Lately I’ve been daydreaming about what life would be like today if COVID never existed.
I don’t think it’s healthy to focus on the “what if”s and “If only”’s, but i can’t help but wonder. Almost two years into this, we have come to accept it as part of life, but the ramifications of this are so far reaching that the entire lives of every person on the planet has been affected in one way or another. From the spectrum of losing a loved one, or losing one’s job, all the way to not being able to go to concerts and movies or having to search high and low for a PS5. And everything in between.
Not to mention the individual and collective mental health of society has taken a severe beating.
Our world would look completely different right now if we didn’t have this stupid bug.
Maybe someone can think of something positive that has come out of it, but I’m at a loss.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution Honestly, it’s the whole life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. That goes for what’s happened over the past couple of years and what’s to come in the future. If you choose to find positives in things you can, even the really bad stuff.
Well after nearly 2 years of this bloody pandemic, I've caught rona. Last couple of days ive felt pretty ropey but starting to feel better today. Anosmia is bloody disconcerting though, I didn't even realise it had happened until I burned toast and realised something was missing!
@R1spam Oof tough luck, both with the virus and the lack of smell. I’ve only really heard about just the taste going so that’s another symptom added to the many associated with it!
@R1spam@nessisonett I lost my smell too. Didn’t come back for 4-6 weeks. It was during that silly long bike ride I did, which really helped, being in portaloos in 25 degree heat and not smelling a thing was a godsend lol
@kyleforrester87 Yeah — I see what you’re saying (even through the eye rolls 😜). And I guess for me I’m fine with trials and tribulations, and can usually muster a pretty good positive outlook on most situations.
But this pandemic is so far reaching, that I’m shocked at how much damage has occurred to society over the last 2 years. Entire industries are wiped out. They’re saying the mental health of an entire rising generation is at risk and even if COVID disappeared tomorrow we’d probably still see and feel the effects it’s had for the next 10 years. It’s possible that an entire generation may grow up thinking living like this is normal.
Every aspect of life seems to be affected.
Want a PS5? Good luck. Chip shortages.
Want to go out for your favorite hamburger? Sorry. Restaurant is closed down. Want to go see a football game? Make sure you take your vaccine card and hold your breath. Your washing machine broke? Get used to doing dishes by hand because there’s a 3 week backlog on repairs because of workforce shortages. Got appendicitis? Go to the ER but expect to possibly die from a treatable disease because there’s not bed availability and all the doctors and nurses have quit.
It’s madness. I honestly feel optimistic, but I wasn’t expecting to actually live in the apocalypse. Glad that I’ve prepared myself by playing all these games.
Which is how this is going to end, by the way. COVID mutates to a form that attacks the brain and we all become zombies.
@Th3solution You use a washing machine for dishes??
In all seriousness people are wanting for things to go back before COVID, sadly things never will. Maybe in like 50 years or so we will but even then I don't think so. As far as eradicating COVID I don't think we will anytime soon, best case we will get it to become like the flu where a person would have to get a shot every year like the flu. The ones who are willing to get vaccinated have already if anyone has not no one is going to change their mind now. Every just needs to move on now. At least that's my view of it now.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
@Tasuki Lol, well, dishwasher maybe, or washing machine, or refrigerator, or whatever. 😅 name your appliance. The point is a lot of them are on backorder or there’s no skilled labor to work on them.
And I think that a lot of people have started to move on and accept this is the new normal. I’m not a psychologist, but it’s probably the healthy thing to do is accept and move on. But then something happens and a part of your life is adversely affected and you can’t help but be annoyed, or worse yet, bitter.
But I am glad to see you, Tas, especially to have a good attitude about living in the pandemic as I’m sure your unfortunate luck has been much worse than most with your house fire. I can’t imagine how tough it must have been to try to get your house rebuilt in the midst of the pandemic when there are people who are waiting months just to get a refrigerator fixed or can’t find a competent plumber for a simple water leak. Getting a whole home constructed must have been a nightmare. I can’t even consistently find cleaning supplies at the grocery store.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@kyleforrester87 Yep, that's defo a great example of looking at the bright side of losing your sense of smell!! I'm with you, your perception of things is a big factor. I'm using my new hyperimmune status at the other end of this to travel abroad and get me sunshine!!
