To not understand why people are looking forward to 2021

[peasoup8]

I was chatting to a friend yesterday about how rubbish lockdown is and we were saying how crap this year has been for both of us. We talked about it for a while and then she said, 'Bring on 2021!' I've had a few other people say things like 'I can't wait until this year is over' and 'I'll be glad to see the back of 2020'.

I don't get it - do they think the virus is just magically going to disappear at midnight 31st December?

[Ratatcat]

I was looking forward to September abs September was better. I am hopeful 2021 will be much better than 2020. I normally hate new year but this year I think it will be a really important marker psychologically for many people.

[AnythingLegalConsidered]

I’m so sorry Alexa. I wish you hope and healing.

OP one reason why “the flu” vaccine isn’t very effective is because “the flu” is a zillion different diseases and the vaccine only covers about three of them each year.

Covid 19 is one virus and it doesn’t mutate particularly fast.

I’m sorry about your house, but my father was widowed in January and I want him to get his life back, and this seems entirely achievable sometime very early next year.

Also Trump will be out of the White House in January.

[catwithflowers]

Alexa. I am so, so sorry for your loss. Heartbreaking 😢🌸

[catwithflowers]

What I’m saying is, I don’t understand HOW people can look forward to next year when there is absolutely no guarantee that things will magically be better and this shitstorm will be over.

OP, I posted earlier saying I was really sorry you are going through such a horrible time. But seriously, having read all of your posts on this thread........ what is the fucking alternative? We have to look forward, regardless of our position. There is always hope. And no, I'm not a middle class Ocado/Boden/private school mum. What else should we do but be positive and hopeful? I can't live my life thinking everything is rubbish and will be like this forever 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair]

Alexa I'm so very sorry for your loss. You hang in there.

[TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair]

So do you believe that your friends in the arts will be fine again next year when things get back to normal?

I certainly don't think everything is going to be wonderful and ok for them. I am very worried for them and for the poorest in society generally. But I also think humans are incredibly resilient and creative. So some of my friends will pick up their work again and be ok, others will follow a new path and also be ok. Of course some won't be ok and as a society we are going to need to think about them and try to make things better. But that is life really - I know people roll their eyes at mentions of the war in relation to this pandemic don't think in 1914 a generation of people just said 'oh great, I get to abandon my dreams and go off and fight in France.' Life is always going to be full of things we can't control and some of them are fecking awful but we can all only make the best of the hand we're dealt. And a big part of that is trying to find a way of being optimistic. If that's too hard, I get it, but there will be good things about your year next year even with all the difficult things you're going to have to negotiate. We are just about through the worst of the pandemic at least.

I’m giving you the biggest virtual hug

Thank you, that's very kind, Macbook. I think it's fair to say I could do with one of those in real life. It's been a pretty life-changing year.

[SufferingFromLongLockdown]

Alexa, I am so sorry to hear about your precious baby boy.

[User158340]

@SpringSunshineandTulips

I’m hoping that by April kind of time things will be better. Vaccine for some, better weather and less stress on the nhs. If we don’t have something to look forward to, then what?

We can look forward to next summer while not getting our hopes up too much that everything will just be back to normal, but at least we should be coming out the other side.

Early 2021 will still be grim for the same reasons as now and add to the Brexit fall out.

[ivfbabymomma1]

Home

[ivfbabymomma1]

It's awful that you could be losing your hope. But perhaps she meant roll on 2021 as we might be closer to the end of all this? Maybe it's wishful thinking who knows!

[MadameBlobby]

@AlexaPlayWhiteNoise

My tiny baby boy was born, and died on Saturday just gone. I need some hope and positivity for 2021 or I will string myself up.

I’m so sorry for the loss of your beautiful baby. This is so terribly sad x

[SpringSunshineandTulips]

I’m hoping that by April kind of time things will be better. Vaccine for some, better weather and less stress on the nhs. If we don’t have something to look forward to, then what?

[randomer]

I think its just a daft thing people say tbh. Nothing magical about January Ist.

[MadameBlobby]

@TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair

Yes - all that will stop. I can well believe there will be local outbreaks here and there in communities where not so many people have the vaccine for different reasons but yes, life is going to be more normal certainly a year from now. And even by the summer of next year it won't be like it is now.

I think this too, and that things like SI with symptoms until a negative test will be here to stay too. But that’s not a bad thing is it really, too many people have soldiered on to work etc if ill even before Covid

[User158340]

I think both points of view of valid.

I think the start of 2021 will be worse than now because cases will likely explode after 'Boris saves Christmas' and the nation has a big jolly up over Christmas and new year.

We'll be paying for Christmas in the early part of 2021 and may have to start 2021 in another lockdown.

However, if the vaccine is being rolled out next month or into January then we should start to come out the other side by Easter.

We're still going to have masks and social distancing for much of 2021. It'll be BST 2022 before more real normality returns.

[MadameBlobby]

@PandemicPalava

Apparently so! Roll on 2022 I say!

This!

[TJ17]

There's no guarantee any year will be good!

Jesus you sound like a bundle of laughs. I feel sorry for the people having to live with you

[eaglejulesk]

Life brings big ups and downs even without pandemics hitting. You have to adapt and find the good where you can - this isn't a dress rehearsal. There is good and bad in everything.

Well said. I'm sorry to hear about your house OP, but that sort of thing happens all the time, people separate, businesses fail etc. and no-one takes any notice and those affected just pick themselves up and get on. Of course things aren't going to magically improve on January 1st, but there are promising signs that they will improve, and it is important to keep hope. As for the 'flu vaccine not always working - I've had 'flu after the vaccine, and the symptoms were less severe and only lasted a few days - surely much better than full-blown 'flu, so even if the covid vaccines are the same it is a vast improvement on now.

[HesterShaw1]

@AlexaPlayWhiteNoise

My tiny baby boy was born, and died on Saturday just gone. I need some hope and positivity for 2021 or I will string myself up.

I'm so very sorry to hear that @AlexaPlayWhiteNoise. Thinking of you and your baby boy

[MrsMiaWallis]

@Rabbitholebonkers

I’ve just completed an essay on my mental health uni module and it’s agreed by various practitioners (psychologists mainly) that once an individual has no hope for the future, then it’s usually pathological (in terms of their mental health).

Hope is something humans can cling on to in order to safeguard their mental health. It’s actually a sign of resilience.

That's really interesting.

[MrsMiaWallis]

@AlexaPlayWhiteNoise

My tiny baby boy was born, and died on Saturday just gone. I need some hope and positivity for 2021 or I will string myself up.

Alexa that is awful. I am so sorry.

[pastandpresent]

It's just that some people have faith in science and hopeful that things would be better next year. "020 is a horrible year for everyone.

It's weird you need to be so stuck on such a small detail in what people say. In dark times, being positive and hopeful is the way to keep going, for some people. Not everyone is pessimistic, and optimistic people are not totally oblivious either.

[User158340]

I'm looking forward to 2022.

[danmthatonestakentryanotheer]

2020 has seen me lose both parents and my job, so yeah bring on 2021 because it can not get any worse as far as I'm concerned.

[yeOldeTrout]

Vaccines are working.
Trump's arse will go out the door.
Dolly Parton is a Saint. Reminds us of the good in many people.

Things are looking up.