Disenchantment with life

You sound depressed Stillness. You are lucky enough to attend the theatre but concentrate on other people's attire instead of enjoying the moment. If you want to dress up and feel good, why should what other people wear affect you?

Traffic increases as do vehicles on the road. Most families have at least 2 cars.

Yes there are more fat people, but they probably despise themselves for being overweight, or maybe have medical issues that causes this. Who wouldn't wish to be slim!

Life is what you make it. You can wake up and see the world in a negative way, or maybe enjoy the sunshine, birdsong, that person who says a cheery hello. Look for the good in the world, it is there.

I actually agree with you Foxglove77. I’ve had a spell of ill health and I’m not sure if I’m seeing things in a very balanced way. That’s why I’m posting really, to see how others see life at the moment.

I don’t know if it had anything to do with Covid.
More likely just modern life.Which has pros and cons.
I have noticed, on the rare theatre visit that a percentage of the audience act as if they’re in a cinema and the actors can’t hear their phones/ chat/ rustling/coughing.And in the cinema they act as if in the theatre and applaud as the credits roll up.🤷🏼‍♀️

Last Christmas Day my GD ,her friend and I went to a hotel for Christmas Dinner.
It was a decent place and cost over £100 each .
There were men there in tee shirts and children in football gear, obviously brought by Father Christmas.
There were also men in dinner jackets with their wives dressed up beautifully.
We ourselves were very nicely dressed.
It wouldn’t have happened a few years ago.
Children race around in restaurants with no control from parents .
Yes I am old and crotchety but standards shouldn’t change so much.

There’s certainly less thought given to other people now.

Am less concerned by dress or fatness.

I think we are surrounded by too much positivity. Having a good moan isn't the thing these days, it seems, and yet I'm not sure why?

If you've been ill, or you are just finding things a struggle- why can't you just say so anymore.

My GP has referred me to a healthy living course, delivered by a young woman who is full of good advice- join a gym/walking group/go swimming/ eat less/exercise more/buy this/don't do this- I feel as if all the joy is sucked out of me whenever I go, yet most of the others (mostly retired men I might add) are dead keen to speak about how much walking/weight-lifting etc etc they do and it quite honestly gets me down.

The women mostly sit there and say nothing...

Stillness

Is it just me or has life (people?) changed so much and not for the better post covid? I’m not sure if I’m depressed, just getting old and miserable, or if this is really happening. Every way I turn things seem to be changing and it’s getting quite rare now for me to like those changes. Eg I went to the theatre yesterday…quite a big production ....I’m sure a few years ago people made the effort to dress nicely for it but now they’re in shorts, jeans, tee shirts …and how fat are people these days?! Sorry, I know that’s not the word to use but it’s how I feel. Today, living by a busy road, I saw constant traffic queuing to get into our town for hours and hours. Windows down, music deafening, litter thrown out of windows. It seems like people don’t want to stay at home any more..Oh I could go on and I guess it’s all trivial but it adds up…I’d love to hear how others perceive things now. (Rant over).

Yes life is changing, & not for the better. I feel exactly like you.

I'd clarify that many peoples actions have changed post-"Lockdown". I couldnt really say re peoples actions "post-covid" - but "post-Lockdown" = boy have they changed and not for the better.

I can't really put my finger on why this is the case. Maybe there's an element of people being told to stay away from other people (I certainly think that's part of it), maybe there's an element of people who've suffered personal upset (made ill by the jab), maybe there's an element of people who've suffered financially (yep.....their employer blackmailing them into "that jab or get unfairly dismissed"). There's a whole parcel of reasons stemming from that.

It was a very powerful message that went out of "Do not trust other people....do not go near other people. But do trust us - the Government".

It's bound to have messed with peoples heads. There's certainly been a lot of personal emotional pain going on too - ie partners and spouses finding their partner/spouse had the opposite viewpoint on this to all them. I've certainly heard of spouses trying to make their "other half" act the same way they did (mainly "I'm complying - so you do so too or else"). Cue for various couples breaking up - because they weren't singing from the same songsheet.

Clothes - there may be a very practical reason. I've been left with 3 different sizes of clothing in my wardrobe - as I was halfway through a diet immediately before Covid and only had one size left to lose to get back to real size 14 (2020's vanity size 10-12) and the second They went "Lockdown" I headed for wine to drown my sorrows and I know others headed for extra food. So maybe they still don't fit back into their smarter clothing and they're not going to buy any more clothing for the "temporary (or otherwise)" bigger size they now are. I know part of me thinks "Lots of other people proved by their actions they don't care about me - so why should I make an effort to dress up for them?"

I don't think one can isolate any one factor and pinpoint it down to that - but the whole parcel of Lockdown yep. Add there have been some who got Covid and it's not fully gone yet - I know I had it so mildly that I just thought it was a cough that lasted for 4 weeks. But I'm still waiting for my hearing back in one of my ears that started up then - nerve damage I gather - and a little part of me would like a chance to head for those that caused it (that Chinese lab/the Americans in government that funded them to work on the virus-that-escaped). A little part of me would like a chance to head for the governments (which includes ours) that weren't making cures like Ivermectin available and hence it took me months to get hold of some for instance and a lot of reading to disentangle "Government says it doesn't work v. the facts say it does". So - yep - disillusionment with the Government in all sorts of respects.

I find myself still "waiting" and waiting some more for Society to get back to normal, etc etc - and feeling very cynical about the chances of that happening in my remaining lifetime.

