As I’ve been working through the pandemic, I’ve surprised myself by how easily I acclimated to our new normal. I actually think that whenever my state begins to reopen (which could be months from now for all I know), it will feel extremely strange to sit in a restaurant or go to the gym for several hours or even sit in a movie theater. There are many people compiling little lists of “things that can stay” or “things which we can end permanently” post-lockdown, post-corona. This got a lot of attention this week:
Here's the ‘ditch’ list:
• Shaking hands and hugging.
• Buffets. Buffets are canceled.
• Unnecessary meetings.What else should we leave behind?https://t.co/qphjU6Oj78
— ZORA (@zoramag) April 22, 2020
Personally, I’m willing to fight about buffets. I love a good buffet. There aren’t enough buffets in the world. But I recognize that other people probably feel differently and that maybe there will be no more buffets? I’m personally willing to give up handshakes though, I just think we need something to replace it formally. I say: namaste prayer hands or a Japanese bow. Other things we can keep? I made a list!
Social distancing. I don’t mind social distancing? People stood too close to one another before this and it’s past time for everyone to develop a sense of personal space. Let’s keep social distancing.
The prevalence of takeouts. During the lockdown, I’ve enjoyed the availability of takeouts in my suburban area. Most restaurants offered take-out pre-pandemic, but most people dined in anyway. We need more takeout!
Takeout cocktails. I’m not ordering them, but I’ve seen that lots of people enjoy them, so let’s keep them!
Liquor stores as an essential business. I actually agree with that, even as a teetotaler.
Working from home. I’ve worked from home for years now. It’s strange to see so many people struggle with it only to realize, weeks in, that they actually enjoy it.
Exercising outside. Longtime gym-goer, longtime gym enthusiast. I love the controlled atmosphere of a gym, I love the temperature control and the ability to keep a monitor of my calories burned and miles walked or biked. But I’ve been walking and hiking outside during the pandemic and it’s better than fine. It’s really enjoyable. I might buy a bike. A real one, not a stationary one.
What else can we keep and what should we ditch permanently?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Jorts must die forever.
lol!!!!
No! I love a good pair of jorts! 😂 I’m for real.
Haha. My first thought was how much i love that outfit. *shrug* buttondowns are underrated.
lol
Oh takeout cocktails, yes! The one big silver lining to come out of all this for me. I’ve always wanted takeout cocktails.
For ditching, handshaking is the big one for me. God it’s always made me cringe and feel gross. So many wet hands. Ugh.
I want to go back to movies and dining out. But I don’t know when we’ll get there, and I don’t think it’ll be soon. So much of this makes me very sad. I’ve always been a big outdoor exercise enthusiast. When I was younger I ran five miles every day, unless I was sick, or the weather was really really bad. Since about 40, I switched to cycling and I love it so much. I am hitting the bike trail May 1, presuming Cuomo doesn’t close the state parks, which I don’t think he will. If there is one big thing you can do for your mental health, if you are able, it’s outdoor exercise. There’s nothing like it.
take out cocktails lead to drunk driving. I think these need to be the first to go.
Really? I think the opposite. sitting at a bar drinking leads to drunk driving. Take out is for taking home. It’s perfect really.
Carey I would argue it’s literally the opposite. Instead of people having a bunch of cocktails and driving themselves home, they pick up cocktails to have at home. I would think it would decrease drunk driving, not increase.
Please note: for the most part they aren’t giving you a to go cup with a cocktail- they’re giving you a small bottle of liquor and a sealed container (like a gallon jug) of the mixer. So you can’t exactly shake up a cocktail in your car and drink it.
I haven’t been drinking anything but coffee so far but I do need to visit my optometrist for new glasses when it becomes possible. I thought you wrote “talking cockatiels ” . Oh boy I really do need new reading glasses!
Yes, Darla I thought the same thing. Take home cocktails DECREASE, not increase, drunk driving. What’s mostly being sold here is pitchers of pre-mixed cocktails, growlers of beer or a cocktail set-up (bottle of vodka, housemate Bloody Mary mix and celery sticks, for e.g.). Not a big cocktail person, but it’s a fun idea, and the kind of thing I wouldn’t mind sticking around. We have got in on some local restaurants offering family-style takeout and/or cook-at-home meals, where all the ingredients are delivered pre-prepped and ready to go. Those are both nice services I’d like to see continue. I know some form of those things has always existed (for instance we’d previously done it at vacation resorts), but having them more local and ubiquitous and continuing beyond quarantine would be nice.
How about mobile bars ala food carts. Drive up and down the street and have people walk up, get their drink(s) and go home. Like an ice cream truck for grown ups.
@Linda – you are a genius! Adult ice cream trucks (though I also love the ice cream truck. This adult will take both truck types please)
My husband has been slowly carving out some really basic mountain bike trails on our property. We really have nothing in the way of mountains around here haha, so it’s really just a slightly hilly area of woods and him building little technical challenges. I have my bike on a trainer, but I’m really just a beginner so I feel like trash when I bike still lol.
I second the takeout cocktails! That was something they just started letting businesses around here do and I hope it stays.
That sounds so cool Erinn!
What a neat idea! What kind of trainer mechanism do you use?
Liquor delivery too!
I lived in new orleans and couldn’t believe how liberal they were with ‘go cups’. I was on a date and the waiter asked if i wanted a go cup for a drink i didnt finish at dinner. i said oh its alcoholic and he was like yeah so? Do you want one? We walked around the french quarter drinking as the sun went down, it was great. The best part of the date frankly lol
Drive through margarita places. You just had to have it sealed and in the backseat not the front and it was legal. New orleans and vegas are both more liberal with laws for alcohol than i was used to.
Ditch: hand shaking, movies (stopped going years ago). Exercising outdoors could be problematic year round because I live in Canada (lots of snow where I am)
Buffets have always been cancelled lol.
Buffets will need to change.
Yep; the way they changed it at my work dining hall was to have a mandatory hand washing station before you came in the door, then everything was served to you. No more self-serve stations.
Perhaps they’d be ok if the proprietors adopted what our supermarkets and some other businesses are doing. That is, a staff member greets the customer and dispenses hand sanitiser to everyone, as a condition of entry to that business. Of course, you’ve still got the problem of people going to the loo during their meal and not washing their hands. Some people will always be grubs.
Absolutely. One of the worst clusters here came from a birthday party, where I’m sure people were serving themselves from big party trays.
I’m with Kaiser, I enjoy a good quality buffet, and Mr. IMUCU LOVES them (he has “hollow legs” and can eat for days (-; ). He will be heartbroken if they totally go away, but buffets will DEFINITELY need an overhaul before they can reopen. I can’t even imagine wanting to go to one right now or for quite awhile!
