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Are You Going Back to Life the Same Way – Post-Covid?
Are you going back to your life the same way, post-Covid and now Covid 2.0? I ask because I think many are not. I’m not. Getting back to normal is like after 9/11, a new normal. It may be a good thing. Let’s examine this more closely.
First (and this is a big one), parents have gotten an up front and center view of what their children, starting in kindergarten, have been being taught. Climate Change, Critical Race Theory, White Privilege, multi-gender identities, indoctrination on a massive scale, that take the parents’ boundaries out, along with reading, writing, math, art, sports, science, and literature as the priority, and placing the focus on an extreme progressive ideology. At any rate, at least parents are aware and can take steps to do what is best for their children and family. Prior to Covid, many were unaware of what was taking place within our schools, within teachers’ unions, and even the innocent library.
Your job – how has it changed and is it no longer a good fit? Has it gotten better or has your industry shifted into something you do not recognize, or want to be a part of? Do you realize after Covid that life is more precious and your focus has changed? That could mean spending more time with family, perusing a passion over a paycheck, charting a new course, relocating, or early retirement.
Your health – have you put those checkups on hold? Has your healthcare gotten more expensive or are you finally putting your wellbeing on the front burner? I have put mine on the back burner for too long. I really hope I have not shot myself in the foot. Fear – fear of lockdowns and going to get checkups – big mistake. We need to get back to optimal health – mental – physical – emotional and spiritual.
Time – how much time in a day? In a life? Do we spend it taking pictures to put on Instagram or miss a chat with a fellow traveler to take one more selfie? Where is your next travel destination? Will you leave your cell phone in your suitcase?
Trust – Wow – this is a big one. Who do you trust? The government, the CDC, social media, mainstream media, talking heads who make their living night after night spewing more reasons to fear, despair, or get angry? I spend a small amount of time reviewing several news sites in the morning because I won’t stick my head in the sand. I want to know what’s going on. Then I try to decide what is worth my attention, what I can change, and what I cannot. I try to research what is being told to me, because quite frankly, much of it is bull and clickbait. I can’t stop a war or solve climate issues. I try to be responsible. I recycle and pay my bills on time. I shop on a budget. What more do you want?
Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to take back our lives, get healthy, champion our country, its long-held values, reject crime and support law and order, and vote with meaning. If you are in office or running for office, and not looking out for my well-being, the well-being of my town and city, and schools and safety, then go home and sell used cars. I don’t want you representing me in government.
God bless, and don’t let this new variant of Covid distract you from all you learned last year from the first go-around. Make the changes you need to make, and let go of fear.
Published in General
No change for me. I could not have trusted government/media/scientism any less. Well, maybe I’ll be 10% more of a prepper.
Good points!
We moved during the pandemic, so that changes things.
I’m finally working towards weight loss. I’ve been on keto for 4 weeks now… will go to 5, celebrate a wedding and a birthday, and back on for 6 week increments.
I haven’t been this successful at it in years.
I’m still a recluse. I miss some of the activities I used to do with the kids, but I think that’s more getting ready for a wedding than the pandemic.
I’m supposed to get hand tremors checked out by my doctor, but I refuse to see them in the middle of this nightmare. I don’t really trust them. They were new before the pandemic, didn’t take my husband’s cough seriously in Jan-Feb 2020 (it’s in your head) and I just don’t have confidence anymore.
Good questions, FSC. This is a good time for people to take stock.
My life was more disrupted by breast cancer than Covid. I plan on doing the things I did before–even now, with the new variant. As a retired person with no kids in school, my choices are much simpler. Still, I plan to get together with friends I haven’t seen, and I’m going out to dinner, working out at the gym, taking one of our mini-trips in Florida and pretty much trying to re-establish the life I was leading. I think I’ve tried to be especially aware of the preciousness of life, even before all of this, and often experience gratitude. I’ll try to continue along that path and deal with any surprises as they come up.
I know, like buy extra toilet paper….
I’ve never stopped living a normal life, with the exception of putting on a mask when entering stores whose owners required it. We never wore masks at the office, and we never quit going out for lunch; we just quit going out to lunch to restaurants that required masks.
Good for you Stina – for getting your life and health back on track. Keep pursuing answers to new health issues.
