What has this situation taught you?

[Bearbehind]

Mine are

• Individually, we’re each pretty insignificant
• A lot of day to day shit really doesn’t matter
• There’s somethings that are so far beyond our control it’s pretty much incomprehensible
• There's an awful lot of selfish fuckers out there who think rules don’t apply to them
• There’s an awful lot of people out there who put others before themselves and do what they can to help

That I am ridiculously, stupidly lucky and privileged to have the life, job, home and family I do.

That it could all disappear overnight.

How selfish people are in their (Normal) day to day lives. Appallingly so.

How nasty and controlling people truly are.

How selfish people are in their (Normal) day to day lives. Appallingly so.
How nasty and judgemental posters who write posts like this

That my 78 year old father can be taught how to FaceTime.

That human nature doesn't change, only the backdrop, costumes, and technology.

You will always get good, kind, helpful people.
You will always get mercenary, self-centred people.
You will always get people in the middle.

That people, en masse, are lazy and incredibly easy to brainwash and don't question things enough.

That most of our power-brokers aren't worth the price of the suits they stand up and spout forth in, let alone those fat salaries and expense accounts they enjoy. (With a VERY few honorable exceptions.) Funny how many of the people getting us through this are what the government called "low skilled" not so long ago. (Tries VERY hard not to think of the fact that the aftermath of the Black Death led to huge social reform, and in some cases, made the lives of the heretofore drooling and despised peasants much more lucrative.)

That most people's knowledge of history and basic science is so bad it's not even funny any more.

That the cult of celebrity is as vacuous as I always thought. Just wondering when the Mail is going to judge it the right time to wheel out its COVID-19 fashionista chic centre spreads....

That you can never, ever have too much loo roll.

How the individual will almost always prioritise themselves.
How the elderly are expendable
How people don't want to hear the truth
How asking people to take responsibility for their own behaviour will only work if it's something they would do or not do anyway

Though that's just MN tbf.

Personally, for me:
How much I love my job
How actually proud I am of my adopted country
How saddened I am at my birth one

Ultimately how fucking glorious this life of ours is. How amazing this world of ours is. And how we really don't appreciate either of these things nearly enough.

Bruffin - I’m a key worker as is my partner.
We work to keep people alive. We are issued with no ppe. We never signed up for this. We are both on minimum wage.
I Work in a care home and have just been informed we will be caring for hospital discharge patients - will not be tested for covid 19. At BEST if we get someone who develops symptoms, we might get 5 tests for 80 people.
We can’t get the food supplies we need for our residents because people have stockpiled and panic bought. That’s still happening
We can’t even get basics such as soap, hand gel, tissues, gloves and soap. Because of selfish idiots.
I’m working 7 days a week to keep residents safe - yet a family called me a killer - because I go home after me shift and return to work the next day. What the hell am I supposed to do? Sleep on the floor? That’s selfish stupidity.

Yes I’m judgemental - I’m allowed to be because no one gives a fig about care homes and the workers in their normal life.

How lucky I am.

How much I like being at home
How much I dislike most people and don't miss contact with them
How much shit I usually buy that I don't need
How I married the right person (this time round)
How grateful I am I'm not still with ex
How little I actually need or want in life.

• the depths of sloth into which I sink without external exigencies/accountability
• my cat and I now have basically the same lifestyle

I think two main things

1. I will never try on Week to week shopping again. I normally get a delivery and buy what I need exactly for my meal plan that week.

Never again. I WISH I had been one of the stockpilers early on now without a car and with no online delivery slots - and with 8 people to feed I am struggling. I can only drag so much home from the corner shop in my old lady trolley and I can’t get to any bigger shops! From now on I will keep as much as I can in the house at all times.

But the second is more positive.

We already homeschool and this has made me appreciate that much more. It been nice to be able to pull up the drawbridge and have dh working from home and kids at home. It has made us feel much more in control than I think we would have if they had been at school.

That I do have enough kitchen cupboards, after all. I've realised that I can live perfectly well without all the kitchen junk that has been lurking in the back of them. Mismatched Tupperware has been of no use during a pandemic.
I could in normal times provide enough mugs to serve tea at a street party, despite only DP and I living here.

I'm a teacher. My husband is a caretaker. We've lost his wage and are surviving on mine. Because we're not buying all the crap we used to, we're managing it.

But I am realising how bad my work made me feel, working over 60 hours per week. I'm seeing how much better working 40 hours from home in a relaxed environment makes me feel. I don' t know if I ever want to go back. I don't think the money is worth it. I have energy. I have time to laugh with my family. I don't need things. I don't need meals out. I don't need fancy clothes. I don't need new things much at all.

I want to live a simpler, happier life. I don't know if I want to go back to teaching after this.

That I’m really lazy and happy to slob about watching the telly

@Bargebill19 What a hard, hard, position you are in. You could get a job stacking shelves in a supermarket and earn more, and be safer, than looking after elderly people dying of covid-19. Every day you get up and weigh up doing the right thing for your clients and doing the right thing for your family. And all for minimum wage.

Whatever you do, you have earned my respect for the job you do. I worked in residential homes for a decade. I loved it. I have never felt, as a teacher, that I made such a difference as I did when I was a care assistant. I have never worked harder, physically. When you go in to someone who is scared, ashamed, soiled... and you walk out that room with them clean, smiling, and thinking about better times... you have transformed someone's life.

When I applaud on a Thursday, I am applauding you too.

When we are all here in this house, its all I need.

That my preps worked.

Didn't realise until now that my normal life isn't too far from lockdown, I like being a home bird, just now everyone is here which is nice just involves more cooking.

My kids are good fun and very adaptable.

Dh works too hard (WFH atm) and has very little down time.

That the senior people at work are woefully incompetent. I'm considering applying for another job after the shoddy way they've handled this crisis.

That I like the simplicity of life with no commute, no school run, no plans.

That I'm not a great educator despite really valuing learning.

That I wasted a lot and spent a lot on the past.

That I love my family and miss my parents and brother.

That some of my friends are amazing kind people.

I read something in the Guardian last weekend (a writer in Italy about what's ahead for the UK)

"The true nature of the people around you will be revealed with total clarity. You will have confirmations and surprises."

That we are so lucky to have out NHS and stable jobs.
That I love being at home with my family.
That i enjoy my job and miss my work family.
That I love the countryside, wildlige and nature, and need to do way more walking, including coastal walking.
That my difficult family are easier when I don't see them, but a recent C19 scare reminds me I love them really.
To be grateful for the small things. Always.

Nellodee - thank you. And you have described why I do what I do perfectly.

How little me and my colleague's lives are valued by our employer. Office workers. We've been asking about working from home since the start of this, and were told it would never happen (and almost all of higher ranks happily went to work from home). It's only earlier this week they've admitted it is possible for us to work at home (which was obvious to us from the start) and just started the very first process of ordering some laptops for the staff who refused to come to work due to health issues. But barely enough even for them, and not enough for the rest of us.

That unfortunately the vast majority of the General public are sheep.

There are people watching who now know how easy we are to control.

Lovely.

I shop way too much for stuff I don't need both online and nipping into shops

My kids are fucking amazing

I'm extraordinarily privileged in a lot of ways

That my husband is probably a far better day to day parent than I am. And for the first time, I am genuinely doing something that is saving lives. And I love it, and I’m good at it.

To be thankful for yet another day with my wonderful husband, my resilient and resourceful daughter, and my endlessly funny son (he’s diabetic type 1 as well). I truly am the luckiest woman on earth!