I try to dress really nicely wherever I go, even to work, but
I ve never dressed up in the sense of the word to go to cinema or theatre
I have nt noticed more litter it’s always been not very good in this country but we here’shave lots of town and seafront bins and people on the whole are pretty good we had a town carnival recently and I was amazed at the amount of people and how little litter there was
Unfortunately like USA we have got a fatter nation too many takeaways and rubbish food I think

What I have noticed is a terrible tidal wave of negativity and that drives me mad Whatever is happening, being done, or planned is completely panned before it gets off the ground
The term whinging Poms fits this country perfectly now, I haven’t noticed it as much in the past

I have completely forgotten Covid and lock downs it never really affected me I went out on my own to isolated places most days for walking never ever think about it now

I think there are several things in your post.

1. When you do go out and to nice things, and have a nice day, how do you feel then?

2. Are you suddenly notiving an increase in traffic?
Or if you are not, did it not bother you before?

3.Is your area becoming "rougher" for want of a better word, in general?

I think you will find it helpful to find out if it is you, your ill health or something else.

fwiw, all is fine in my own, personal world.
But I probably do not live where you live, the weather has been nice for ages, I have seen gc quite a lot recently. etc.

Where I live is peaceful and people are generally caring, but there is an element who don’t seem to care who they disturb. A few people spoil it for the majority. I rarely go into the city though, so i’m not sure what I’ll see there. Recently I’ve done a few train journeys and seen people who behave and dress very differently. It takes all sorts.

Stillness
Theatre's have gone out of their way to make them more accessible to the ordinary working man.
They want to take away that elitist label.
You could look at it as theatre going back to its roots.
Originally theatre’s were for the working man.

petra

Stillness
Theatre's have gone out of their way to make them more accessible to the ordinary working man.
They want to take away that elitist label.
You could look at it as theatre going back to its roots.
Originally theatre’s were for the working man.

All slurping oranges and chucking the peel at each other😁

Mt61

Stillness

Is it just me or has life (people?) changed so much and not for the better post covid? I’m not sure if I’m depressed, just getting old and miserable, or if this is really happening. Every way I turn things seem to be changing and it’s getting quite rare now for me to like those changes. Eg I went to the theatre yesterday…quite a big production ....I’m sure a few years ago people made the effort to dress nicely for it but now they’re in shorts, jeans, tee shirts …and how fat are people these days?! Sorry, I know that’s not the word to use but it’s how I feel. Today, living by a busy road, I saw constant traffic queuing to get into our town for hours and hours. Windows down, music deafening, litter thrown out of windows. It seems like people don’t want to stay at home any more..Oh I could go on and I guess it’s all trivial but it adds up…I’d love to hear how others perceive things now. (Rant over).

Yes life is changing, & not for the better. I feel exactly like you.

Absolutely to both of you, me too!

I could have written your post Stillness, we are living in a time of tremendous change and, I feel, a frightening disintegration of world peace and civilised behaviour is taking place. I do think the pandemic has traumatised many people and has produced self obsession and plain selfishness. People do what they like, let their children do what they like regardless of others around or others who may have different preferences. We are supposed to make allowances for others but they don't make allowances for us!

There are too many Pollyannas out there determined to say that you/I are wrong because we don't wear rose tinted spectacles. Yes, you can have a 'nice' day but that doesn't change the bigger picture or wipe out the overall feeling of a life changing for the worse.

I agree with both Stillness and Granatlast007, you can be happy with your own home, family and way of life, and have good days but things are changing rapidly for the worse in just about every aspect of life.

Yes maybe I am a Pollyanna but I m not daft I certainly see all that is going on but it’s not the first time is it I was reading an old journal of mine and it was amazing how I was remarking about all the things you are now worried about but by another name and about 15/20 plus years ago Wars, greed, illnesses spreading round the world I must find it and reread it again
We can either curl up and worry about everything we can’t change or we can get on with living what life we ve got left to the best of our ability

I agree with you BlueBelle. 😊

In reality I think things are worse but because I haven’t been feeling well for a while, I’ve noticed it more. I’ve looked at it all as a glass half empty rather than a glass half full. I must admit, I did think people might reassess their priorities after covid and respect the natural order of things more and be a bit less ego driven but I think it might have swung the other way….

…sent too soon…and I do agree with your Pollyanna comment MT61. Why do we always have to have a good time. Why if things seem crazy to us, can’t we sometimes acknowledge that. Maybe if we were more open to that, things might change for the better.
I’m not sure about the theatre comment though Petra. Are theatres appealing to everyone when it’s hard to get affordable tickets these days…Like a lot of attractions, prices seem to have rocketed …..and I’m afraid I still see the dressing in the way I mentioned with people sitting in expensive seats…I think personally, it’s more a culture of not bothering rather than not affording…That said, it’s a valid comment as made earlier by someone else, about why should it bother me…

I agree, BlueBelle - I don't think about covid at all now - unless I have a cough (say) that isn't shifting.

CariadAgain

Yes, I agree with all you say.
Looking back, 2020 was the turning point. Everything changed, for the worse and continues to do so.
So much division took place during those early years and many of the rifts caused, have never really healed.
Standards have dropped and I made the observation the other day to my husband, how there were so many seriously overweight people walking around these days and how scruffy so many were, compared to a few years ago.
This govt also pumps out bad news on a daily basis which doesnt help.

We live very rurally and thankfully are surrounded by a beautiful landscape, sheep, cows and not too many people - which is the way I like it!

I admit, regarding theatre, Was an adult I have always not wanted to dress up for it.
I love a challenging play but am happy to be challenged in jeans!

I wouldn't go in fthy clothes if I'd been cleaning out the garden shed for example but so long as clean I'm not bothered about what people wear to the theatre or opera.