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Original poster

What one moment will always stay with you from this?

568 replies

Ostryga · 08/08/2021 03:04

Mine was realising panic shopping was everywhere, and that I needed to buy an entire food shop for Dd and I before lockdown.

I cried when I found a shop with chicken and milk.

The fear I felt of the virus at that time, and also not being able to make sure we had food is something I hope to never repeat.

OP posts:
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RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 15:06

@TheVampiresWife

Trouble is people don't understand supply chains and production disruption (where is the cheap shit you buy produced?

I do understand, but cheers for being patronising. My solution is not to buy 'cheap shit'.

Well quite. But do you think that will go down well with the thousands of people who bulk buy tat from amazon, ebay or alibaba for their kids otherwise Christmas will be ruined. Ruined I tell you.
RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 15:12

And tbf, its not just tat.

Its electronic stuff like iPhones that might be problematic too. And we will never hear the end of it on MN if that prediction holds out to be true.

Its like the shed shortage (Americans buying up wood and there being an issue with supply in scandinavia due to weather conditions) or garden furniture shortages.

The cost of pork plummeted worldwide last year as chinese demand dropped because they couldn't get it into the country. This particularly badly hit south america. And I believe there is currently a boom in prices of lamb because NZ lamb is mainly going to China atm as demand has skyrocketed (this is currently a good thing for british farmers).

Its similar to the idea that if America has a recession the rest of the world feels it. China's market and production is so significant if there is a problem or sudden changes in demand it affects the whole world.

Arcminute · 09/08/2021 15:14

I also had extra essentials and long life food in for brexit and covid, because I have the space and money to do so. I was also having a baby in spring 2020 so was making advance plans. However I don’t go around laughing at those who didn’t and/or couldn’t.

If the “one moment” that stays with that poster (and I’m not sure how much I believe that particular scenario) involves a feeling of smuggery about getting in extra essentials in advance of others, then that says quite a lot

carameldecaflatte · 09/08/2021 15:17

Watching a neighbour across the street being put in an ambulance by people in hazmat suits.
Just the image seeing his feel sticking out of the blanket with odd socks on stuck with me.

RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 15:21

@Arcminute

I also had extra essentials and long life food in for brexit and covid, because I have the space and money to do so. I was also having a baby in spring 2020 so was making advance plans. However I don’t go around laughing at those who didn’t and/or couldn’t.

If the “one moment” that stays with that poster (and I’m not sure how much I believe that particular scenario) involves a feeling of smuggery about getting in extra essentials in advance of others, then that says quite a lot

Honestly given the vitrol given for 'being ridicilous' or 'a doomonger' I couldn't give two shiny shits what others think.

People who didn't have the space or money to do so, I have nothing but sympathy for and have always said that. And being prepared sometime before the shit hit the fan, meant I wasn't participanting in the craziness.

People only realising that there's a problem when it hits their doorstep remains the thing that I take away from the last year. I find that scary in its own right - and I think it has ramifications and significance for the future.

People aren't going to change their behaviour for things such as climate change until forced to and its starring them in the face as being a problem.

If you want to call be smug for being shocked that people are so oblivious to the world as a whole and how things connect together, be my guest.

The sight of panic buying in Hong Kong made it real for me. If it wasn't real to others until it hit their local Tesco then there's a lesson in there.

Bellarime · 09/08/2021 15:26

Mine was just as the panic buying started. I was at the checkout at my local supermarket and the stacked trolleys hit home the reality. My dad has stage 4 lung cancer and I started crying because I was terrified for him. He’s still with us and to this day the assistants in the shop who saw me upset ask after him every time I go.

Arcminute · 09/08/2021 15:35

Goodness RedToothBrush I wasn’t talking about your post. Any post I’ve read of yours has been very sensible. You clearly didn’t read the one upthread or I’m sure you would have known which one I referred to.

rottd · 09/08/2021 15:36

@RedToothBrush but why does prepping 6 months before covid make you more prepared for it? How much stock did you actually have? My fil was in a care home, my mum on shielded list. The whole craziness of lockdown, homeschooling, Im a key worker, not seeing family, not attending funerals wouldn't have been eased by me having more dry goods.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 09/08/2021 15:37

Its electronic stuff like iPhones that might be problematic too. And we will never hear the end of it on MN if that prediction holds out to be true.

There's a very good chance it will be due to the shortage of microchips. Nothing to do with Covid or Brexit, just a lack of raw materials.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 09/08/2021 15:38

People who didn't have the space or money to do so, I have nothing but sympathy for and have always said that. And being prepared sometime before the shit hit the fan, meant I wasn't participanting in the craziness.

