Back to 'normal': Have you changed?

MrStuffins

Parachutes wrote: »

RTE doesn’t count.

Do they allow lizard people to work for RTE? Oh, i've said too much!

Don't worry, I'll be sure to "wake up" soon #Sheeple

PMBC

Looking forward to:
meeting up with a friend even though he is a conspiracy believer and wont be taking the jab - Ill be wearing the mask.
seeing my wife and/or son going out for a cup of coffee or to the shops, but not too much retail therapy
shops and jobs re-opening and more people out and about, walking the dog or just window shopping
the young children in the estate running about and playing
forgetting the mask and not needing it
better pay and conditions for carers and frontline healthcare works in hospitals and nursing homes
walking down the street on a sunny day and not thinking or hearing about Covid

carbsy

I put on 2 friggin stone!

PMBC

carbsy wrote: »

I put on 2 friggin stone!

What!
I've lost two stone and a little bit in a year

YellowLead

PMBC wrote: »

What!
I've lost two stone and a little bit in a year

I’ve put on half a stone - for the first time in my life!! (Since I stopped growing at 18/19.)I used to be one of those eat everything and still be skinny people. Now I know how much my daily walk of an hour as part of my commute was doing for me!

SnuggyBear

I wake up to more grey hairs every day. Feel like I've aged 5 years in the last year

Real Life

MrStuffins wrote: »

Do they allow lizard people to work for RTE? Oh, i've said too much!

Don't worry, I'll be sure to "wake up" soon #Sheeple

educat yurself

"These plastic "patriots" who used the situation to push their own xenophobic and hate-filled political leanings. Lads who would protest their own mothers if it meant they could assault a Garda.

The creeps who took genuine concern over the mental health of the country and used it as a tool to further their own creepy agendas."

If this is what passes for rational discourse these days then society has regressed substantially over the past year.

Back on topic, to echo several other posters have become acutely aware of the passing of time and will seize opportunities with relish when they materialise. No more putting things on the long finger, life is too short and freedoms are not to be taken for granted.

Multipass

I’m way more cynical and less hopeful for the future than ever before. I’m not even looking forward to things getting back to ‘normal’, having witnessing how easily the world got whipped up into insanity. Any sense I had of living in a caring society is gone. I wish I had never brought a child into this world, I would never do that now, it’s not a good place.

Zaney

There’s nothing positive from the last year I want to keep. Hate working at home alone all day staring at the same four walls. Have put on weight with lack of exercise and drinking eating too much. I would very happily just return to my life as it was before.

leahyl

sporina wrote: »

I hope to retain some semblance of the quieter life when things return to normal.. but can't wait to be able to see my loved ones freely.. and to be able to go for coffee and cake with mates in an actual cafe.. but I don't miss the chaotic pace of "normal" life.. I am enjoying doing my own thing during free time.. as oppose to having loads of plans.. I guess its all about a balance.. but these restrictions hav shown me how much I enjoy quiet time which I would not have known otherwise

I think this is the main thing for me - just to be able to do things "freely" as sporina puts it - not feeling like you are doing things but you are still restricted and thinkiing about distancing and wearing a mask. I think I will find it quite strange for a few weeks even with getting back to normal - it's wired into my brain now to distance from others Covid has made me re-evaluate myself and my life though, which I think is a good thing.

MrStuffins

leahyl wrote: »

I think this is the main thing for me - just to be able to do things "freely" as sporina puts it

I'll honestly never take simple life for granted again.

In normal times, we have people over to the house all the time. Not being able to do that is terrible.

I have young nieces and nephews too who love coming over here to hang out and I haven't really been able to see them. Small simple things are just not viable options at the moment.

That'll all start coming back as we progress into the year. Looking forward to it.

3wayswitch

I have experienced some positives over the past year which I hope to maintain once normality resumes:

- I've given up drinking and I've taken up running, cycling and photography. I have never been as fit in my life as I am right now.
- Working from home 100% of the time has vastly increased my productivity and I have finally fulfilled my goal of becoming a software engineer. I don't intend to go back to the office again bar the occasional social event.
- I've realized that a lot of my friendships were based around going to the pub etc and that I don't really have any friends that share the same interests in the things that I'm passionate about. When it's possible to do so, I'm going to start joining groups and clubs to meet people who I can share these interests with.

On the negative side, this experience has changed my view on a lot of people who I used to hang around with. From believing in conspiracy theories to outright selfish behavior, I don't think I'll see a lot of these people in the same light again which is kind of sad.

sporina

You know the saying "people never cease to amaze me"? Well before the virus, I would always have been really shocked by something someone did etc.. but no more...

The virus has really opened my eyes to the diversity of human nature.. I think I have learnt more about "people" in general in the past 13 months than I probably would have done otherwise in decades...

I have seen some sides of friends I would not have known existed before until the virus emerged..

I will never be surprised by people's actions/behaviours/opinions ever again..

There really are none as queer as folk..

MrStuffins

3wayswitch wrote: »

On the negative side, this experience has changed my view on a lot of people who I used to hang around with. From believing in conspiracy theories to outright selfish behavior, I don't think I'll see a lot of these people in the same light again which is kind of sad.

I too have experienced this. Some friends and acquaintances have started sliding into the conspiracy side of stuff and a few have started leaning a little more right than they had before.

