Have you learned anything from lockdown?

I’ve learned I like cooking more than I thought. I learned I can knit! I learned that my neighbours are much nicer than I expected. I learned that Foodbanks are really really needed by more people than I thought. I learned my OH really does love me - I wasn’t sure before. I learned there are a lot of really great people in the world - it’s just that the idiots get more air time. I learned our Government is really really corrupt. I learned our NHS is astonishingly good. I learned who my real friends are. ?

I have learned that I am quite happy to never have to leave my house

.....I’ve learned how easy it is to control the masses.

I’ve learnt this too, and I find it very worrying to be honest.

MaggieTulliver I'm with you. It's been awful. And "Dasend1" I'm the same - I took so much for granted.

What have I learned from Lockdowns?
Well, I have learned how easy it is to control the masses. I have learned how quickly neighbours have been happy to watch with suspicion everyone else and report on them.
I have learned that the rich have found a way of making themselves so much richer, whilst we have an increased number of people living in poverty -and few seem to care.
I have learned that a PM who plays to populace popularity gains in votes, in spite of a one of the worst death rates and one of the worst tanking of the economy.
I have learned that having a large vote for a Clown to run the country, we now have a total circus.

Bits I've enjoyed
Family not coming to stay as we live near the coast
OH not going to the pub every day
Brilliant excuse to stay home if the weather is bad and send OH with shopping list!
Lots of time at home to get on top of organising cupboards, drawers, set up home office etc
Being able to have daughter here as we're in a bubble and stay at her home.
My garden looks much better as we've spent more time on it while staying in.

KathyG54

I’ve learnt how easily people have accepted freedoms being taken away and that quite scares me .

Scares me too.

Tempest

What I have learnt is that there is absolutely no point in keeping old people alive and ruining the lives of everyone else. As an old person I would quite happily take the risks if it enabled my children and grandchildren to be free of lockdown.
Mental health issues of schoolchildren, unemployment for millions. Financial struggles for the whole country just to keep me alive, I don’t want that.
There will always be some who make money during wars and pandemics but I’m thinking of the millions who are struggling and will have to pay for this for years and years to come.

I have a lot of sympathy with this view. Had I been asked at the beginning I would certainly said - "Don't do it save me." I was quite capable of assessing my own risk and acting accordingly. No need for my children to go without work (or money) for six months, no need for my grandchildren to miss out on school. No need for the universities to remove much of the value of the experience by going online. No need for businesses to be ruined.

I think we'll have to carry on and just take a chance rather than go through a life of lockdowns all the time. It's obvious that the virus is going to hang around as after each lockdown is lifted there's a surge of cases again. We'll just have to hope it's none of us.

Aside from people offering to add items to their online shopping when delivery slots were rare I have learned that I live in a close community of sheep..........no one seems to be able to make a decision independently.
For example, Monday's one minute silence, virtual messages we're being passed around "Are we doing it?" "I will if you will". I am, in no way, besmirching the occasion, simply using it to describe the mentality around here.
This is just the latest in a long line of occasions where many of the neighbours simply cannot make a decision for themselves.

I've learned that I don't need to rush hither, thither and yon just because I can. Life in the slow lane can be sweet. I hope to continue to have more 'me' time once lockdown is a thing of the past. Life can be a little too interesting sometimes.

And it’s unkind to say people have uninteresting lives, maybe they do and have no choice through circumstances

Lilikemaho

Away and hide behind you computer and gie me peace

You just can't help yourself, so it seems. I don't hide behind a computer. Unfortunately, you were insulting and still don't seem to see it.

1) I’ve learned that no matter how bored and fed up with it all I am, I will never be the sort of person to ‘keep busy’ with a lot of cleaning, sorting out cupboards and drawers, etc.
(But I suspect that I knew that anyway.)

2) Bookworm though I am, even I can’t read all day.

3) I enjoy knitting much more than I’d ever thought I would.

I’ve learnt that I don’t actually need any more clothes or shoes and that buying them on line is hopeless as the stuff is never quite right and has to be sent back!

I have learned that we as human 'Animals' are not meant to be caged, we can stand it for so long but not forever.
I have learned that the first lockdown came much too late to save my husband and me from covid and we are still suffering the effects.
I have learned that it has made me feel guilty that I have not seen my 86 year old Mother for a year and her not being able to understand why.
I have learned my husband is the bravest person, returning to work full time in a front line job when he has debilitating long covid.
I have learned that nothing can ever be the same.
I have learned that I will surely go mad if I am never allowed to hug my Grandchildren again.
I have learned that during this past year, people have shown their true colours, some, truly amazing and some, despicably selfish.
I have learned that we can all live without a lot of material things and I have learned what I always knew..Never trust a politician !!!!

Away and hide behind you computer and gie me peace

Lilikemaho

I most certainly was not looking down my nose at anyone growstuff this thread has just proved how different we all are I personally like talking to people face to face and being with my family and friends and like Mr P Morgan I am entitled to my opinion and I can't wait to get life my back doing everything that makes my life worth living and it most certainly is not through a computer screen

Your post made perfectly clear that you think people who can cope with lockdown better than some have uninteresting ie boring lives. Claiming that somebody has a boring life is a fairly clear criticism.

If you meant that you can't cope without face to face contact, that's what you should have written - not that other people have uninteresting lives.

We are indeed all different and some cope better than others even when life is not as they would like it. Some people have the ability to make their lives interesting - others seem to rely on others to make it interesting.

I most certainly was not looking down my nose at anyone growstuff this thread has just proved how different we all are I personally like talking to people face to face and being with my family and friends and like Mr P Morgan I am entitled to my opinion and I can't wait to get life my back doing everything that makes my life worth living and it most certainly is not through a computer screen

Lilikemaho

How can any sane person say they have enjoyed the lockdowns I hate it and for the ones that love it I can only say you must not have had a very interesting life

It depends what you consider makes an interesting life. I can't say I've enjoyed lockdowns, but I seem to have coped better than some. I think it's because the things which interest me don't necessarily involve human face-to-face contact. I've probably spoken to more people and had more in-depth conversations with people I find interesting than I would normally. There's really no need for you or anybody else to look down your nose and consider that other people don't have an interesting life. What do you consider interesting anyway?

Thank you maddyone for agreeing with me I miss everything you listed

I have learnt just how precious life is

Absolutely maddyone.
I have 6 quite remarkable sons, almost 10 spectacular grandchildren whom I worship and make no bones about it,would give my life if they needed it, to live. Every day is is a treasure with them, hilarious fun, holidays, everything,and it’s just a massive pleasure. As I have said many times “ life is a gift that I open every day”
But, if the next plague is worse than this,it could throw us back to bad times in history........
Let’s prepare our generation to brace themselves to stay at home next time. A Dr brings round some gloop to swallow when needed, to kill all pain, almost like an induced coma,,and let us go when it happens, leave the beds, money,staff, to the next generation to use, so they can plough on, designing,inventing,researching, it’s just common sense.....

Lilikemaho

How can any sane person say they have enjoyed the lockdowns I hate it and for the ones that love it I can only say you must not have had a very interesting life

I agree Lilikemaho but your post made me smile so thank you for that. I’m sick of it to be honest, and I’d like my normal life back. I find nothing particularly good about being locked down in my home, comfortable as it is. I miss my friends and family, theatre visits, cinema visits, meals out and much more. Just normality, that’s what I miss, and what I’ve learned is that I need all the above things to live a contented and happy life.

How can any sane person say they have enjoyed the lockdowns I hate it and for the ones that love it I can only say you must not have had a very interesting life