Yeah, buffet restaurants are gross. Always have been, always will be. I’m not (usually) a germaphobe, and will occasionally eat at a higher-end salad bar, sans other options, but that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of how unsanitary it probably is the whole time, because I am. Also, food just sitting out is probably the worst possible serving method in terms of quality.
Now, home buffets (like for big holiday meals), or at parties where you know all the attendees, don’t bother me at all. Yes, the potential for grossness definitely still exists, but it at least FEELS mitigated by the fact that you all know one another. The same way I’d eat ice cream from my kid’s cone and not a stranger’s, even though I know my kids aren’t exactly bastions of ideal hygiene.
I’ve only been to one buffet in years and it’s the local chinese food buffet. The staff is always cleaning the food areas, they change the food out often, keep an eye on people as they take food (so if they notice something gross happening they go remove the food or utensils right away) and have sneeze guards. The food is delicious and always fresh. I really hope they make it through this!
Buffets are so gross.
Dips will have to go to. Too many double dippers in this world. If I serve salsa or hummus at a party everyone will be getting their own little plate.
Yes. Buffets are gross. There were many jokes about buffets in my microbiology classes in undergrads, I avoid them as much as possible.
While I like the practicality of takeouts, it’s not a good sustainable option in the long run. Even if the containers can be recycled or composted, it’s still not ideal. Also the delivery people aren’t well paid, just like all the other gig “employees”. Sit down restaurants are probably the best option overall
You can monitor calories burned and distances traveled with a FitBit. Sadly, it doesn’t help with temperature control.
I’m keeping the mask during allergy season. I don’t usually wear it when walking my dog but think I’m going to start. This allergy season has been relentless and I’m not taking Flonaise because it is steroid based and tamps down the immune season.
Not a chance I will go to a movie or a dine in restaurant until there is a vaccine available.
I use the free version of the RunKeeper app and pretty awesome. I’d recommend trying that too.
I noticed a difference walking outside with my mask vs no mask too.
Yesterday I made the mistake of smelling some lilacs blooming in my yard, and today my allergies are SO. BAD. Usually spring isn’t so terrible for me, but wow, this one has been brutal.
The mask when outside for allergies is a great idea! I normally don’t have any problems with the pollen, but this year it’s been out of control and I always feel a bit stuffy for a few hours after walking my dog. I’m definitely going to try the mask for walks, thanks!
Theaters need to end. Release movies on demand and simply upcharge the rental fee.
It’s better to stay home and pay 20$ or even 30 to rent that first run feature film instead of going out. The whole family can watch and they can watch more than once! And pause for potty breaks.
Also, airplanes need to not jam people so close, and provide disinfectants and work on improving ventilation. That’s not happening, so it’s not a keeper, just a change I’d like to see.
So I know you mean movie theaters, but what about performing arts—Broadway, plays, symphonies, ballet, and opera?
I only mean movie theaters. Other public fine arts, I’m okay with. I want a vaccine first though.
Not everyone has a spouse and a brood of children. Many of us enjoy the big screen experience and truly miss it. It’s a relatively inexpensive date, especially for people who aren’t of legal age to go to bars. Stay home in your tower and take all the potty breaks you want but let people who enjoy movies “the old fashioned way” do so.
This, totally. I’m a single parent and when my kids get dropped off with a relative the first thing I often do is go enjoy a movie by myself. Often at a matinee price of about $6. No way I’m paying $20 or $30 to watch a movie by myself in my own home.
“Not everyone has a spouse and a brood of children. ” – I know that, as I don’t have a spouse or kids.
“Many of us enjoy the big screen experience and truly miss it.” – you mean the experience of too loud soundtracks, sticky floors, germy everything, and people rudely making a bunch of noise to ruin your viewing?
“It’s a relatively inexpensive date, especially for people who aren’t of legal age to go to bars.” – no, it isn’t. Last time I went in early March before things got crazy, it was nearly 30 dollars, just for me, and I only got a matinee ticket, small popcorn, and small soda. Two for 20$ at Applebee’s is a cheaper date, and much cleaner, plus you can actually talk to your date.
“Stay home in your tower and take all the potty breaks you want”- who said stay home in your tower?
“but let people who enjoy movies “the old fashioned way” do so.”- I have literally no power to prevent anyone’s enjoyment of movie theaters and was simply saying what I thought could go (the topic of this post), and I’m concerned about how annoyed this made you, given I can’t actually make my wish come true; I’m not a genie.
Whatever- I get loving movie theater trips alone. I’m normally a great “go see a movie by yourself” person, but this pandemic has got me rethinking what types of crowds I need to be around. What crowds are worth it and not.
And I simply don’t think theaters are worth it anymore, not till a vaccine/cure. 20-30 dollars to watch a movie alone is worth avoiding the hospital. Theaters need to up their cleaning games, and work on social distancing measures.
Also, where are you watching a first run movie for 6 dollars? Cheapest matinee prices around me are 10$.
Yeah I live alone and I’m not paying $20+ to watch a movie on my smaller TV. There are some films that greatly benefit from the theater experience. Plus it’s fun to meet a bunch of friends there and see something together, we’re not all doing that in my den.
There’s a theater in my town that is awful – everything is old and broken and dirty and it’s always full of kids. I go an extra 20 minutes away to go to the nice theater – roomy reclining seats, very clean, rarely kids at the films I choose to see there.
Would I go now or in the next few weeks/months? Hell no. But someday, sure. I would think they’ll start with limited seating to keep people spaced apart.
Rapunzel, here in LA, AMC theaters have $6 Tues. first shows. BIG difference than the usual $16-20/per ticket for afternoons and evening shows.
It would be nice if you had the option to go to the theaters or purchase at home. I would gladly keep my kids home for all of you that would still like to go to the theater to see a movie. But I know my kids don’t want to miss out on the movie, they don’t care where they see it.
This might be a minority opinion, but I’m also on board with movie theaters vastly decreasing, and I think that’s already the way we’ve been moving towards for a while now, where it will mostly be blockbusters and art house films you can see in theaters, with everything else streaming. I think shortening the window between theatrical and at-home viewing—with some sort of “premium VOD” period in between—is where we’re headed.
Like, if you want to see the latest Star Wars/Marvel movie, you will still find it all over, but 3 weeks or so later (vs current 3 month window) you can rent it at home for $30 if you prefer. Honestly, wouldn’t mind losing the over-priced, sticky-floor theater experience in favor of options that offer more than just the movie—Alamo Drafhouse-style on the high end, or at least recliner theaters with chair-side service and IMAX screens at the chains.
For the most part, I already prefer to watch movies at home, partly because we’re lucky enough to have a very nice home media room. If I could have paid even $50 to watch, say, Endgame at home on opening night, with a glass of good wine and no crowds, I would have.
