Pandemic Positives?

Having had my first vaccine jab yesterday morning, I spent some time last night thinking back over 2020/21 and wondering whether I'll come out of this pandemic with any kind of personal positives to reflect on.

To be honest, apart from a significantly improved financial situation, I couldn't think of anything. In truth, I don't really regard the money I've saved as a positive as it's only sitting in my account because life has been so bereft of excitement and entertainment during the last twelve months, and try as I might I couldn't think of any other positives. None at all.

So how about you? Is there anything you reckon you'll regard as a personal positive if and when we eventually exit the Covid-19 pandemic?

For instance, maybe you now have some new hobbies or pastimes? Perhaps you've gained some additional knowledge or learned new skills that you think will benefit you going forward? Maybe you've made some positive lifestyle changes? Perhaps things have changed for the better at work? Or maybe your entire outlook on life has altered in some respect?

All its done for me is make me realise how much I enjoy some of the things I used to complain about.

I coach a few teams and I'd moan about training, kids and their parents all the time. Now I can't wait to get back into it. Other than that its been crap.

My wife though has taken up walking and is doing 10-12k a day and seems to enjoy it.

The 2 positives that have happened to me is :-
1 my son has come out of his bedroom a lot more and socialised with me and the wife, watching films and sports downstairs with us.
2 I've reacquainted myself with a group of mates via zoom and the pub when they reopened that I hadn't really seen for a long while. Mainly watching the City before and after the games on zoom.

Apart from the financial side, I can't think of anything positive! To be honest, I'm staggered at the amount of money I've been able to save, and it really makes me wonder what on earth I had been spending it on. I would say I now do even less exercise than before (if that's possible), as I seem to have become more and more lazy as time went by.

The lack of traffic on the roads is a positive for me being a lorry driver. The A470 into Cardiff is now a doddle since the pandemic. Usually I'd be queueing up from Pontypridd in the rush hour. The A467 into Newport is now so easy too. No queueing from Rogerstone to the Tredegar Park roundabout, just straight through.

I used to work in an office of around 80 people - but these days it's possible I can be there by myself. In the last year, attendance has dwindled to around six people a day (and that's on a busy day). The rest work from home - and so are not driving to work.

Positives for me include becoming more proficient on my classical guitar, which I purchased from Gamlin's prior to this lockdown and taking up watercolour painting again, which I'd been meaning to do for the last few years.

My missus is a massively keen gardener so last year especially I had the time (and inclination) to help her transform the garden by doing the stuff she's physically incapable of doing. As the garden means more to her than I do, it has helped to lift her spirits too !

Realise I dont really need a gym membership.

Got my own garage kitted out , learned to jump rope pretty well and running outside in the fresh air is far better than getting cardio on a treadmill.

I dont know if I will go back and get a gym membership.

Finances are better but id rather be spending it at football , playing football , socialising , holidays etc.

Got my 1st jab on Tuesday. Really hope these vaccines are the beginning of the end of what has been a nightmare year.

I was able to spend a lot of time with my family. And do a lot to the house. Mostly small stuff, painting, cleaning, organizing etc. And a lot to the garden. I really got into gardening. I got a really good tan. I saved a bunch of money. And I realised that I don't really care about going out that much anymore. And I don't care about NYC anymore. I miss seeing bands, but I was just asking my wife if in May (when we will be at the post two weeks fully vaccinated) would she go to a show if one of her favorite bands were playing and she said no. I feel the same way. I probably won't be in a rush to go to a bar anytime soon either. Although we did go out to dinner the other night. (at 5pm) I suppose my biggest takeaway from the whole thing is that I am content.

Working from home so no commute and a better work/life balance.

Walking/running instead of the gym, loved it.

Seeing my family more.

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Originally Posted by valleys caveman

The lack of traffic on the roads is a positive for me being a lorry driver. The A470 into Cardiff is now a doddle since the pandemic. Usually I'd be queueing up from Pontypridd in the rush hour. The A467 into Newport is now so easy too. No queueing from Rogerstone to the Tredegar Park roundabout, just straight through.

