What feels 'normal' to you now that 18 months ago would've seemed unthinkable?

[GoldFrankensteinAndGrrr]

Life feels very much back to normal in many ways now, but I was just thinking about the little (and some not so little) things which, if you could go back two years and tell yourself about, would've seemed unthinkable. Stuff we all now take for granted almost.

Mine would be

Buses with their destination and 'via vaccination centre' and a picture of a syringe/cartoon virus on their LED displays

The idea that if you test positive for an illness you have to stay at home for ten days, you'll be checked on to make sure you are and if you don't you'll be fined (all with good reason of course)

The way that lockdowns/when the next one might be or if there'll be one at all/memories of the first three are discussed - pre pandemic I'd only heard of lockdowns in relation to American school shootings/terror attacks/on disaster films. When I heard that northern Italy went into lockdown my stomach fell through the floor it felt so unreal. Now it's just something else we all talk about

Masks. The first time I saw someone wearing one in Sainsbury's in March last year it was so jarring

What are yours?

Can I add telephone appointments only for our GP, which can be problematic when you work and miss the GP call back. Also, a very long wait to see the (private) dental hygienist.

My 3 year old who walks into a shop and looks for the soap (hand sanitiser). He just thinks that's what you have to do in every shop. Would've found that very weird pre-covid!

Having a dog - feasible because of WFH and now only going back 2 days when he will be in doggy day. Would never have thought about it when working in office 5 days a week and travelling so much. He is now my third child. Love him to bits. He is lying panting next to me now!

Nothing. None of it feels normal to me.

We used to protect children from things that could hurt them.

Now we shrug and say they're all going to get covid.

Walking around the supermarket fuming to myself at the idiots without masks on, never mind all the elderly folk who aren’t wearing them now either. Seeing an uncovered face in a public space feels like heresy and says an awful lot about people’s character. Madness.

Hearing a cough and immediately looking around as if it was a gun shot.

@PrincessNutNuts

We used to protect children from things that could hurt them.

Now we shrug and say they're all going to get covid.

And a significant proportion of them will get Long Covid.

@elQuintoConyo

3GreenPullups that's admirable, good for you. I hope your son is better

Thanks. :) He is getting there, but it is a fairly rocky road. I am dreading the start of school, although he will be at the same school as we did not go too far away. I just feel so lucky I was able to make the change and had the freedom and support (from DH and financially) to be able to do it.

@Silverparting

Can I add telephone appointments only for our GP, which can be problematic when you work and miss the GP call back. Also, a very long wait to see the (private) dental hygienist.

I have an appointment with my NHS dentist next week which I booked in April - it was the earliest one available. They're usually brilliant and I can get a next day appointment - I completely understand why and that the backlog is horrendous. I haven't had a scale and polish for two years so it should be a fun appointment!

The strangest thing to me is only seeing one or two aeroplanes a day. I live near an airport and planes overhead was just routine, often there'd be like 4 or 5 visible in the sky at the same time. It reminds me of the days after 9/11 when the skies were closed.
Wearing a mask in shops seems completely normal to me now. I forgot one the other day and felt strangely undressed.

18 months ago you used to cough to cover up a fart, now you fart to cover up a cough.

Absolutely the masks. If I had seen someone wearing a mask in the supermarket in December 2019 I would have thought they were mental.

I also hate the prebooking of everything, even gardens and zoos which are outdoors and huge, yet for some reason require limited numbers.

@Hyperion100

18 months ago you used to cough to cover up a fart, now you fart to cover up a cough.

I wouldn’t have imagined that after betting COVID I would be totally exhausted almost every moment of the day. I would not have foreseen having to stop looking after my children, stop going out, struggle to walk, or use stairs, barely see friends, quit work, quit housework, sit on the sofa most of the day, and try and figure out how the hell to get my life back.

Working from home all week and possibly never going to be more than 2 days a week in an office. Never expected the technology would be such it could be straightforward as it is.

Having to book everytime you want to get a meal out, or else asking if they "allow" walk ins. Waiting for the table to be disinfected before sitting, before they'd have just sat you down and said someone will sort it which they never would!

@Hyperion100

18 months ago you used to cough to cover up a fart, now you fart to cover up a cough.

This wins the thread today 🤣

@littlepeas

None of it feels normal to me - I still find all the restrictions and so on really strange and jarring.

Same.

I was at work today and found all those neon yellow 'safety' signs so aggressive and intrusive.

Having to drive through a police roadblock to get back to our house last winter (we live at the bottom of the best sledging/skiing/boarding area in North Wales).

Posted to soon...Admittedly that didn't feel normal, but was disturbingly widely accepted as ok in the area I lived.

@LoooooooongCovid sorry to hear that. Am pretty much in the same boat. If someone had told me 18 months ago I'd probably be having to retire from my job prematurely (NHS), would struggle to go out and about, doing normal fun things with dc I would have laughed. 18 months ago we were miffed off about wearing masks even on green (clean) areas of our ICU. Now it's just normal and tbh going by the number of false negatives a good idea.