Saw an article from Matt Singer today about all he misses about going to the movie theater and I have to say…Pretty much everything he lists, except for maybe the sound and the screen size can be recreated at home, only better.
Even if you can’t afford a real home theater (which, I know, is out of reach for most), you CAN get some movie candy boxes, good popcorn with REAL butter, put your phone away and make a night of it, just as easily at home, usually in more comfortable (and far cleaner) surroundings.
We walked out of the last movie we went to see in early January.Stuffed in like sardines,people coughing and sniffling ,it was too hot.It felt like we were in an incubator.I’m not saying no to movies,but for a long time at least limited seating.
I couldn’t disagree more with this.
Movie theaters provide an experience no home viewing could and if you dislike it it’s fine, no one is making you go but don’t take other people’s pleasure and experience away just because it’s not for you. It’s selfish.
… And, no one is making you not go. Why is everyone acting like there’s pending legislation? These are just our personal ideas, it’s not that serious.
You don’t have a discount Tuesday by you? I have two theaters by my house that participate in that. One does a $5 the other a $1 all day ticket price. I would go during the day when everyone was at work.
This! If your theatre has discount days then it can be super cheap. My local one offers older movie re-runs, $5 days, and free popcorn on certain days. I used to go all the time while my husband worked during the day and miss it a ton
$20 is way too much. Why would I pay more to watch something on a much smaller screen where I have to provide the electricity to run the TV and pay for the internet and probably streaming service to access the movie. Plus, if I like popcorn and a drink with my movie, I still have to pay for those and make the popcorn. There’s a theater near me, in a decent sized city, where tickets are only $4 up until 4 or 5 o’clock, even on weekends.
If the price can be a little more reasonable, I could get behind having home rental as an option for those who don’t want to go to a theater. I also think drive ins should make a comeback, and theaters should change the way they operate a little (don’t cram as many people in a theater for one). If those three things are all an option, I think it would improve the movie watching/going experience a lot.
Drive-ins should make a comeback.
I d love for drive-ins or outdoor theaters to become a thing.
Ours has never left! They expanded to 2 screens awhile back too. But I wouldn’t want to go in to get concessions or use the bathroom with all that’s going on. Come to think about it, I didn’t want to before either! Lol!
But the mosquitos!
My kids love going to the movies. Especially with the reserved seats. I’m actually for any entertainment movie, theater, dance that gets my kids always from sitting alone on an iPad.
I would love to keep FT telework. In normal times I telework 3 days a week, and I think this has proven that we can telework FT in my agency and still reach/exceed our goals.
I would love to keep takeout cocktails/alcohol. I don’t drink liquor really and one of the reasons I don’t is bc I think its an investment at home – i’m not sure what I like so I don’t want to spend the money on 3 different types of liquor to make one specific drink that I end up not liking anyway. And sometimes its just fun to order a specific drink that goes with your meal. I don’t think it would take away from sit-down business – I never think “I want carry out, but I want a drink, so we’ll go eat in the restaurant.” I just think “I’ll stop at the liquor store and get a bottle of wine.”
I would love for all the outdoor time to continue – walks, hikes, etc. This has been a very stressful time but there’s been a weird sort of calm to it for me, because we aren’t doing activities on the weekends. There’s no soccer, no baseball, no scouts. So we have lots of time for longer walks, playing outside, climbing trees, etc.
Can I be cranky. I do not like WFH. My home is my sanctuary and I don’t like having to bring my work life there. I have an open floor plan so I have to worry about people being quiet and not walking through when I’m in any one of these thousands of zoom meeting. And it’s exhausting to just have to sit there looking at the screen through meeting after meeting. In an in person meeting not everyone is look at everyone else at all times, so you can read your phone or do something else low key, now you can’t because they want you to have video on and you have to be looking at the screen like a Brady Bunch intro. And it’s not cut down the number of meetings for me, it’s made people for my work think everything merits a zoom meeting.
Yes, thank you. So many people seem okay with it and it’s not that I hate it. It’s fine. Sometimes. And perfectly okay right now because it’s just necessary. But I like many of my colleagues, I like that I can just ask someone passing by my office for advice. I hate that even when I turn off the computer, it’s still right THERE. I also live alone and generally don’t have meetings so it gets really weird.
I like takeout but I think many places make most of their money from drinks etc. So if we want them to stay open, we should go sit down once in a while.
I don’t like working from home, either. I know many people benefit from it and hope they can continue, but I managed the commute issue by renting an apartment near my office rather than living in a house further away. As a consequence, my trade has been giving up my 10 minute drive and gaining a home cluttered with paperwork. I liked that I was able to leave my work at work and hope I can return to that arrangement.
If you own a home and also rent one then you could just turn the rental into an office space for yourself. It’s the best of both worlds… That would be a dream scenario for me!!!
I like having the option, especially when I’m not feeling well or have someone coming to the house for something, but yeah, I do better in an office. I’m unfocused here, and the lack of separation of work and home is tough. Because I’m unfocused, I end up working “off” hours too. My coworkers, especially those with kids, are doing the same, so there’s a lot of messages and calls and stuff in the evenings and weekends too.
I do think our clients are going to opt for more virtual meetings though, which is a good thing.
But I’m on board with no hand shaking, no people in my personal space, and a refocus on loved ones.
I am with you 100%!! Of course, I am a science teacher, and this isn’t ideal for my students. Virtual labs are a weak replacement for my classroom labs. I can’t stop worrying about the ones for whom school is an escape from their home life, they need their friends, and most of them need the structure being in a physical classroom provides. It takes a lot of maturity to learn for the sake of learning. It’s a big ask.
Oh — and I hate Zoom with the fiery passion of 1000 suns.
+1 teacher here. Home + teaching+ math+ two kids + pets and husband…..oy
I hate it too. I have a fairly big apartment for a single person (750 sq ft, 4 rooms), so I can have a “work area” and don’t have to care for children or pets: it should be easy for me to WFH but it’s not. I love going to work and I miss my colleagues, I miss having excuses to make cakes and cookies and bring most of it to work. I haven’t been able to work properly for the past month, I can’t focus, it sucks.
I’ve always been ok with a bit of WFH when I had to focus on a specific item (for instance, I wrote my master thesis at home and it went well) but full time?! Oh hell no!
For those of you with roommates and Zoommates, I suggest getting one of those headsets (mine came with my iPhone) that have a small microphone in the cord by your mouth. So useful.
My son and I live with my mom and stepdad, who are both working from home. The day-to-day of trying to keep him quiet while they are on the phone is exhausting, but on Monday I had a telehealth thing with my therapist. Trying to keep my 3 year old in my room, slightly quiet so as not to disturb my stepdad and trying to talk to my therapist?! It was a hot mess. It makes me thankful that I’m not working from home right now, I think we would all murder each other.
