What aspects of life are you really missing because of Covid

completedit

I'm writing this on seeing an article on CNN in which it says we have to get over the idea that this period is transient and eventually we will go back to the way things were.

This prompted me to think about how covid is impacting me personally. Beyond relationships(relationship ended because we couldn't sustain long distance) and a decimated job market. it's not about bars or pubs or holidaysor whatever else, it's just the spontenieity of life that has gone. I spoke to my sister and she said she could live with the way things are right now. Immediately I was like, well yeah, we could, but why should we have to?

I think so much of our economic activity depends on spontenieity. And just because they don't seem like super important things; they give people happiness(utility) which leads to more fulfilled lives. Ultimately, this is what all societies should aim for and the problem with on-going covid restrictions.

We can't sleepwalk into a world where social interactions are outlawed and stigmatised or rejected. We need to firmly entrench it into people's mind that this is not a new normal and that things will return.. Better than before.

smellyoldboot

Travel. Basically the one thing that made working in this soggy dump bearable was that generally our salaries are decent enough and flights available freely enough that we could escape it frequently.

I was in Berlin in late February, home only a week or so and boom, straight into lockdown. And looking around Europe it doesn't look like changing any time soon.

Hand in Your Pants

Travel abroad. Very little else affected for me thankfully.

Jim Root

Cheeky ride at a work conference

enricoh

Went to a gig last night, first one since pre covid. Had to book a table, queue outside as they ticked off names, took phone numbers etc.

Was a great night, but bizarre that bouncers had to remind people to stay seated.
It'll be a miracle if the place stays open, punter numbers are seriously restricted and loads of extra staff.

NSAman

Family. Haven’t seen some in two years now. Most I haven’t seen in over a year.

Miss them immensely.

Jim_Hodge

Spontaneity. Being able to do something at a moment's notice without having to book the pool or gym, book a table for a meal etc.

amadangomor

Mad night out clubbing and partying.

At the stage 4/5 times a year is enough for me but i'm missing the release of letting loose and going for it, meeting other people in an enhanced state and pulling an all nighter.

Beasty

Live concerts and sport

On the other hand the solitude of isolation can be bliss on occasion

Dad was meant to visit me and I was meant to visit Ireland this summer. Some longer-term plans are being delayed. Moving back to Europe next year would have been a strong possibility but not now.

alchemist33

The €3,000 Aer Lingus owe me since April and I will probably never see.

Poorside

Live concerts and travel.
Got to a gig on Friday night, really well setup and it was a great gig, still missed the buzz of a few hundred people enjoying themselves though.

bee06

It fortunately has had limited impact on my life. I’m on maternity leave so not WFH going on. My husband is, so I’m actually better off because his commute is 5 secs rather than 30 mins.

The only thing that is awkward is not being able to pop to the shops with the baby/2 kids. I don’t really feel comfortable risking them catching it for the sake of a shopping trip but I do miss wandering around the shops.

Spontaneity hookups. And travelling

French Toast

A proper night out on the tear.

Didn't do it terribly often anyways, say 7-8 times a year, but the freedom of cutting loose on a Saturday night once in a while is sorely missed.

grazer

Having anything on the calendar to look forward to!
- Travel. In Ireland and abroad.
- Nights out with the girls.
- Nights in with the girls.
- Meals out.
- Concerts. Really missed Iveagh Gardens & Trinity gigs this summer.
- The kids going to school without worrying about masks and sanitiser & distancing.
- the full range of the kids’ activities and sports.
- having my elderly mum for lunch. (She prefers not to as my kids are in school with higher risk of Covid)
- as many others said, spontaneity.
Long list, and is even longer, but I’ll stop there!

Everything.
This version of life sucks for so many reasons.

aziz

Haven't really worked since march and now flat broke,unable to tax and insure the car this month so be walking everywhere again.

Taxman looking for his cut

The big 50 in a couple of weeks and knowing I won't be able to celebrate it the way I want.

Starting to panic about Christmas

But we are all in this together,right

snowstorm445

completedit wrote: »

I'm writing this on seeing an article on CNN in which it says we have to get over the idea that this period is transient and eventually we will go back to the way things were.

This prompted me to think about how covid is impacting me personally. Beyond relationships(relationship ended because we couldn't sustain long distance) and a decimated job market. it's not about bars or pubs or holidaysor whatever else, it's just the spontenieity of life that has gone. I spoke to my sister and she said she could live with the way things are right now. Immediately I was like, well yeah, we could, but why should we have to?

I think so much of our economic activity depends on spontenieity. And just because they don't seem like super important things; they give people happiness(utility) which leads to more fulfilled lives. Ultimately, this is what all societies should aim for and the problem with on-going covid restrictions.

We can't sleepwalk into a world where social interactions are outlawed and stigmatised or rejected. We need to firmly entrench it into people's mind that this is not a new normal and that things will return.. Better than before.

Not shooting the messenger or anything, but where is this nonsense coming from? There will be a heightened awareness of public health from now on, for sure, and I can see many continuing to prefer mask wearing in public. But in what way do these people feel that life won’t return to normal? Or that it isn’t transient? I’d be interested to see the link to the article if you have it.