@Th3solution I know, it's tough mate. I have definitely struggled at times with anxiety over the last 2 years of understanding COVID was coming and resulting lockdowns etc. I'm with Tasuki but it's easy to say and hard to feel sometimes. Try and hang in there until we get to the 1920s esque debauchery reaction to widespread vaccination and monoclonal antibody therapies!! In all seriousness, I've tried some mindfulness and trying to focus on what I can influence and what I can't has helped me. It's a bit touchy-feely but maybe worth a look. Also if you the opportunity, take the chance to meet up with either friends or family if you can, there's no substitute for some real life meet ups, take care bud 👍
@Th3solution Oh, believe me it's annoying right now I am waiting on some permits estimated time I should be getting them March if I am lucky. Just like everywhere else the permit office is short on employees plus it the government to boot, so yeah.
I will admit I do get quite annoyed at the new norm at times. Take for example today I wanted to get something to eat at Jack in the Box only to discover drive thru only which I can't do since my driver side window won't go down. What made it more annoying is I was able to walk into the restaurant only to be told to use the drive they are only open for delivery services. So they can tell me that but can't take my order and prepare it to go like if I went through the drive thru?? So annoying.
Overall thought except for a few instances like that I have just except this as the new normal. I mean I always carry a mask on me and such. It's just it is what it is no reason to get upset over it.
RetiredPush Square Moderator and all around retro gamer.
@R1spam@kyleforrester87@Tasuki Thanks guys for your perspective. Those that know me know I tend to get a little overly contemplative sometimes and I like to ponder things. I’m not depressed or anything, but realizing that sometimes true life is stranger than fiction. I never would have guessed this is where our lives would be.
That is true that certain people at certain points in their lives are probably affected more keenly than others. Like you say, those in their late teens are never getting these years back. They’ll never get to experience their senior year of high school again and have a “normal” prom or “normal” graduation. Weddings, funerals, graduations, first year of school, etc — these are once in a lifetime events; you never get a second chance for them. And of course, when there’s a death of someone dear, that’s always going to stick with you.
In a way and on a different scale, I think maybe this is our version of what our grandparents and great-grandparents experienced during the big wars like WWII. Maybe at the time they didn’t feel like there was an end in sight when they were in the middle of it like we are now with this. The far reaching effects even after it ended resulted in many survivors who returned from the war forever changed, and suffered from PTSD, alcoholism, and depression. Of course the pandemic is completely different and I would never say that we truly understand what it’s like to suffer the things they did, but I just mean there are aspects of global adversity that might be common, from a society standpoint.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic — Some days as I get up and try to take on another day of dealing with the barrage of COVID and it’s resultant social turmoil, I feel like King Theoden: “Alas that these evil days should be mine…”
But like Theoden, I mount my steed, put on a brave face, and ride out to take on whatever challenge comes my way. 😄
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@velio84 Thanks for your thoughts too, bud. You’re absolute right about adaptability and first world problems. We tend to whine too much nowadays and need to put on our “big boy pants” sometimes.
Unfortunately some people will put on the brave face to get by and in secret they suffer and hide their struggles. Oftentimes that ends up going poorly in the long run unless they get to grips with things internally.
@kyleforrester87 Jack in the Box is an interesting case study. Personally I prefer other fast food burger places, but it’s probably better than McDonalds. Jack in the Box had a scare several years ago in the 90’s where they had food poisoning in their beef. Four children died and 178 other victims were left with permanent injury including kidney and brain damage. They became known as “E. Coli in the Box” for a while.
Subsequently they have had some ingenious marketing and most people have forgotten the incident. However, if it would have happened in today’s day and age of Twitter and internet overreactions, the company most certainly would have been a pariah in the food industry and had to shut down.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Maybe someone can think of something positive that has come out of it, but I’m at a loss.
Theatrical to streaming/digital windows have drastically shortened for alot of films/movies (17-45 day waits instead of 45-90+ days). Sometimes we even get direct to streaming/digital movies that skip the theaters.
Also alot of people now have the option to work from home instead of on-site, if they had an office job of sorts.
If anyone else can think of anything positive I'd be welcome to hearing it.
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