It is funny though because the other day I was successful in keeping my son mostly away from my stepdad as he worked, and that evening my stepdad complained about not seeing my son all day.
I agree. I find WFH hard, though I am getting the hang of it after a month or so. But the lack of clear work boundaries is definitely messing with my mental health – with late night emails, unexpected weekend work, random video chat meetings. I too treat my home as my sanctuary, as a very, VERY private space! One that I used to be able to just relax in and let down my hair. So it’s stressful to have to adjust and remember that I can’t do that as much, that I almost have to be on guard in case something comes up, and something usually does. I’m glad and lucky to have the work. But there are real pros and cons.
I used to be self employed and was mostly on the road (preschool speech pathologist) but you wouldn’t believe the paperwork. When my kids were grown, I went back to an agency and vowed that I was drawing a line between home and work and I stuck to it, even if it meant I was staying late sometimes. I’ve been partially furloughed to 14 hours a week, but work is right on my mind all of the time. And of course I am glad to be in touch with coworkers, parents, and eventually kids (when they figure out what platform we’re using for teletherapy) but I hate that work is right here all of the time.
Unnecessary meetings. A total waste of your life- that’s how strongly I feel about them
My experience so far is that unnecessary meetings have turned into unnecessary teleconferences.
Yup yup. I am in more meetings now than before COVID. I spend all freaking day on Zoom. But still that’s better than commuting on my crappy mass transit system so I’ll take it.
I hate homeoffice..lol….with 3 Kids not possible and i would miss my co-workers. Strange that you guys mention take out Cocktails and alcohol stores but this is probably an american Thing; most bars here in Bavaria offer to go Cocktails ( at least my favourite ones.) and you can get alcohol everywhere…I do miss the beergardens…sigh…. I like that local small buisness are doing well right now here..People buy more local products again.
For alcohol it varies by state. For example, I’m in Maryland and they only recently let us start getting alcohol delivered (like wine clubs and stuff) – maybe in the last 5 years? We have an “open container” law so you cant just walk around with a beer after leaving a restaurant. New Orleans lets you do that (maybe all of Louisiana, I’m not sure.)
I’m in MD too, becks. But it’s a good thing I’m
6 years sober or this quarantine may have killed me. I would be buying ALL the alcohol and probably be drunk 24/7.
I’ve never liked buffets, so those can definitely go lol. I’m also for handshaking to go away as well. I’ve been working from home for the past month and even though I miss going to the office some days, I really feel like this is going to become more common. Even if it’s just more ppl wfh a few days a week. There’s really no excuse not to at this point.
I don’t think I’ll feel comfortable going out to eat or to a bar until there is a vaccine honestly. And when we can start traveling again, I will be wearing a mask on a plane and on public transportation.
-Ditching the handshake. I used to work so many years for a Korean company and I’m totally comfortable with their bow salutation.
-Keeping social distance. I hate crowded places and I’ve been assaulted at a crowded public transportation. So let’s keep forever our personal space rights. It’s safer for everyone.
-I don’t like masks and they cause me eczema -so I hope we don’t have to use them again especially for environmental emergencies.
-I would like to keep the rest as I need my dose of socializing.
-I would like to keep the concern and care of our environment it’s way too important to overlook it and even in these times I’ve been making considerable efforts to reduce my consumption and waste levels. Working from home can be a good iniciative to reduce the traffic. I only hope everybody has access to fair conditions and a dedicated place to feel comfortable doing so everyday.
Eta: I accidentally made this a reply to the wrong comment. Sorry.
Keep the added pay that essential workers who normally make minimum wage have been getting. It will be cruel to take away that extra $2/hour or whatever from grocery workers. Keep the pay cuts that CEOs and people way up the corporate ladder have been taking. That way we can pay for the better wages for the front line hourly workers.
Keep the new laws that don’t let people have their water turned off for nonpayment. Keep the new debt forgiveness plans and sliding scale payments for utilities like water. Allow everyone who had their water turned back on to keep it! Keep the free internet for students who need it but whose families can’t afford it.
Ditch the current capitalist, for profit healthcare thing we have going on. My friend is a physician’s assistant who works in the emergency room at our hospital and has been helping treat Covid patients. He’s had to take a 10% paycut. Doctors are taking 20% paycut even though they’re working more hours, more dangerously, with less PPE because the hospital isn’t making money from those nonessential surgeries and other non emergency appointments to make the full payroll payments. How is that okay? These doctors, nurses, PAs, nurse practitioners are working during a pandemic and being forced to take paycuts.
Just move to Louisiana. We’ve had drive thru liquor stores, tobacco stores, and frozen daiquiri places for years! They actually had to start putting police at the liquor places here because people were hanging out drinking in the parking lots.
I’m down with no hand shaking as I work in a job where I have to do it A LOT. It’s gross.
#1 item to ditch is the Turd-in-Chief and all those in bed with him!!
I hope we keep disinfecting surfaces very regularly forever.
I miss hugging my friends and family, but I would permanently ban handshakes.
I love having an excuse not to go out when I don’t feel like it, so I hope we can continue to choose to social distance if we are not feeling well without having people hold it against us.
Hope we can keep Trump’s low approval rating into November but then completely get rid of him thereafter.
Amen to that! The best thing to come out of this would be to get rid of Trump, especially after his horrendous response to the pandemic. I’m planning to get rid of working, unless I can continue to work from home. Not going anywhere until there’s a cure or vaccine.
Yes to disinfecting and constant hand washing. People who wash their hands like twice a day gross me out. Go through that hand soap like it is your job!
I live in Switzerland and since this started we’ve stopped kissing people on the cheek in greeting. That is definitely a habit that I hope dies with this.
Same in London, France and Portugal. Nope to kissing, but yes to hugging. I love hugs.
things I like:
– working from home
– no commute!
– time to cook from scratch
– so much time with my kitties!
things I could lose:
– meetings
– shaking hands
– big events with tons of people
A big old YES to all this.
Big events with tons of people includes concerts and conferences and… No!!!! I can’t do without those.
So many of the shows I was supposed to attend this spring have been postponed and I’m looking forward to listen to live music again! It broke my heart to cancel plane tickets for a conference that won’t happen in June. I was hoping that maybe I’d be able to see some of my colleagues at a smaller conference in September but I doubt we’ll be able to travel to the US by then. Now all I have to hope is that next year’s conference in Brussels and, honestly, I’m gonna hug the hell out of so many of my buddies when I’ll finally get to see them!
I’ll keep the masks for allergy season or when I’m sick or whatever. We’ve all gotten used to seeing people in masks and it’ll never look/seem odd again.
