lockdown impact in hindsight
many realised they could work from home
education and socialisation was in doubt
we re assessed our priorities
and many changed their life
with relocations and new careers
trimming deadwood, facing fears
hitting pause does that …
enforces reflection, revitalises decisions
yet many lives were lost and
some have long term health complications
emotional and mental wellbeing questioned
poverty hit the middle classes
what changes impacted your life most or enhanced it?
aroused 
The biggest impact has been regarding my little granddaughter. She’s 18 mos old now and was conceived during the height of covid times. It’s been very stressful not being able to see her much, having to mask up, do covid tests before being around her, and then worrying about her getting it from others. I also lost a very dear friend and mentor to it and am still grieving for her.
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huge loses Lisa … missing those initial days of a grandies life, nothing can ever replace that!
Then losing friends, most couldn’t attend their funerals and that is such a crucial part of our grieving process. Sorry for your loss.
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Hmmm… so many impacts. I guess we ended up moving to a different part of the country during the pandemic. That was a pretty big impact!
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yes, relocation is also huge … I did also and the lockdown didn’t help settling in and getting to know my neighbours 😦
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This virus and confinement has certainly favored other ways of working but I don’t think it has improved the joy of living together and social progress, according your poem says, Kate ;
Love ❤
Michel
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Living in isolation or really in an isolated place, I wasn’t affected much at all. Still went to town once a week to shop, bumped into people and chatted, didn’t get any B&B guests but only one or two a month that was no biggie either.
Discovered zoom chatting as well and most of that was monthly Landcare meetings and meeting people from overseas for the first time after writing for years 🙂 🙂
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Not being able to properly mourn the dead. There is no making up for it. (K)
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absolutely, leaves a huge gap and must be a struggle to move on without the usual ceremony and support from others touched by the deceased …
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You’ve hit it dead centre. The consequences will be felt for years. I found we became more insular. We mix and socialise less with other people.
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I think Covid made me more conscious of my health. And frequent hand washing!
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I became more conscientious about hand washing and mask wearing. The biggest change was in socializing – we had to limit our exposure to Sparky’s parents because they are older and we didn’t want to be the ones that “gave them COVID”…
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I was visiting a friend up your way 2 weeks ago, Kate. After all this time and going all over the place, that’s where I get it.
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That photo is so beautiful…it “screams” peace. 🙂 And we still do need more peace in this world.
Of course, I’ve known since childhood that true peace comes from within…it isn’t conditional to outward happenings or things or circumstances or surroundings. I’ve felt A LOT of peace in the past 2 1/2 years. 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂 ❤️
PS…
“Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Peace is not something you wish for. It is something you make, something you are, something you do, and something you give away.” ― Robert Fulghum
“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
– Dalai Lama XIV
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Good question Kate. For myself, I think there where a number of things – but the biggest or most significant impact is that no matter how hard we try, there never is a perfect time.
We can never get our “ducks lined up in a row” before making a decision. The perfect time doesn’t exist. The present exists and what is right in front of us at the moment.
Time and life doesn’t slip on by, its flies by. Days into weeks; weeks into months; months into years and years into decades. Saying you’ll wait until the time is perfect before doing this or that makes no sense – why? Because you have no idea what tomorrow; the week; next month or the next year will bring.
The point is, waiting for the perfect time; waiting until we have every possible question about something answered can be an wasted exercise; time that was simply thrown away.
So, make a decision and take a step. Then take another step. When issues arise(they will) – deal with them and then take another step. Life is far too short and precious to waiting for the perfect time. Waiting to get your ducks all lined up is the ultimate exercise in futility.
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I think that for some young people, the ability to work at home and be with their children at the same time was a good thing. (For those that are able to do this.) I believe that overall, people need people. In most situations, a community is able to bind together in a disaster. The pandemic forced people to isolate and that is a very difficult thing. It did create a ‘pause’ where you could reflect on life. However, it was a very long pause, and the awareness that many people were suffering. I deeply missed seeing friends and family. I missed being able to smile at people when I was out and about. I missed the freedom to simply come and go without a mask, without restrictions. Life is a precious gift, and it is a gift we share with one another. In order to do that, we must be able to step out of our own front door and go out into the world. I think now, I appreciate the community more than ever because I do not take it for granted. I can go to church, the market, visit friends and family, travel, go places. It is a blessing, because people do need people! 🙂
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My husband fell down during the first COVID and broke his femur then had to be operated for hipbone too. My daughter and her whole family got COVID and I too am having these anxiety attacks from time to time. Two years have impacted millions. But slowly things are getting better. Thanks for your lovely post Kate ❤️😊
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The picture is stunning! Yes, so much both positive and negative has come from covid. What has always been positive for me seems to be going away and getting a real break.
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I commented above , Kate but I forgot to say how much I loved the photo and especially the red water and the red sky. In the past in my birthplace in France , people said in watching this red sky, it annouced bad weather (rain, wind) for the day after/ I don’t know if this is true for Australia. ❤
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thanks Michel … we say the opposite, red sky farmers delight. And expect good weather the next day if it’s sunset but I face north so this is my sunrise and often indicates a great day ahead 🙂
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I think the pandemic impacted everyone, in good and bad ways. It did help us get our priorities in order, but the enforced isolation wasn’t good for our emotional health. I think we are all still trying to find what our new normal is…..
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Covid feel like it’s been all there’s been, it’s hard to remember beyond it.
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Our journey through this pandemic strengthened our faith, our marriage, and our outlook for tomorrow. We could have never imagined the challenges we would face together.
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As you know Kate, we’ve all been separatef for over a year during the out break of the pandemic..and looking back..we are just so thankful that no one got sick…or infected by covid that time..otherwise it would have been a disaster ..
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We learned a lot during pandemic.
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My mental health was so impacted by lockdown! So too was my emotional wellbeing! X
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Hey Kate,
I actually loved there were few cars on the road, the air got cleaner, my kids moved in for awhile, bittersweet, learned to navigate zoom and teach and found our blogging community. Luckily everyone survived getting covid.. My husband and I still haven’t gotten it. Knock on wood!
💗
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I feel for the kids and young adults. Two years wiped out of their lives. The damage it has done, physically, emotionally, mentally…only time will tell. A recent BBC report said myopia in kids increased during this time.
Not being able to visit the ill was equally bad.
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Nothing bad..some good. . I mean we didn’t really lockdown..We got covid, refused to go to the hospital but just did what we do for flu..made sure to rest, get liquids, up and walking to keep our lungs open…Yeah, we were exhausted etc but truly it was no different than what I get (having autoimmune diseases) each year..so we handled it the same way. Continued my work, got more students even a couple coming every other week (only way I could accommodate them), waiting list, etc. We had to do karate from home for a bit but…that was only a couple of months and I even tested for my 4th Dan Black Belt during that time. Truly..we continued living as we always did and noting much changed. The same for most of the people I know in our area. We just kept on keeping on. 😉
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