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Same here. My daily commute from Barry to Cardiff used to take 45 mins, always gridlock through Dinas Powis and up to the lights by Barons Court. Now it's an easy 25 min trip.

As others have said, my work / life balance has changed hugely in a beneficial way. I don’t spend 15 hours a week in a car and as a result I’m saving around £75 a week in fuel. I talk to my mum a lot more and we’ve reconnected, even though it’s remotely. I’m also spending a lot more time with my dog, which helps me relax.

Even though I’ve had the virus which was horrendous for 10 days and affected my sense of smell for 4 or 5 months, overall it’s allowed me to become a better person, more tolerant and generally happier.

My wife and daughter both work front line in the NHS so seeing both of them coming through unscathed is the best outcome

Other than that it has given us an opportunity to do loads to the outside of the house which we have put off and it has really become an extension to our living area as the first thing we did is build an outside bar!

We've made our own fun at home including having a festival last summer as my son and his girlfriend were due to go to Glastonbury - a huge crowd of 4 people

I've saved loads of money but then spent it on the house and although I don't miss the commute can't wait to have a choice of going into the office

The one downside is not being able to see my daughter as she works in England - we've seen her about 4 times in the last year so that has been hard to deal with.

Overall really blessed to come through with little or no impact at the moment and created more memories as a family

Coming through it above ground and breathing........so far, fingers crossed

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Originally Posted by Nobody's Rep

My wife and daughter both work front line in the NHS so seeing both of them coming through unscathed is the best outcome

Overall really blessed to come through with little or no impact at the moment and created more memories as a family

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Great response and I applaud you & your family.

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Originally Posted by Harry Paget Flashman

My wife though has taken up walking and is doing 10-12k a day and seems to enjoy it.

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Will you ask her so we all know if she does or not?

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Originally Posted by Des Parrot

Great response and I applaud you & your family.

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Thanks for that - much appreciated

I thought it best to give up roast pangolin.

And it's made me think I should get on a more productive path so I suppose it depends how that turns out.

Family social events, completely cancelled due to the covid, and not having to see my racist in laws, who, within about 10 minutes, start complaining about foreign people. I've stayed away from them for long enough, this time it's permanent, the racist tossers.

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Originally Posted by Harry Paget Flashman

My wife though has taken up walking and is doing 10-12k a day and seems to enjoy it.

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How far away from home is she now? You do know there’s been restrictions :hehe:

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Originally Posted by splott parker

How far away from home is she now? You do know there’s been restrictions :hehe:

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:hehe: :hehe:

Garden revamped, daily walks (an hour during extreme lockdown but normally 3 hours), read loads more books and watched more classic films than normal, started to bake my own bread, seen most of the schedule-filler repeat documentaries (especially BBC4 art and science) that I missed when they first came out.

But the negatives outweigh the positives. Not seen my 89 year old mother in person for 7 months, postponed our civil partnership twice, getting too concerned with every shadow, crack and creak in the house (but proved right when the boiler packed up!) and missing friends and live events.

I am also among the 3% of the great British public who know what '2 metres' means, and have perfected my death stare for the other 97%!

Still got my job and saved plenty of £££ which is being spent on the garden.
Been shielding so coming through the past 12 months without catching covid is a huge relief, especially now that I've had 2 doses of vaccine.
On a wider level seeing many films being succesfully released straight to Netflix or Prime has been fantastic.
One other positive that seems to have gone under the radar is Nish Kumars Mash Report not getting another series. Hallelujah.

Done more exercise in 2 months than I have in 20 years. Got back driving again after over 10 years.

Realised what a great institution pub life was

Quite enjoyed home schooling but know they need to be in socialising etc, not really missed pubs but can see they are like an institution and good to have. I was probably the main organiser of getting together with my circle of mates, not so sure I can be arsed anymore....The wife decided to try and have a year off drinking pre pandemic jan 1st 2020, she’s still going now and loves it, also she now runs a marathon a week almost and is fitter and healthier than me for the first time ever!