I am kind of relieved about masks becoming more normalized. As someone with lupus who takes an immunosuppressant, I would occassionally wear one in crowded places, like on planes/in airports, etc. Often I’d get looked at like I had the plague, but I was just trying to protect myself from everyone else’s germs. Although on planes with first-come-first seating I usually wouldn’t get anyone sitting right next to me though, which was kinda nice, lol
Liquor stores as an essential service… You’d hate it here in South Africa. Alcohol sales were banned on the first day of lockdown. Then people started trying home brewing, so now brewer’s yeast has been banned as well.
They tried to close liquor stores here in Denver, it lasted two hours before being repealed and changed to an essential business
Keep all the improved air quality! Keep the active appreciation of people and services who have been unnoticed/under-appreciated for too long. Keep all the “foster” pets!
This x1000 – appreciation for all of the essential workers and recognition that the people making minimum wage and often working without healthcare benefits are the very people that almost all of us are relying on in huge ways during this pandemic.
What I like and will try to keep for my own self has been taking the time to garden for the first time ever, meditate more, ask my little kids what they would like to do today (instead of always having something on the schedule), more time cooking, even more time cleaning which has led to a more easily maintained and organized household for us to live out these long strange days in.
Something that can stay gone: giant kids birthday parties at loud, crowded venues. It’s been a relief not to have a kid birthday party every other weekend. Of course I want to celebrate with the kids in our lives who are close to us! But this idea where we need to be invited to every single kid in the class’s birthday… no. Done with it. Waste of time and energy and money. If I don’t even know the parents why do we need to celebrate? My kids have birthdays with their closest friends and relatives, often at home, and it’s more than enough.
I really miss the activities and classes for my toddler girl though. I miss her music classes and library story times and play dates. I’m very sad that she’s missing these things. I will be so glad when we can attend some enriching activity out of the house once again!
One of my coworkers has young kids and it’s birthday parties all the time! When I was a kid, everyone had a party at their house (or the roller skating rink LOL) and parents would drop all the kids off and pick them up at the end. It’s so odd to me that now all the parents go and stay the whole time.
Yes! No more huge kids’ birthday parties. I’m hoping that in general, people start spending more of their birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays at home with smaller more intimate gatherings. We don’t NEED to have super expensive birthday parties for toddlers that involve going to some indoor playground, renting out the party room, having 100 guests, multiple cakes, multiple outfit changes, professional photographers, and all kinds of vendors/add ons: temporary tattoos, face painting, blow up slide, slip and slide, make your own taco bar, whatever. Hopefully the expectation for birthday parties and other celebrations can be taken down a few notches. Also weddings can be smaller and more intimate and less expensive. Not everything needs to be a huge over the top affair.
Keep: buy local, and buy from small businesses; know and take care of your neighbors.
I’m extremely lucky to live in a community where we have a “grocery store” that stocks only from local farms, bakeries, etc. and that gives the farms 75% of the proceeds from sales. That percentage is unheard of (it’s usually 15-20%) and supports people right in our backyard. Lots of people newly discovered this option.
And lots of neighbors have stepped up to run errands for those who have no car and can’t take the bus, elderly, single parents who don’t want to take the kids to the store, families with frontline workers, etc. And folks are rallying around local businesses to help them survive.
Know where your hard-earned money is going. I’m tired of supporting multi-million paychecks for CEOs and now am trying to spend where someone I know is working hard to support a family and support others in the coomunity.
Wow, that sounds awesome. I know it’s a sign of some not insignificant degree of privilege the we even have the option, but we’ve long purchased from local farmers for meat and veg (we are members of a CSA), and it’s interesting to see how many of our neighbors are now also interested, so hope they keep it up after this is over. It’s better for the animals, the environment and the people and, bonus, it tastes better, too. It does cost a bit more, but we just eat less meat and it’s mostly a wash. (But, again, do know I’m speaking from a place of financial privilege to have that option.)
Not having to worry about things like industrial egg and meat-packing plants during this time is a real blessing. Feel very lucky.
I would LOVE to see more people, more often, working from home. If it is possible and it saves SO MUCH gas and burning of fossil fuels …. why not? We are in The Sixth Extinction for cripes sake. It seems like a no brainer.
Kaiser, I love that you want to get a bike! I love that this might make people walk and go outside more. That is a super fun thing to keep from this. I have been outside a lot also, fresh air, there is nothing like fresh air.
I would love to keep the slower pace. I am an introvert. This pace, this pace is for me. I run at Pandemic speed. But I would like to say, I know Pandemic speed for many means work is even tougher and perhaps scary. I know this feeling so much has to do with the luck of the draw.
Oh my god, you sound like my husband and me!
Pandemic pace is our pace too.
Also very keen to regulate pollution.
I am sorry but I need to travel for work, but my neighbour does not need to go for the second time to Costa Rica and stay at a very polluting resort.
We need to stop this imperialistic way of tourism and use of free time. If anything this pandemic teaches that we need even less than we thought. Kaiser you’re right we don’t really need gyms.
Hop on a train somewhere and go to the beach or the lake feels like luxury now to everyone (always did to me).
Also wish I did less travelling for work to be honest and I am working on it.
We’re also fortunate enough to be able to stay home and have loved the slower pace. We hear more birdsong in our yard now and all the kids out riding bikes remind me of growing up in a small town. I loved seeing the pictures of smog free cities. I also want to keep the immense respect for expertise and science and healthcare workers.
The new pace of life suits me SO well. I honestly don’t know if I can go back to 3-5 kids soccer games every weekend, a calendar so full that it takes a summit meeting every morning to tackle it, and the constant scramble to carve out time for stuff we love, like hiking and camping and popping over to the beach for the day. I also do NOT miss the constant worrying about where my teens were and what they were up to.
I don’t want to minimize what others are going through. I know this is a horrific time for so many. And I really miss seeing my friends and traveling and haircuts. But I’ve adjusted to our new normal REALLY fast.
We have season tickets to our women’s soccer league team, and I’m not sure when I’ll ever feel comfortable going back to the stadium with 20,000 people! So I’m wondering how live events — sports, music, etc. — are going to fare when this is over.
Keep:
CONTACTLESS delivery!
Wfh
Online school-I’m probably in the minority here, but I’ve been preaching for years to anyone who’d listen that our school system is antiquated. We need to take the time to come up with something better than we’ve been thrown into, but don’t go back to cramming our kids into buildings together where they are sitting ducks for bullies, gunmen, and now for virus spreading. It is not a good system for learning regardless of health and safety.
Let go:
Bra and make up expectations for women
Crowds of any kind
Jen, I teach university and most students, by their own words, hate the online system. And this is a program where all classes were actually held using Zoom so as interactive as possible given the circumstances.
They say they have trouble concentrating, are way less motivated and don’t understand things as easily as they did in person.
And this comes from almost adults, who understand why learning is important and mostly want to be where they are. How do you think little kids will adjust? What type of responsibility can you expect from a 7yo or a 12yo who would rather play than do schoolwork any day?