Yes – you came to mind when I wrote the health question. You are an inspiration and I appreciate all you have shared and continue to share about your breast cancer diagnosis and treatments. I hope all who are putting off check ups will move forward and get caught up.
The pandemic confirmed — didn’t teach me, but confirmed — the necessity of investing in real life. Not digital life. Real life.
A life lived mostly through screens (or masks) is hardly a life at all.
I will never work for a corporation again. And I’m being much more attentive about who I give my money to. Any company that’s in bed with BLM or the Covid cult can pound sand.
I’m also much more aware of how fragile our currency is. I have invested in various assets that carry far more worth. I have been very, very smart with money over the last year. But more importantly, I have invested in skills. For one example, I’ve tackled some more complex mechanic projects. I will never be 100% self-sufficient, but I do think moving in that direction is good. Learn something new every day.
I have cut many people from my life and that will not change when “normal” resumes. Especially those who have subjected their children to Covid hysteria and supported some of the inhumane policies directed towards them. My hatred for these people is white hot. I don’t leave forgiveness out of the equation, but some things are truly unforgivable.
Other than that, nothing will change. Outside of forced masking, I have been living normally since this all started. I never took Covid seriously and did normal stuff with my family and friends all along.
Are you willing to share? I’m in an awkward phase of too much cash but not enough. Outside raising my tithe to my church to help with increasing our ministries and community outreach, I’m at a loss of what to do with something that I feel will soon be absolutely worthless.
I was thinking more along the lines of hedging against inflation. For one, I am not relying on the stock market as much anymore. I have a very nasty feeling that 401k’s will be nationalized at some point in my lifetime. Our parasite class is far too big. But parasites still need a host, so investing in real things like skills (and bullets!) can go a long way. Not having debt (mortgages excluded) is also paramount. Basically, the principles that Americans used to live by until we socialized everything after WW2.
I could go into more detail on some things, but I could see this thread immensely derailing if I do.
Another situation where – as mentioned on other threads at other times – home-ownership is a much better position to be in than renting. Especially if you’re mostly or completely paid off. The other thing I think matters a lot is that “saving money” is likely not a productive thing during times of inflation. The money you have devalues over time and prices go up, then later if you get a “cost of living” adjustment that’s AFTER your money has already lost value and you’ve been paying more for things. Especially now that I have an abundance of space, it makes sense to buy another can of roast beef with gravy, rather than leave that $2.25 in the bank to lose value as I watch the prices of roast beef with gravy – and everything else – increase.
We are back to normal. The real distortion was only for 6 weeks or so early on, and we avoided the mask mandate places as much as possible. Around here the mask fanatics know to keep quiet.
The currency concern I also share. I feel like its going to go in a digital direction soon – what do you think?
These are some good thoughts. One of my cow-orkers* mentioned in Monday’s staff meeting that we can go back to doing things the same way, but we’re not the same people. The experience of the last 18 months has changed us, what we value, where we put our energies, who we trust, etc. Perhaps our eyes are now more open to the reality of the world around us. The lines at the red pill dispensary are longer than ever.
So we can go back to normal, but we’re not the same. Or it could be said that what we thought was normal is now revealed as very abnormal. Or certainly less-than-optimal.
Well said, Drew. Especially the thought of going back to normal but we’re not the same. In some ways, that would be true anyway. But the ways we’ve changed, as you’ve indicated are unusual.
Truth is, I never changed my life for the epidemic. Other than having to wear a mask on those few occasions when I wandered into civilization, I continued to do what I have been doing since retirement, riding my bike on long routes on country roads. I am fortunate to live in an area that was rural when I moved in and has gradually become suburban. Still there are lots of roads with few cars traveling on them, except for weekends when the road warriors return and are in a hurry to get wherever they are going.
I am a bit concerned that the government is not going to let this Covid BS disappear too quickly. They seem to like all of the nice controls they have. I did go to Costco on Friday and they are still not requiring masks after dropping the requirement a couple of months ago. The woman who cuts my hair is still wearing a mask and washing down the chair after I get up, but I am not required to wear a mask there. She does because she hasn’t gotten her vaccine yet. In general, most people I see around the area are maskless, and are probably unlikely to put the damned things back on.
