time as the entire country appeared to have been brainwashed.

As an exercise in group psychology it was pretty spectacular and I do wonder what any future descendants will make of us all.

I was, bluntly, very relieved that my parents had passed long ago and didn't endure a life marked by military war at one end and contagious war at the other.

I remain beyond disgusted at the antics of BJ, the Baroness and the Mones of the world partying and rolling around in money while clinical staff and those with the virus were in agony and I hope the selfish bastards like Boris get their come uppance well and truly one day.

Spanish flu was awful you sneezed in the morning and could be dead by the end of the day.

The end of the war and demobilisation brought it home to many

So you think for those young people who died covid wasn't a threat. We must have a different understanding of threat.

I agree with absolutely everything you’ve said but I don’t know anyone who thought the clapping was helping the NHS, was it not more to show appreciation?

The clapping was meaningful for some I am sure and the essential workers did deserve recognition but also one of the most virtue signaling acts of nonsense I have ever seen. We had a neighbour playing Queen champions as well. I didn't do it as just not me. Most ridiculous thing I remember were the none medical key worker proclaimers. No I don't think IT sales or scrap dealing is key worker status please don't tell me you are one weird neighbour.....

My relative a GP has cried a few times when patients died because they didn't want to bother anyone, or if referred weren't seen. This is post covid.

So did I, although I did abandon lockdown rules in the en and go to him (my Dad).

I never took part in any of the ridiculous clapping.

Very strange time. I admit that COVID scared the shit out of me in the beginning when the government seemingly didn't care about COVID or people dying. I actually wore a mask probably before anyone else did. Once the government were all over it like rash, locking us down, printing fuck tonnes of money to give to their mates and trying to arrest people for breaching ridiculous rules I realised there was something more to be afraid of. We had a government that had an excuse to do what the fuck they wanted to our rights and way of life and let's face it, they didn't stop after COVID did they?

I cringe because we were all so bloody stupid. I think some people should have been protected (a family member of mine died, so yes, it was real) but the entire country did not need locking down again after lockdown 1. I cringe at all of the people virtue signalling and 'making memories' showing pictures of cakes all of the time. I was working my arse off FT at home having just lost a family member and had two kids to teach at home whilst doing this (one with ASD and LD). Those virtue signalling, sunbathing pricks royally pissed me off.

It was absolute batshit. Batshit.

One poster in particular was adamant that children, primary and up were totally fine with online lessons and that schools shouldn't be reopened until Covid had been completely eradicated. That the children who were persistently absent were just all being taught in a gentle and nurtured environment in their warm safe homes. I wonder what she thinks of the evidence showing the dire lifelong impact on Covid kids.

I went on a walk along the road and my mum walked on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD and I actually felt I was breaking the rules.
And then she was dead a few months later, died all alone, and I don't thank myself for following the rules for so long, not at all.

I happily joined in with the first clap. I found it moving and motivating. But then it gained currency and became something else entirely so I rarely joined in. The shaming on social media was ridiculous. I was berated by a neighbour who told me off for not clapping the evening before. I asked how she could possibly know I hadn't been outside in my back garden happily clapping like a trained seal? Or does it only count if it's done in front of your neighbours?

Mind you, she also tried to organise a clap for Captain Tom Moore's birthday but failed miserably. 🤷🏻‍♀️