School is about much more than just completing assignments. Socialization, for better or worse, is a big part of what kids learn in traditional school environments. While a few excel with online classes, for the majority of students, in-person instruction is vastly more beneficial, in more ways than one.
Plenty of statistics to back me up on the above, but from a personal perspective, the online education my middle schooler is receiving is…Not impressive. (My other two are in elementary school—pre-K and 3rd grade—and here all their assignments are optional, so it’s really more busywork than schoolwork.) My oldest is no genius, but he’s bright and gets good grades, and he’s currently finishing his “school day” in well under an hour. I’m not complaining about the teachers or school system who are just doing the best they can during this time, but no way that’s a sustainable option. I can see he’s not learning what he needs to. I’m not panicking because it’s temporary, but if it wasn’t…
I also work in a university system and online classes are, generally, terrible for our students. Poor participation, work has suffered and both teachers and students are upset that this isn’t what the signed up for. We’ve had a huge amount of kids reaching out for guidance we just aren’t equipped to provide, both academically and emotionally.
Oof. Living with a teacher and three students, I’m not sure I can get on board with this. My husband is embracing online school with gusto, but he’s super frustrated with not having that in-person contact with his kiddos. He teaches math and science, and while the math classes are generally OK, science is challenging to do online. And my kids like having more free time, but they’re desperate to get back to the energy and dynamism that school provides.
I work in higher ed libraries and have been working some shifts checking out laptops to students over the past month while campus is on a defacto lockdown. Almost all of the students I’ve helped are very appreciative of the small service that is being provided. Most are just trying to get through the end of the semester and being the guinea pigs for online education and content delivery. They seem to be in good spirits, but miss being on campus, collaborating with their classmates, and having access to campus rec facilities, libraries, and computer labs. I’m sure there are also those who miss going to bars. I’ve answered questions that are both library related and non-library related from students.
That being said, my impression is that most are understanding of why the switch to online instruction had to happen, but don’t want it to become permanent. They and/or their parents are paying a lot of money for them to get an education, which includes in person classes, access to libraries, computer labs, and campus rec facilities, the whole college academic experience. If instruction stays online in the fall, some may opt to take the semester off and return once in person classes resume. Campus did refund housing and dining to those students who were in on campus housing, but did not refund any student fees. Those cover access to campus health services, which is operating with a bare bones staff, campus rec facilities, a bus pass, libraries, etc.
The reality is that most US universities will resume in person instruction in the fall. Most have taken a significant financial hit from just one half of the spring semester. Cost saving measures including suspending construction projects, some of the higher ups taking pay cuts, salary freezes, hiring freezes, offering buyouts to staff at retirement age, and furloughs.
I’ve accepted that I’ll be taking one unpaid day a month off for the next year, and I’m not happy about it. I have a work from home arrangement and am working on campus for a couple days a week because I was over working from home after less than a week. I cut back to going in one day a week this week and going forward because I realized that I was being taken advantage of. I’m in one day a week to check in on the space I work in and get some work done, but I won’t do work for other parties now. I do work that benefits my immediate unit and that’s it.
I’m expecting to be back on campus, at least a couple days a week sometime in May, even before our extended safe at home ends. I know at least two other coworkers will be back for various reasons. One misses working in her office and the other realizes that he has a project that was supposed to be completed nearly 6 months ago to finish up. The upside is that it will be staff only, so I can wear casual clothes and listen to music and podcasts while working.
I agree with your list, but I’d love to add online/curbside pickup for groceries and stores. It’s been so nice to have fewer people in stores.
I agree with moving to telework full time, doing more to keep our distance from one another, but I wholeheartedly believe this will go a long way towards people having better hygiene habits. Washing hands, sneezing properly, even staying home when sick. Before the plague hit, my office would occasionally send me to help the general public. Every one means well, I know, but it always freaked me out when people would try to hug me or shake my hands after I met with them. People have poor hygiene, very poor, and I saw that first hand before we were sent home to work. You can’t even argue that there are cultural differences that lend to poor hygiene. A bunch of becky’s and Mark’s were just as unsanitary, if not more so, than others from different cultural backgrounds. We needed to do better before this happened with being a cleaner society. Im hopeful this has changed the way people think about hygiene going forward permanently.
A lot of the bigger supermarkets here had online ordering and pick up or delivery before this, and it was a game changer for some, especially my friend who is the sole caretaker of a parent with dementia, who can’t just leave to run to the store anymore.
I’m liking it now too, I can plan out what I need, and there’s no impulse buying, and I don’t have to walk through the bakery to get to produce!
I am using my car less and walking and riding my bike more. Brought a big basket for the bike. So I am definitely using my car less, even if gas has gotten really cheap.
Ditch the handshake forever!
Keep working from home a permanent option (at least a few days a week) for better air quality/less traffic, less money spent on fuel & work clothes.
Has anyone been watching movies and TV shows from before the lockdown and gasping at all the over-touching (?), kissing, licking, unsanitary behavior we (not I, my family is British lol) engaged in before this? It’s amazing this didn’t happen sooner! Keep the space, hand washing etc..
Yes! I’ve been watching shows horrified that so many people are so close together until I realize that I’m seeing the world and everything in it through pandemic lens and that there is no pandemic happening in this movie or tv show. It’s funny though how quickly social distancing has become the new normal and become such a high priority that’s constantly on everyone’s minds.
@Amy and @Hilary I’ve been doing the same! Old movies, whatever: every time I see people close to each other, I’m like, six feet, six feet! lolz
Ditch:
-shaking hands
– meetings that could be emails
– buffets
Keep:
– curbside pickup for well….anything.
– masks for when you’re sick
– not being expected to go to work when you’re sick.
– working from home (not every day, maybe 2 – 3 times a week)
– social distancing in general.
About not going to work (or school) when you’re sick: I’d also like to keep the longer “quarantine”/incubation period thinking that we have going on. Like it should be okay and normal and encouraged to take more than one day off of work or school when you’re sick because most illnesses take a few days at least to get over or to stop being contagious. I like that if you’ve been sick or had a fever right now you have to be symptom free for 3 days before you’re allowed to go back to work and it needs to have been at least a full week or ten days since you became ill. People should be allowed to take more than one sick day in a row.
Totally agree with all of the above, and would add cruises (at least the mega liners) to the “ditch” list. Curbside pickup should be way more ubiquitous for everything, and easier to access, too. (It’s often still limited by address here, which makes no sense given it’s a pickup, not delivery option.)
The ability to get things delivered outside of major urban centers is also something I’d like to see stay post-pandemic, as well as contactless options. Lots of reasons that people don’t want to greet the pizza guy, but instead would rather get a text that it’s outside your door, namely if you’re not feeling well, or don’t feel safe answering the door to let someone know you’re home alone.