I long ago started avoiding places with lots of people crowded in close proximity to each other. I don’t know if it is a reaction to having grown up in New York City and having spent so many hours packed into rush hour subways and buses, or just an outcome of years spent in the mountainous backcountry with few people around. Either way, I find any gathering of more than a few people uncomfortable. During my working years, I had no choice, although I did have the advantage of never having more than 10 students in any of my classes. I also avoided faculty meetings as often as I could. The last one I attended was so uncomfortable I went home and began planning my retirement.
I would suppose that my exceedingly good health over the last 8 years is largely due to avoiding contact with people as much as possible. So, not many changes are going to happen in the Post Covid era. I am, however, currently reading an interesting study of effects of disease on wars in American history. It has given a real perspective on the absurdity of the reaction to this most recent outbreak. I just finished the section on the Revolutionary War. The books claims that there were around 30,000 deaths of American soldiers, two thirds of which were due to disease. An additional estimated 100, 000 civilians died during the conflict from disease. Given the population at the time, that was pretty devastating. It gives real perspective.
Our government “cheated” on us (and by “government“ I mean all of the institutions that seek to control our hearts, minds, and beings) and we will never see that relationship in the same way again.
Not to digress too far, but an odd thing I am seeing lately is unmasked moms, ages around 25-35 with all of their kids masked. What in the world is up with that? The last one I saw had four kids in Costdo, very well behaved with one of the older kids pushing alone of the strollers. Even the little ones in the strollers were masked.
The same weird thing was evident at this White House event. (Where Gropey Joe sniffed a kid again.) All adults unmasked, the token children present, masked-up.
Maskhausen Syndrome By Proxy?
I just can’t think of a reasonable explanation.
They would likely say that the adults are vaccinated, but since the children are too young, they “must” wear masks. Which ignores the ineffectiveness of masks, and the unlikelihood of children getting or passing the virus…
I do not like relying on Amazon for my shopping needs, but this school year shopping, alternatives have failed.
Wal mart shelves are empty. Ordering online is met with long delays. I could not find Duncan Hines Good Morning blueberry muffins that I used to make for my kids as an after school snack.
It seems so arbitrary and silly, but I find myself resigning to either doing without or making extra effort to have the same things we had before. I refuse to turn to Amazon for shopping.
Things are different in shallow ways. But perhaps it’ll be good for us.
I don’t really go out much anyway, and the main change I’ve made over the past year and a half is moving out of Arizona, but that was mostly because I needed more space for my hobbies and a place became available that I could afford.
I’m also out of the “hot zone” where it might get up to 115 degrees or higher, and remain over 90 even at night. At my new place, temps over 90 are fairly rare, so even if the AC goes out and I can’t get it fixed quickly, it’s not life-threatening.
Now that I have more space, I’ve been stockpiling more groceries and stuff than I had before, partly because I didn’t have room for it before and partly because it was a lot easier for me to get to places like Walmart than it is now.
Last year during the first TP shortage, I was I guess fortunate in having enough available to get through the initial empty shelves. And then, since it was just me, I didn’t need to get as much as a family would, especially with girls who seem to have a unique ability to “consume mass quantities” (for Conehead fans) of TP. At my new place, I’ve so far accumulated 11 32-pack double-rolls of Homeline, a/the store brand of Family Dollar stores, and 7 12-pack double-rolls of Quilted Northern.
And via cleverness, I have a 2-year backup supply of the prescriptions that I take every day. Walmart pharmacies and an online pharmacy that I’d dealt with in the past, were both backordered for several months, earlier this year. The online pharmacy had alternate sources but that would have cost me $120 for one month, versus about $20 per month before, and $25 for 3 months’ worth if I get 3 months at a time instead of one.. I realized that I had to do something about that, for the future.
I still want to get a lot more canned food on the shelves, not even because I’m concerned about empty shelves but because Biden Inflation is already starting to bite. I’ve seen 10% price jumps on many things just over the past couple months. “Saving money” now by NOT buying canned food, etc, is basically foolish when prices are going up, and IF you get a “cost of living adjustment” that comes AFTER prices have gone up and you’ve already spent more than if you had bought the same things earlier.
Having cash on hand that is constantly losing value, is less useful than using it to buy the things you’re going to need anyway, eventually, while prices are lower. It goes farther now, than if you wait.