What Have You Learned In Lockdown?

LPSG Support

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Hi Everyone!

I was just thinking about how this lockdown has been such a massive shock to day to day life and was thinking of what I've learned or what has changed for me in lockdown.

Here are a few of mine. What are yours?

- Video calls aren't that bad. I've never been a fan of phone calls. I think it dates back to when I was a teenager and we only had one phone in the house right next to my parents' room and I felt everything I said was being listened to. I'm still freaked out by that. Anyhow, I've had some zoom calls with friends and it's actually been really cool.

- I LOVE the gym way more than I ever knew. I really miss being in a gym class with people. Love the interaction in person with trainers.

- I took for granted the convenience and beauty of travel.

- I never realized how precious a smile is. Seeing people walk by with face masks is a constant reminder of how warm a smile is.

- I shouldn't take friends and family for granted. It's crazy how a virus can keep us away even from our family.

- The biggest is probably what an amazing quality of life I had. When freedom and choices are taken away you realize just how precious and amazing the life we have is. I've only been able to go to the park near my house. It's amazing how a new park or a new activity (like tennis) is the best thing ever right now.

Those are just a few. What about you?
 
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516778

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Now more than ever, not just with coronavirus, we need to stand with our scientists, nurses, doctors, i.e all healthcare workers, and those in science related fields. We need to support them every single day. They need more funding, less restrictions, regulations, and not to be tied down by those who control their budgets.
If you can pay a college football coach $93 million/10 yrs well you can afford to fully fund our scientists, hospitals, doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, and other front line employees.
 

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I will say in this entire thing the scientists have not been wrong. Unless I'm mistaken everything they've predicted has happened. Yet there still seems to be a reluctance to listen to them. I would like to get back to normal and if it were put to a vote I would vote to unlock and re-open things but that is a selfish point of view. That said it doesn't seem like this is anywhere near over.

In a sense, it feels a lot like the climate crisis. Scientists warnings us of grave dangers ahead and politicians ignoring it for financial reasons. The climate situation is going to take years to play out. The coronavirus seems to be that type of example thrown at us.
 

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I think the most important lesson I've learned is to appreciate those workers who for some are "invisible people"; those folks who I've perhaps taken for granted will always be there. When I need them.

Like the medical, grocery store, restaurant/carry out, convenience store, big-box store and other personnel who've risked their lives every day to work in close proximity with the public and provide not just life's necessities, but some sense of normalcy. And don't get me started on teachers; we don't pay them nearly enough for what they do regularly, and now with virtual and distance learning, not nearly enough.

I make it a point now to thank the person who is checking me out at the grocery. Or waiting on me in the gas station Mart. Or like today when we went for to see Hubby's cancer doc. Thanking the receptionist, the medical tech, the lab tech and the Doctor for being there. These, IMO, are the real heroes.

Until lately, I've always expected these folks would be there doing their jobs. Now I'm aware of how crucial they are and how dangerous and frightening it must be for them. Hats off to all of them.
 

rbkwp

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without answering your question Mr. LPSG.,as i am not sure i learnt anything from it
if pressed,human contact
touch and hugs,family and friends

however
i am relieved it is pretty well over,for us,at the moment
does not mean its over 100 pc of course
while i admire the current govt for making the initial tough decision
 

TallBigGuy

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That in the U.K. it is now socially acceptable to give health workers and NHS staff the ‘clap’. :)

On a serious note, I think it has shown me the greatness and the selfishness of individuals in society, what we can happen if we all work together to solve the problems that face us, and highlighted what some entities or persons will do to protect self image with no care given to the cost that entails.

The air quality where I live has drastically improved since the lockdown was put in place, it’s almost like I can smell the woods 200m behind my house. It surprised me, I live in a rural village 1 mile from a main single carriageway A road. I can only imagine the difference people living in cities would have experienced. I hope this change to working at home will be a permanent one, for the majority applicable workers, to reduce the wasteful unnecessary travel and peak load on the transport network. Maybe it will help us meet our climate targets and give people a better quality of life.

What I have missed most is human contact, hugging friends and family. Everything else has been bearable. Dog cuddles are not the same.

On @Mr. LPSG point about comparison to the climate situation. The big difference is that the effect COVID19 ‘crisis’ is on us now, the politicians and people in power had to act. There has been very little done to tackle the climate crisis, there has been no incentive until recently. The majority of what politicians care about is: what can they do to get re-elected and what they can do to directly affect their lives, in their lifetime. Maybe I’m just too cynical for my own good.
 