Also, as a woman who loved a good cruise, those things need to be cancelled. Is anyone else looking forward to all of the great benefits (is. Free checked bags, more space, no change flight fees) that the airlines are going to provide “the people” for bailing them out, yet again. 🤣
Cruises have long been canceled, imo. But I love travel otherwise, and hope that it can happen again, soon. I’m waiting for a vaccine or confirmation I have antibodies though.
I also loved cruises, but I’m out now too.
We can keep masks.
I live within walking distance of the main entertainment/dining/local shopping district in my city, but a lot of the restaurants/pubs were not delivery or carry out. Now they are, plus the carry out cocktails that DeWine started allowing a couple of weeks ago. I’m hoping that those options stay for these restuarants, even as restrictions are lifted. They might realize they have to, since there’ll be people who won’t go back to restaurants until we’ve got a vaccine/truly widespread testing, etc.
I understand why people want to keep masks but strictly from a person who is hearing impaired it is a nightmare. I need to see a persons mouth to understand what people are saying. The future is bleak for lip readers.
There are masks that have a clear panel for lip reading! Not very many yet but some folks are making them.
I despise working from home, and I hope that we embrace giving people more options, but not a switch.
I’ve noticed that people have been vocally appreciative of nurses, teachers, grocery store workers, and daycare providers. I hope that continues too, including people supporting them when they ask for higher wages.
On a personal note, the group chat I’ve been having with my mother and sister during the pandemic is the most I’ve talked to my sister since we were kids, and it’d be nice to keep that up.
I’d love to see curbside pickup continue as well.
This is such a great comment. I don’t mind working from home but wouldn’t all the time (even with my two hour commute), but this has proven it’s a viable model, and I hope the option to choose remains!
Agree with everything else too – I’ve spoken to all my friends and family so much more and it’s been just lovely.
The other thing I’d like to see stay, to some extend, is the change of pace. Without all the commitments of being here, there, and everywhere it is so much more relaxing, without any underlying feelings of guilt.
I want streets (in areas with very few parks) to remain closed to (vehicular) traffic and make cities more bike and pedestrian friendly. It’s been so great seeing kids on bikes on the street and seeing fewer cars!
@zantasia. At one time I would have agreed. Now I think limiting traffic is an option vs no traffic. Often disabled people can’t manage areas like this and say need to be dropped at their destination. Some good things have come from this pandemic but in many ways people with disabilities have had a more difficult time…and life was already often challenging
In my job I have the ability to work from home and before this would only go into the office maybe twice a week so WFH is not a big deal for me. I like having the flexibility and I think if kids were in school parents would enjoy WFH more.
I definitely think we should keep masks when people feel unwell. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in public seeing ppl cough and sneeze and all I think about is how they’re spreading their germs around. Wether it’s COVID or a cold people should be doing their best to protect those around them.
-Handshakes can definitely go.
-Keep buffets. I like them – especially when you dine with a group of people all ages – there’s something for everyone.
-Lose the masks. I hate them. It makes me claustrophobic and I can’t breath.
-We need sick time with pay. No one should go to work if they are sick.
– Keep the pay raises for essential workers. Most businesses made only temporary increases. These people deserve to keep the increased wage. They really got screwed in all of this.
– Going along with the last note – lose the 600 extra a week for only those on unemployment. Give it to everyone 18 and up – middle class or less – until the end of July.
I want people to be able to stay home when they are sick whether from school or work,without people judging them for missing too much work or whatever and PAY people who have to call off sick .
And no more handshakes.
I hope people continue to wash their damn hands or use sanitizer more often. A lot of people are damn gross. Hopefully all the new info some people have learned from Covid-19 can be used for next year’s flu season. I just can’t believe how as a society we thought it was perfectly fine for the flu (which can be deadly) to circulate without anyone taking precautions to help protect the vulnerable. You should know better now !
Ditch forever:
1. An occupied middle seat on the airplane
2. Cramped airplane seating and reconfigurations done over the years to squeeze in more and more rows and seating.
YES. And messy and chaotic check-in and waiting.
Here in Michigan we have drive thru marijuana dispensaries now with the pandemic. If you would have told me 10 years ago that would be a thing, I would not have believed you! But I wouldn’t mind keeping that one.
Ditch forever:
Store aisle end caps and extra displays that make the aisles cramped and force people to be squished. It has been so nice to not have to be right up on strangers in the stores. I hope it stays that way forever.
Online learning for kindergarten. This is SO NOT working.
Keep:
– working from home
-flexible workdays
– sanitizing grocery carts
– people in western culture being more comfortable with wearing masks
– physical distancing with strangers
– recognizing (and paying accordingly) essential workers
– the expectation that governments can work virtually when possible. Instead of having everyone travelling and spending thousands of dollars on flights and hotels have virtual meetings
Do away with
– handshakes
– underwire bras
I will never be comfortable wearing a mask. I will wear it, but I will always hate it.
The liquor thing: Okay, it depends on the state and even the county or city.
There are places around here that will make you a large, delicious margarita to go that looks like a slushy from Sonic.
I’ve seen people carry out a 4-pack.
Many sip on their way somewhere else but what I don’t get is the open container laws.
Those are open containers and usually within reach.
We can’t have a bottle of wine that’s been cracked unless it’s in the trunk. I don’t know. As long as you don’t get caught, I guess, but I could have about 8 big margaritas in cup holders in my car.
Liquor stores. I’m a partner in one. I’m surprised we were determined to be essential.
I’m happy but surprised.
You can’t go to a dentist around here unless it’s an emergency and good luck getting in.
When the essential list first came out, I said I thought the only reason for liquor stores to stay open would be due to withdrawal cases. Well, some time later, the Gov of, I think, NJ said that was the reason.
He said 1/4 million people are hospitalized with withdrawal each year and some 8,000 or so die and no one has time for that.
Jeez but I feel kind of bad about being open when every other biz around us is closed except for the grocery store and an Asian food place that does curbside.
Keep:
-Curbside. Love it. Some restaurants around here are staying in business doing that.
-NO HUGGING. In fact, no touching. I hate when people hug me or touch me. I barely know them or don’t know them at all and they stand too close.
“See this right here? (Motions circle around torso.) This is my bubble. Stay out of it.”
I still have customers standing too close, like, really close and I’m stepping back and they step forward and I step back and they step forward.
I finally said to a lady, “I’m trying to give YOU space. I’m not trying to dance with you.”
I was wearing a mask and she wasn’t and she said, “Oh! Ha ha! I forget about that distance thing!” Ass.
-Cleaning. My men always called me a germ freak because I’ve always wiped things down with Clorox wipes and rubbing alcohol and scrubbed our little bathroom and used Lysol spray and all. Now, they are removing germs more than I am. I like it.
