After the lockdown ...

boxedjoy

Well-known member
a year on and it feels really tough - this time last year we had goodwill towards saving people, the novelty factor, a vague idea that it could and should only be temporary. Now we have conspiracy theory nutters, exhaustion and boredom, and the slow roll-out of the vaccine globally with pockets of society that can't or won't have it. This isn't going to go away for a long long time, and it's fucking bleak.
 

woops

is not like other people
Sectionfive's mate said:
It is utterly insane that we would use up critical public funds today — funds we will need to address our significant social infrastructure failings and climate action responsibilities — so that landlords and banks can have a guaranteed 100% income during a global pandemic.

all this stuff is great

Yeah but what we are seeing now has the potential to irrevocably change what we consider and accept as normal life. I mean, this has the power to create an entirely new way of being. At least for a certain amount of time

i love it, i wish there was a chance in hell of anything changing
 

sufi

lala
it's been a tumultous time in us and uk quite apart from the pandemic what with brexit and trumpxit
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
on a personal level, my patience is thin with huge parts of society. I've been out the house maybe ten times in the past five weeks, no further than 200m from my front door to get milk and bread. My boyfriend is in a bad way with pre-existing health issues that lockdown has heightened, I haven't seen my grandparents in 18 months, I've got a year-old niece who I've never been able to pick up and hold. Then I look on the news and see the scenes of football fans going wild in Glasgow, tearing up George Square with no masks on, probably adding another month or two on to the tightened restrictions, and I think to myself: actually, why am I doing everything I can to prevent the spread of infection, and be seen to be doing so even when I know I'm being safe, when it seems nobody else gives a fuck?
 

sufi

lala
on a personal level, my patience is thin with huge parts of society. I've been out the house maybe ten times in the past five weeks, no further than 200m from my front door to get milk and bread. My boyfriend is in a bad way with pre-existing health issues that lockdown has heightened, I haven't seen my grandparents in 18 months, I've got a year-old niece who I've never been able to pick up and hold. Then I look on the news and see the scenes of football fans going wild in Glasgow, tearing up George Square with no masks on, probably adding another month or two on to the tightened restrictions, and I think to myself: actually, why am I doing everything I can to prevent the spread of infection, and be seen to be doing so even when I know I'm being safe, when it seems nobody else gives a fuck?
its hard to know isnt it, round here sometimes it seems like there's a normal amount of people out and about, other times its eerily empty.
not everyone is gonna be able to comply & there will always be irresponsible elements though a few will die off i suppose
but you still get credit for doing the right thing, even if there's not really much of a choice
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
if I know I've been in the house for ten solid days, and I have 100% faith in my pal who has also spent ten days alone at home, I still can't meet up with them indoors. But if my football team wins and I want to celebrate I get a police escort to a public place to cause havoc. It's hard to see how what I'm doing is "right" when it's having such a negative impact on my mood/energy etc and other people are getting a free pass on stuff that's wholly unnecessary.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
it's also made me take stock of what I want from life. Some people have goals and ambitions and plans: I just want to see my pals and people who matter to me, I want to go to clubs and gigs and exhibitions, I want to drink and dance and enjoy people, and once my bills are paid that's literally the scale and scope of it.
 

Leo

Well-known member
I hear you, @boxedjoy, hang in there, things are getting better. There are a lot more people doing what you are than there are going out as if nothing's wrong. they just get the media attention because who wants to write or read about normal people being responsible, right?

over here, infections and deaths are dropping, the vaccine rollout is going pretty well considering the scale of the task, I know a number of people who have been jabbed. biden and the dems have pushed through one of the the biggest social assistance packages in history, which will help lots of less fortunate and working class families (unlike the trump tax cuts). the weather is getting warmed, change the clocks soon to get more daylight at the end of the day. it's been grim, for sure, but there are lots of positive signs.
 

Pandiculate

Well-known member
if I know I've been in the house for ten solid days, and I have 100% faith in my pal who has also spent ten days alone at home, I still can't meet up with them indoors. But if my football team wins and I want to celebrate I get a police escort to a public place to cause havoc. It's hard to see how what I'm doing is "right" when it's having such a negative impact on my mood/energy etc and other people are getting a free pass on stuff that's wholly unnecessary.
I've followed the rules pretty rigidly so far but there is no way I'm waiting until May to go round a friends house, and to be honest I think these dates they've announced have the fact that the majority of people won't be following the rules baked in. Everyone I've spoken to seems to be planning to rejig the rules a bit, mostly by going round friends houses from April.

It's all starting to feel pretty pointless tbh, London is doing really well right now and this with all my neighbours having people over and my friends pretty much living as normal. Think I'll be doing the same from next week.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
There was a measurable deterioration in people's compliance with the social distancing laws last year after Dominant Bummings had his little jaunt and wasn't even ticked off, much less sacked or prosecuted. Which is totally understandable, isn't it? And there's been a bunch of similar stories involving cabinet members since then.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
my partner's depression and anxiety has been so bad that they can barely leave the house (this was already an issue before lockdown) and despite lots of Zoom therapy sessions and different medications, it's just not changing. We can barely get halfway to the park before it gets overwhelming for him. I would love to be going outdoors and having park socials but it's not going to work for us given our specific cirumstances.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
my partner's depression and anxiety has been so bad that they can barely leave the house (this was already an issue before lockdown) and despite lots of Zoom therapy sessions and different medications, it's just not changing. We can barely get halfway to the park before it gets overwhelming for him. I would love to be going outdoors and having park socials but it's not going to work for us given our specific cirumstances.
Shit, that's tough. Sorry to hear that. Really hope things improve for you both soon.
 
Top