What aspects of life are you really missing because of Covid

completedit · 04-10-2020 3:53pm #1

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 · 04-10-2020 3:57pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:03pm

Travel abroad. Very little else affected for me thankfully.

Jim Root · 04-10-2020 4:05pm

Cheeky ride at a work conference

enricoh · 04-10-2020 4:06pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:11pm

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

Miss them immensely.

Jim_Hodge · 04-10-2020 4:13pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:35pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:38pm

Live concerts and sport

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

04-10-2020 4:40pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:41pm

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

Poorside · 04-10-2020 4:41pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:43pm

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.

04-10-2020 4:45pm

Spontaneity hookups. And travelling

French Toast · 04-10-2020 4:45pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:49pm

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!

04-10-2020 4:50pm

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

aziz · 04-10-2020 4:50pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:53pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:54pm

Jim Root wrote:

Cheeky ride at a work conference

Nothing wrong with your imagination.

eviltwin · 04-10-2020 4:57pm

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 · 04-10-2020 4:58pm

Simply living.

Every day is like Groundhog Day.

Icyseanfitz · 04-10-2020 5:00pm

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

orlaxxx · 04-10-2020 5:00pm

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 · 04-10-2020 5:00pm

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 · 04-10-2020 5:36pm

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 · 04-10-2020 5:39pm

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 · 04-10-2020 6:02pm

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 · 04-10-2020 6:06pm

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 · 04-10-2020 6:13pm

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! · 04-10-2020 6:16pm

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.

Del Griffith · 04-10-2020 6:31pm

Gigs

road_high · 04-10-2020 6:33pm

I just miss more generally the normality of before. The carefree easy going nature of life. Not having to be worried about bringing masks, socially distancing and the general spontaneity. What’s been disturbing to me is how willingly people give all that up

JP Liz V1 · 04-10-2020 6:36pm

A decent sesh, pub crawl, gigs etc.,

Thelonious Monk · 04-10-2020 7:17pm

Neither myself nor my parents have met my 16 month old nephew yet, the only grandchild in the fam, due to travel restrictions. Also my brother hasn't seen him since January.
So that kind of sucks, for my mother really I feel bad for.

IAMAMORON · 04-10-2020 7:23pm

Going out and meeting people and riding them.

jellybear · 04-10-2020 7:26pm

As others have said, doing things spontaneously. That Goundhog day feeling. A random wander around the shops. Meeting friends for lunch or dinner. Not worrying that everyone you meet, walk past etc. could have Covid. The plans I'd made for this year as I'm on career break. The social interactions my little boy should be having. Lots more.

04-10-2020 7:37pm

I miss my mother. I miss visiting her, I miss talking to her, I miss her smile.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, I will never see her again. For many of us who lost loved ones to this disease, the old normal will never return even when a vaccine is found, or restrictions are lifted, and day-to-day life resumes.

Respect the restrictions in place, wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain social distancing, even if you consider yourself to be healthy and minimally vulnerable.

pinkyeye · 04-10-2020 7:55pm

As someone who's hard of hearing I miss conversation tbh, I avoid people now when we're all wearing masks because it's very hard to tell what people are saying when you can't see their lips.

It's really making me introverted to the extreme and I'd say some people are just finding me rude because I can't hear what they said.

FlubberJones · 04-10-2020 7:59pm

Sport, spontaneous dinner, nights out.. trips to the cinema. And also of being told what I can and can't do... this is getting tiresome.

Purple Mountain · 04-10-2020 8:07pm

I miss the feeling of ease. The constant watching where you stand, how long you stand there for etc takes its toll.
I'd love to be able to go out for a meal or just meet someone without analysing who touched the door knob last, when were the bathrooms last cleaned or will I stifle a sneeze for fear of dagger looks.
I can't see myself going back to relaxing for a long time post covid where I could just walk in somewhere on spec without doing a mental recognises first.

The_Brood · 04-10-2020 8:17pm

I mean, what hasn't been taken away from us?

Travel, the most important thing on my end, gone.

Cinemas, live events, most (all?) thing to do with art, gone.

In-door entertainment options, even simple things like game arcades, gone.

Restaurants, coffee shops - gone now with level 3 restrictions.

Meeting new people, or just participating in community groups, church services, gone.

Even/if eventually life returns, permanent damage has already been inflicted. And it's not solely Covid's fault, it's the government's decisions.

Icyseanfitz · 04-10-2020 8:24pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I miss my mother. I miss visiting her, I miss talking to her, I miss her smile.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, I will never see her again. For many of us who lost loved ones to this disease, the old normal will never return even when a vaccine is found, or restrictions are lifted, and day-to-day life resumes.

Respect the restrictions in place, wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain social distancing, even if you consider yourself to be healthy and minimally vulnerable.

Im sorry for your loss Loueze

Etc · 04-10-2020 8:30pm

IAMAMORON wrote: »

Going out and meeting people and riding them.

Your first time will always be special. Hopefully it will happen for you. I'm sure it will be a surprise for these people.

4Ad · 05-10-2020 12:40am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I miss my mother. I miss visiting her, I miss talking to her, I miss her smile.

Unfortunately, due to Covid, I will never see her again. For many of us who lost loved ones to this disease, the old normal will never return even when a vaccine is found, or restrictions are lifted, and day-to-day life resumes.

Respect the restrictions in place, wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain social distancing, even if you consider yourself to be healthy and minimally vulnerable.

Oh Loueze, that's so sad to read. Must be so hard for you..
I'm so sorry for your loss

Billy Ocean · 05-10-2020 1:38am

Not having to be so overly conscious of your behaviour while in public places, going to a big GAA intercounty championship match ( lucky to get to some club games), spontaneity as mentioned

MrMusician18 · 05-10-2020 1:47am

snowstorm445 wrote: »

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.

The pre-pandemic normal is not likely to every return as after this crisis we will be rolling into the economic and climate crises.

If people think that these restrictions are bad, wait until the feel the pinch from the climate goals we've signed up to.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000 · 05-10-2020 1:51am

The main thing worrying me isn’t holidays or pubs being open but the gym. I absolutely have to work out every day for at least an hour. If my gym closes again I can see my mental health going down the drain like it during lockdown.

It’s not even a case of “Shur buy some weights for home”... I do not have a place to put them, equipment to even come close to what I have in the gym would also cost thousands. Plus it’s the fact you leave the house, go to the gym, meet people, chat etc. It’s the experience and the actually going out and doing something productive factor.

Dank Janniels · 05-10-2020 1:52am

Havnt got the shift since Christmas

In totaly unrelated other news I think Iv Carpal Tunnel in my wrist!!

spring lane jack · 05-10-2020 2:24am

smellyoldboot wrote: »

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.

I've been over to the Netherlands and had no issue with travelling there and coming back to Ireland. Had no issue travelling around there either. The Dutch appeared to be getting on with their life's too. I'm going to Cologne soon enough too.
Some of ye are actually waiting for the Gardaí to come to your doors and tell ye that ye can travel or visit relatives.

Padre_Pio · 05-10-2020 2:36am

spring lane jack wrote: »

I've been over to the Netherlands and had no issue with travelling there and coming back to Ireland. Had no issue travelling around there either. The Dutch appeared to be getting on with their life's too. I'm going to Cologne soon enough too.
Some of ye are actually waiting for the Gardaí to come to your doors and tell ye that ye can travel or visit relatives.

It's the 10 day isolation coming back that stops me going anywhere. I'd leave now if I didn't need to book another 2 weeks off work to do nothing at home.

I live with people too, so they wouldn't be on board with me jetting off and coming back.

What aspects of life are you really missing because of Covid

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