The Spanish Flu, before this pandemic, was barely a footnote in most accounts of the last century because the world essentially returned to normal afterwards (having proportionally killed far more than COVID likely will). Ditto with every other pandemic, albeit with a greater knowledge of public health should something like it happen again. I know people can be conceited when they live in the moment, but in what way is this fatalistic rubbish justified?

I know media outlets have gotten a shot in the arm from this pandemic and are determined to propagate continued misery to increase traffic, but surely even the charlatans who come out with these sweeping statements must realise what this means. What is the point of solidarity, of collective measures, if there is no light at the end of the tunnel? Of course we’re far from going back to normal at the moment, but what’s the point of finger-wagging and lecturing the public about adhering measures if there is no end goal or no point to it?

Of course we will go back to normal at some stage. In the meantime people should continue to hunker down and adhere to restrictions, but only a nihilist or a ghoul would say it isn’t temporary.

But to answer your question, as someone who lives abroad (in Europe, so not too far away), it’s the ability to go home semi-regularly to see family and friends. The whole experience has made me very homesick at times, and zoom calls etc help but are no replacement.

TCM

Jim Root wrote:

Cheeky ride at a work conference

Nothing wrong with your imagination.

eviltwin

Lost a good friend to COVID in June. Miss him terribly. He lived in the uk so we couldn’t go to his funeral and that’s left an impact. I’m worried a lot, my daughter has chronic kidney disease, husband has severe asthma and I’m scared about something happening to them. I miss seeing my friends, my mother in law, I have a new niece I haven’t been able to meet because of it.

On the plus side my family are closer than ever. Neighbours are looking out for each other and I realise how absolutely amazing my work colleagues are.

Jimbob1977

Simply living.

Every day is like Groundhog Day.

Icyseanfitz

Enjoying my job in school without being terrified would be the major one right now

orlaxxx

In my early twenties, just finished college feel like I have missed out on so much of my life. I miss seeing my friends so much everyday. I’m living back at home for the first time in years and finding it extremely difficult.

I’m starting a new job remotely and I feel like I will not have the same learning experience as I would have if I was working in an office

hynesie08

Gigs and travel and the combination of the two.

I miss my favourite bands announcing a tour and frantically trying to figure out where to go, what else i could fit in, or whether I was willing to take days off or just grab the first flight home and go in with no sleep.

I miss walking into the academy and forgetting how small it is.

I miss the Olympia.

I miss the run from the limelight for the 11.30 bus to Dublin.

I miss Dublin Airport and the cheeky pint with a 6am breakfast.

I miss talking bollocks with the preclearence officer.

If this is the new normal it's not for me......

kenmc

Going to rugby matches, pints with the lads afterwards, and travel, either abroad or internally. Have a week in Kerry booked end October, doubt it'll be happening.

Gigs. Last gig was 5th January. Was due to go to Amsterdam to see same band for my wife 40th. Obviously didn't happen.
Miss being able to bring kids to do fun stuff at weekends without serious planning, very little opportunity for spontaneity unfortunately.

To their credit they've taken to it fine, better than us adults really. They are actually aghast to hear we've not done this sort of thing before...

Away With The Fairies

Going into a cafe for a sit down for tea or coffee and whatever nice things on their menu. I can of course still do that but rather not go indoors with other people and the most obvious face masks not worn. I could also sit outside a cafe but I'm too paranoid and think who coughed on my plate and is it covered in covid.

I miss going to concerts. We're coming into the winter and should be getting big concert hints and announcements. This always got me through winter. But now if there's any announcement for next year, I don't think even next year will happen and no excitement there anymore.

I miss travelling. Went to New York last year and I barely slept for the week I was there, there was so much to see and do.

I want all this back.

jrosen

Spontaneity and travel and watching kids play.

We have not been allowed pitch side and that wont change anytime soon. Husband really misses going to see them both play.

We love to travel and have missed out trips to see friends. Weekends are boring. Especially today with it raining all day. There isn't much to do.
Love eating out and meeting friends, haven't been out much but when I have the time limits are really irritating.

ChikiChiki

Travel abroad, work trips and occasional mad nights out around town. Gigs also.

Other than that, not a whole lot has changed for me.

bucketybuck

I miss seeing people smile.

You know that little smile you get when you hold a door for somebody or help a stranger out in some little way, just that little smile of acknowledgement.

Now it is faceless people all living in fear of each other. It's sad.

yer man!

Personally I do think things will go back to normal. I found it really interesting living in the Netherlands at the moment as seeing the population rapidly return to normal after the initial lockdown in March/April. When things started opening up again and quarantine restrictions on other countries were dropped, life albeit for only a few months went back to relatively normal. Could go to a cafe, museum, spa all without booking and it did feel like Covid never happened. We even started to plan work trips again and half the office had rapidly booked a holiday abroad involving plane travel. Of course the story is different now and the cases are insane so the pendulum has swung back the opposite direction but I would say once the cases go way way down again and we see the end of it, life will return to what we had before.