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516778

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I will say in this entire thing the scientists have not been wrong. Unless I'm mistaken everything they've predicted has happened. Yet there still seems to be a reluctance to listen to them. I would like to get back to normal and if it were put to a vote I would vote to unlock and re-open things but that is a selfish point of view. That said it doesn't seem like this is anywhere near over.

In a sense, it feels a lot like the climate crisis. Scientists warnings us of grave dangers ahead and politicians ignoring it for financial reasons. The climate situation is going to take years to play out. The coronavirus seems to be that type of example thrown at us.
I mean like with anything new, unknown, unstudied etc etc it takes time to understand it, to study it, to bring it into the known. You can't ask for scientists to give you information on something that they've never seen before.

It would be like us asking the same question of lets say our military(in any country).
Hey, here is this new weapon you know nothing about, never seen before, and have no clue how it works. Now tell us how to beat it, how it works, and how to stop it.
The best of our military would need time to do those things. Yet we expect scientists to immediately know. That's not how things work. You have to give these people time.
Otherwise its best guess and that isn't always the best or right solution.
 
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516778

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I mean like with anything new, unknown, unstudied etc etc it takes time to understand it, to study it, to bring it into the known. You can't ask for scientists to give you information on something that they've never seen before.

It would be like us asking the same question of lets say our military(in any country).
Hey, here is this new weapon you know nothing about, never seen before, and have no clue how it works. Now tell us how to beat it, how it works, and how to stop it.
The best of our military would need time to do those things. Yet we expect scientists to immediately know. That's not how things work. You have to give these people time.
Otherwise its best guess and that isn't always the best or right solution.

And I will say to add to this I admire those for making tough decisions in tougher times. Not everyone will like or agree with those decisions but they had to be made. We can criticize those decisions but the failure to do nothing would have been much worse.
 
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I will say in this entire thing the scientists have not been wrong. Unless I'm mistaken everything they've predicted has happened. Yet there still seems to be a reluctance to listen to them. I would like to get back to normal and if it were put to a vote I would vote to unlock and re-open things but that is a selfish point of view. That said it doesn't seem like this is anywhere near over.

In a sense, it feels a lot like the climate crisis. Scientists warnings us of grave dangers ahead and politicians ignoring it for financial reasons. The climate situation is going to take years to play out. The coronavirus seems to be that type of example thrown at us.
I love the sentiment, but the fact that the scientists haven’t been wrong is inaccurate. And that’s not bad. No one knew what the fuck was going on. Science will always get shit wrong, it learns from mistakes. It takes that data and makes new, more accurate data. I just don’t like the notion that science is this perfect, flawless, machine. It’s a process, with errors, and theories and data. If we thought it was flawless and genuinely error-free, we’d be back in the dark ages. It’s the never-ending quest for knowledge and self-betterment.
 

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I've learned that there are people who are able to push through tough times, and there are people who sort of evaporate when times get tough.

I've learned that sincerity and well-meaning words are not substitutes for hard work and decisive action.

I've learned that the "tough decisions" are often easier than doing the hard work required to avoid having to make tough decisions. For example, it's a hell of a lot harder to spend years developing a pandemic plan, tabletop the plan, evaluate the plan, improve the plan, and then, when worse comes to worst, execute the plan than it is to not make a plan and instead say, "We've had to make the tough decision to shut everyone down." "Tough decisions" usually translates as "I gave up."

I've learned most people who say "This is all about the data!" are just as emotionally driven as those who say, "Reopen now!"
 
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I've learned that I'm fully capable of mourning the loss of life we're suffering as a species while simultaneously loving the fact that people HAVE to stay the fuck away from me, not touch/hug me, and that I don't have to hear anyone tell me to "smile!"

I do not want to continue the lock down longer than necessary. Absolutely not. But the simple fact that I no longer have to shake another hand or hug another person who isn't my fella and I have a valid reason which people won't question anymore actually makes part of my life a little easier.

Not having heard anyone tell me to "smile" because they can't see my mouth for the past month has felt wonderful. I don't smile much. I don't want to. I hate being told to.

So basically I've relearned that I'm really not a people person when dealing with people in person. So I'm hoping after things get back to some sort of normalcy I won't have to explain why I won't hug or shake hands with anyone. Having a valid reason to tell someone not to touch me in a social setting is kinda amazing, it's my silver lining in a very dark, fucked up cloud.
 