On the positive side, one of my best mates has actually checked this behaviour. He was starting to go down the "The Government are responsible for everything route", the xenophobia route and was on the road to going full "Patriot".

He recognised it, decided to take a break from Twitter & Facebook and has actually gone back to normal. It's crazy how influenced the human mind can be my the comment sections on social media. You read rubbish long enough that you start to believe it.

I've seen this on Boards actually. And i've seen posters fall deeper and deeper into the trap. Sad to see. Hopefully they can come back to reality when we're back to normal.

SnuggyBear

Multipass wrote: »

I’m way more cynical and less hopeful for the future than ever before. I’m not even looking forward to things getting back to ‘normal’, having witnessing how easily the world got whipped up into insanity. Any sense I had of living in a caring society is gone. I wish I had never brought a child into this world, I would never do that now, it’s not a good place.

Ye feel the same. The world has gone to the **** in the last 10 years and is only going to get worse with this.

MrStuffins

SnuggyBear wrote: »

Ye feel the same. The world has gone to the **** in the last 10 years and is only going to get worse with this.

Nah, with the vaccination process under way, we're on the way back out of this. Hopefully those who have gone a little mad can come back from the brink once we're all back in the pub and are hanging out with people again

El Tarangu

BobbyBolivia wrote: »

I have begun to really despise a country that I once loved.

bucketybuck wrote: »

I've lost a lot of respect for the Irish people in this last year and I can't see myself regaining that respect when all goes back to normal, and not just because I don't think it will go back to "normal".

Deleted User wrote: »

My love for the country has been dented. I never had any desire to live in a different country and felt connected to Ireland. Now it feels kind of....alien.

Where are you all planning on moving to - tbh your options are more-or-less limited to South Dakota if your overriding criteria is "no covid-related restrictions".

Antares35

Never really identified that much with other Irish, don't know why. Even less so now. Just don't really feel anything for Ireland anymore.

Things I'll appreciate much more in the future are sun holidays and meeting friends for a meal or few pints. Definitely people have dropped off my radar this year that I haven't missed and probably won't reconnect with to a great extent, but there are others I've connected with more and will nurture those relationships, instead of trying to be everything to everyone.

MrStuffins

El Tarangu wrote: »

Where are you all planning on moving to

Nobody said they were moving. Just that there are more turds in the country than before.

You don't move house because a dog sh*ts in your garden.

Bit cynical

I finished one postgraduate qualification and started and have just finished another during this period of restrictions.

I am a bit disappointed that things seem to be being run by and for the benefit of those in extremely safe pensionable jobs. With no worry about loss of income, and the knowledge that the taxes of others will be raised if necessary to pay for their salaries, those deciding things here in Ireland can therefore concentrate on the long-term eradication of the virus at everyone else's expense, regardless of whether this is a feasible goal.

The J Stands for Jay

MrStuffins wrote: »

Nobody said they were moving. Just that there are more turds in the country than before.

You don't move house because a dog sh*ts in your garden.

Hopefully the amount of dog turds on the street will go back to pre Covid levels.

3wayswitch

MrStuffins wrote: »

Hopefully they can come back to reality when we're back to normal.

I really hope so. I'm trying not to judge them too harshly as I completely understand that this past year has led to people feeling a lot of isolation, uncertainty and a lack of control in their lives, and these online conspiracy theory groups can provide a sense of community and empowerment which they currently lack.

Thankfully most of my friends who have fallen down this rabbit hole are mostly fixated on 5G or how this pandemic is all a rouse to eliminate physical currency, so nothing overly offensive, just silly.

ninebeanrows

I have it had confirmed that the majority of people are extremely self centered and cannot for a moment picture themselves in other people's shoes.

I have noticed that school type bully group-think by grown ups in society that I thought people grew out off when they were in their twenties.

Lots of people have exposed how judgmental and blinkered they are.

It has exposed to me how the Catholic Church held such power in this country.

We have not changed much as a society and have shown we can easily revert to our former selves.

I've become apathetic towards my hobbies/passions. I hope I get that back when normal life resumes.

FlubberJones

I had wanted to leave Ireland for a number of years but never got around to it for many reasons. This has really rammed it home how small and fragile the place is and once this **** is over they'll hammer the working man AGAIN to pay for the lockdown... I really don't think I can take that.

I never had a very wide circle of friends prior to it and I have less now, that's not an issue for me but I do miss travelling, as I had started to do a lot in the years building up to this, I really look forward to getting this going again.

I hope I'll drink less, as I am definitely drinking more now, getting back to the gym and picking up any hobbies I had would be great

SnuggyBear

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I've become apathetic towards my hobbies/passions. I hope I get that back when normal life resumes.

Very hard to show enthusiasm for anything. Even getting through an episode of a TV show is a struggle.

Bigly

Made me realise there a lot of ninnies in this country or maybe just this board. Not sure.

Parachutes

MrStuffins wrote: »

Do they allow lizard people to work for RTE? Oh, i've said too much!

Don't worry, I'll be sure to "wake up" soon #Sheeple

Lizard people, 5G, Bill Gates bla bla who’s saying any of this stuff on this thread?

This is the same as a fundamentalist Christian saying everyone who doesn’t agree with him is a satanist.

Bigly

Bigly wrote: »

Made me realise there a lot of ninnies in this country or maybe just this board. Not sure.

Da fuk is a ninnie?