I don't have the space to stockpile anything but was told I could squash loo rolls and keep them in holdalls in the living room.

rottd · 09/08/2021 15:41

People only realising that there's a problem when it hits their doorstep remains the thing that I take away from the last year. I find that scary in its own right - and I think it has ramifications and significance for the future.

Isn't this just life though? I'm surprised someone would be so shocked. We see the impact of wars on others, the impact of our consumerism on other countries with regards to climate change, we see the impact of that cheap tat from China with regards to cheap labour & human rights. We don't care until it's on our streets & even then we don't particularly care if it's on other peoples doorsteps just not our own.

rottd · 09/08/2021 15:42

@PinkSparklyPussyCat 😆

rottd · 09/08/2021 15:44

and there certainly were people who revelled in the catastrophising.

MarshaBradyo · 09/08/2021 15:44

[quote rottd]@RedToothBrush but why does prepping 6 months before covid make you more prepared for it? How much stock did you actually have? My fil was in a care home, my mum on shielded list. The whole craziness of lockdown, homeschooling, Im a key worker, not seeing family, not attending funerals wouldn't have been eased by me having more dry goods.
[/quote]
It was this other stuff not loo roll buying last minute that was the issue here too.

Iliketeaagain · 09/08/2021 15:45

Weirdly, my "moment" is just hitting me. I'm an HCP, and we have worked pretty normally all through covid (PPE in place, seeing majority of patients face to face). I haven't particularly worried about catching covid, although I have worried about the teams I manage.

I finally saw my family this weekend after a year of not being able to travel, and on the way home, I suddenly felt I couldn't do this anymore, I have another few days off before I go back to work and I cried on my way home wondering how on earth we (at work) are going to get through winter when we are already feeling what feels like winter pressures in August and wondering how I'm going to get through it and how on earth I'm going to lead my teams through the winter. I'm more scared of the coming months than I have been in the last 18 or so.

RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 15:51

[quote rottd]@RedToothBrush but why does prepping 6 months before covid make you more prepared for it? How much stock did you actually have? My fil was in a care home, my mum on shielded list. The whole craziness of lockdown, homeschooling, Im a key worker, not seeing family, not attending funerals wouldn't have been eased by me having more dry goods.
[/quote]
I didn't prep for that much.

facepalm

That was my point!

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 09/08/2021 15:56

I was an accidental prepper. I misread the sizes on my Ocado order and we ended up with 24 tins of tomatoes and 5kgs of pasta. For two of us. We have only just had to start buying pasta and still have tomatoes to get through as I don't really like them! I was impressed DH found the space for them!

titsintiers · 09/08/2021 15:57

Having to watch my Dad's funeral on Facebook watch will stay with me forever. I can deal with everything else in time but that has been so difficult.

MarshaBradyo · 09/08/2021 15:59

I’m not changing buying habits / stockpiling glad not to atm

But one area I have reconsidered for the moment anyway is being a very geographically diverse family. Normal for us to live in countries far apart. I might change by the time dc are older but for now I’d want to be closer when they grow up.

Bellarime · 09/08/2021 15:59

I’m so sorry @titsintiers Flowers

DeadButDelicious · 09/08/2021 16:02

My DH's grandmother passed away (not from COVID, she had a stroke sadly) and having to sit down and figure out who could go to the funeral and who couldn't (you could only have 12 attendees at that point) was awful. That was a very low point and I will always feel bad that I couldn't go, she had her moments but out of all of DH's family she was the one who always made a point to remember our first daughter who sadly passed away, she was really good about that and I will always be grateful to her.

My cousins husband passed away (again, not COVID) and we had to watch his funeral via livestream. So bizarre.

rottd · 09/08/2021 16:09

@RedToothBrush so are you saying all the covid/pandemic things like not seeing family would have been better if you had more dry goods? I guess we just have different needs & wants.

**

DeadButDelicious · 09/08/2021 16:09

I think the first time I realised that this was 'serious' was when Jeremy Hunt went on channel 4 news right at the start and he looked absolutely terrified. I do not like that man, at all, but seeing him so obviously worried was when my brain clicked 'oh shit, this is serious'.

rottd · 09/08/2021 16:09

@titsintiers i'm sorry it's so cruel.

rottd · 09/08/2021 16:10

@MarshaBradyo yep the vast majority of my family are abroad including my dad. I'm really pushing for him to come back to the UK.