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I've learned that health really is your wealth.I've also learned to be more compassionate to vulnerable people in society.I was asked by a very elderly woman to assist her crossing the road on a beautiful warm day today in Dublin city centre.She would have been stuck inside for weeks probably a bit lonely and looked delighted to be able to have a quick chat and simply walk outside in the sun.In a way this lockdown can be like a reset button for a lot of people.What kinds of people do you need to remove from your life or add and what stupid habits do you need to stop.
 

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I guess this whole thing has sort of re-emphasized how important family is to me. Not that I've ever not appreciated them before, but as the sibling who lives closet to my parents I sometimes felt I didn't interact or visit them as much as I should, especially given their declining health in the last few years. It seems I usually found other priorities on my days off and also didn't want to appear I was checking up on them too much rather then letting them be independent.

Now that I've had to purposefully limit interacting with them, I'm really beginning to realize how much they mean to me and feel guilty over all those times I could have visited them but just didn't feel like it. During the past almost three months now I've only seen them when they come to drop something off and once visiting them, but it has not been the same. Having to wear masks, keeping distancing and not being able to hug, has been like a knife driven into my chest.

My wife has it even worse I think, since her surviving parent is a thousand miles away and there is no telling when she can visit him again and every day she worries she might never again before it's too late.

This why I'm beginning to reach a new level of anger over those who either refuse to take this seriously, for whatever reason, or are unwilling to protect others, even if they don't care about their own health or lives. Younger or ignorant people who are willing to risk the most vulnerable of society due to their own self-centeredness. Which unfortunately is something, that while I knew already, is being re-emphasized as well in that so many Americans don't give a damn about something (even their own families sometimes) unless it effects them personally.
 

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I think the most important lesson I've learned is to appreciate those workers who for some are "invisible people"; those folks who I've perhaps taken for granted will always be there. When I need them.

Like the medical, grocery store, restaurant/carry out, convenience store, big-box store and other personnel who've risked their lives every day to work in close proximity with the public and provide not just life's necessities, but some sense of normalcy. And don't get me started on teachers; we don't pay them nearly enough for what they do regularly, and now with virtual and distance learning, not nearly enough.

I make it a point now to thank the person who is checking me out at the grocery. Or waiting on me in the gas station Mart. Or like today when we went for to see Hubby's cancer doc. Thanking the receptionist, the medical tech, the lab tech and the Doctor for being there. These, IMO, are the real heroes.

Until lately, I've always expected these folks would be there doing their jobs. Now I'm aware of how crucial they are and how dangerous and frightening it must be for them. Hats off to all of them.

This, definitely - I also am a lot more patient in my dealings when I am out and about. I don't get irritated at little things anymore - just direct all my anger and venom to "He Whose Orange Ass Shall Never Be Named." There a number of great pacs and candidates to send extra stim money to, and they will put it to good use. I'm enjoying Korean baseball - much more than Japanese baseball. Japan seems to focus on doing things right, more than winning. Korea on the other hand, puts the 'play' in "play ball.' They have a certain style and panache that is fun to watch.
 

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Listening to the news is useless. The media thrives on reporting gloom and danger only.

For instance, it reports that a record number of people are unemployed at the moment.

Really? Big surprise! We are under lockdown. Where is the mystery here?

Instead, try posting something positive and uplifting.
 

twoton

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This why I'm beginning to reach a new level of anger over those who either refuse to take this seriously, for whatever reason, or are unwilling to protect others,

I felt that way early on when it seemed like we’d beat this if everyone worked together. I don’t feel that way anymore.
 
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I've learned in lockdown to appreciate all that I have. Good health is first & last on my list. During this time, for me, of pushing the RESET button; I have been daily: counting my blessings, and looking inward. This has made me more grateful, and aware of: the preciousness of time, and the cherished people who populate my life, as well as, how fragile our existence is on planet Earth.
 

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That it doesn’t matter what happens people on both sides of the aisle, the far leaning people. The Rachel Maddow’s and Sean Hannity’s of the left and right don’t care about the truth they only want to vomit what they believe to be their truth.
 
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twoton

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That it doesn’t matter what happens people on both sides of the aisle, the far leaning people. The Rachel Maddow’s and Sean Hannity’s of the left and right don’t care about the truth they only want to vomit what they believe to be their truth.

And millions of people tune in to either a) hear the truth they want to hear or b) or feel outraged because it’s not their own truth.
 
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1. I never want to retire.

2. My Y is more than a gym.

3. I NEED to be out of the house regularly interacting with people face to face more than I thought.

4. It’s the little things that are more important than the big ones.