-Less traffic. I think more people are going to work from home. I heard some CEO ask the other day about a high rise in Denver, “Why should I pay 10,000. per month for the first floor of this place when my people are doing fine working from home?”
Lose:
-The masks. I hate them.
-Unemployment and shortened hours for stores although I understand the reasons.
–Okay, how is it my liquor store is open but I went to the STATE Emissions Testing station because I need to renew my tags and all of them are closed?
You have to go online and request an extension and it’s a cluster.
-Shortages of stuff like t.p.
See, we’ve always stockpiled supplies in case of emergency. We’ve lived with tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, hurricanes and so on, so, shortages haven’t really affected us yet and as a KEEP, I think more people will start grabbing an extra pack of t.p. , water, or few canned goods each time they go to the store and a full propane tank in case the grill is your only source for cooking. That’s good.
I think that’s it.
I work from home, no issue in travel. I live in the mountains in CA, winter months we’re often indoors due to the cold weather. In the next few weeks, due to warmer days, I’ll be hiking.
I’m a Neighborhood Watch captain in my community and I have missed meeting new neighbors and an annual meeting we have, Coffee with a Cop, which includes a sheriff’s officer, fire department captain and a CHP, (California Highway Patrol), officer.
Since I have comments about several of the topics listed above, I’ll just respond here in one post.
ONLINE SCHOOL: Not everyone has access to computers. One of my friends is a teacher in a poor school district. Some of her students have parents who have been deported, others live in their cars, others with family friends. She is trying to teach online and feels really badly for those with no access to this online learning.
WORKING FROM HOME: It has its pros and cons. My future SIL works in tech for a company with 1500 employees. His department is considered essential and he says that only half the people in the department are actually working, shouldering the responsibility for the other half who are just plain goofing off. It’s unfair. He’s incredibly conscientious but sadly not everyone else is. He’s not about to rat them out. If you work for yourself, yes, I can see it. If you’re part of a group in this kind of situation, it’s not so good.
EATING OUT: I used to love Souplantation (the only buffet I ate in). Won’t be going there again. In fact, I used to LOVE eating out. I haven’t eaten anything not prepared by myself or my husband in 6 weeks.
HANDSHAKES: Please for the love of all that is holy, make them a thing of the past. I’ve watched too many people exiting a public bathroom without washing their hands to ever want to touch anyone’s hand again.
HUGS & MASKS: Gosh, I do miss hugging my friends. And I never want to wear another mask once this crisis has passed.
Ok, yes, I agree buffets can be gross. Like, I don’t know who is using the chocolate fountain because I’m sure that is teeming with bacteria. But they can also be clean! And, I love breakfast buffets, Chinese food buffets, and Indian food buffets. They are so good. I love so many different things and with a buffet I can get a little bit of everything. Maybe if we get rid of buffets, we can ask the places that insist upon “family style” to also serve smaller plates so a singleton can get a few different things.
Hopefully, less use of cars for absolutely everything. People have proven they can work from home, rather than sitting on a motorway for hours and choking the world. Being able to smell nature is a wonderful gift.
Also – hopefully the public will realise that there is no need for monarchies in the 21st century; that Instagram influencers, Rich Kids of Instagram and all other vulgar displays of conspicuous consumption will be moot. More recognition of all our unsung heroes, please.
A green(er) revolution in the shape of local, environmentally sustainable manufacturing. Sending soup to South East Asia to be labelled is a chronic waste of resources.
An end to cruises, aka floating prisons/plague ships. Their environmental damage is causing carnage to indigenous communities around the world.
In the UK, hopefully not to be threatened with prison (or being sent there) if you don’t have a TV licences.
No more shaking hands. I read an interview with Miss Marmite Jamila Jameel the other day, and she spoke of ‘penis imprints’ on other people’s palms. Namastes are just fine.
Speaking of Penises (with teeth), that William gets his comeuppance. He deserves a bucketload of karma. This is not necessarily contingent on the presence of a pandemic.
More food security for the global south – perhaps an agency on the lines of the WHO? There’s a real possibility that many parts of Africa face desperate famine as a result of coronavirus.
A girl can dream. My wish for me is that my book is hugely successful, so that I can leave a greater legacy to the world than my current one (dubbing Prince William ‘Penis with Teeth’).
My husband has been so energized working from home. He loves to cook himself a real lunch, go outside, putter in his garden on his lunch break and not have to deal with traffic.
So keep WFH / flexible WFH.
Keep staying home if you feel the slightest bit sick. The fact that people ever went out feeling “not 100%” is horrifying.
Keep movie theaters for those who want the experience but let us bring our own snacks or beverages. The big popcorn machine looks less appetizing, sorry.
Keep public sanitizing efforts.
Keep flexible school at home options. Again, if the kids feel sick or have someone at home sick, keep them at home and let them log into classroom lectures. I’ve said this for a long time. Having two teenagers do their schooling at home has made us realize how much wasted social time there was in class. They could do half days/ extracurricular afternoons, etc. so many options can be pursued now. (And yes, some districts have different socioeconomic groups but I know some lower income districts that are doing just fine because they have taken advantage of Google / Apple school grants for the past few years and have been able to provide Chromebooks and such to kids.)
Keep BYOB gatherings.
Ditch masks (I HATE THEM. I feel like I can’t breathe.) Seriously considering some version of a hijab if we have to do a face covering.
Ditch fast fashion, made in China consumerism.
Ditch anti-vaxxers. Yep. I said it.
Ditch buffets, casinos, concerts and resorts. Until we get the vaccine, at least.
Yes I agree, masks make it so hard to breathe! I am not sure a head wrap would be as efficacious but hopefully???
I live in Italy and I love giving and receiving a kiss on each cheek. Unfortunately, it’s not gonna happen for a LONG time.
I am European so my liist might defer from mostly Americans posting here:
DITCH
* handshake
*cars
*unnecessary air travels
*fast cheap fashiion
I MISS
*eating out
*cafe culture
*cinema
*theatre
*work (i can’t work froomm home)
Buffets are cancelled, just google Patient 31 in South Korea and her story and how she contaminated that many people is crazy.
Keep Arts & crafts! I’m not even working any less but with no pressure to be anywhere or take the kids to activities I have been doing way more fun artsy projects. It’s so good for the soul.
Ditch video conferencing. Seriously we don’t need to see each other looking bored when we can just dial in and do some multitasking instead. If we don’t HAVE to use video for screen sharing, then how about let’s not.
I do like video calls socially though. Just not for work unless really necessary.
Takeout dominance or really acceptance stays! The number of side eyes I used to get ordering takeout from a not established as a takeout place prior to this. I mean regular old sit down restaurants, not somewhere like cheesecake factory that has a takeout area. I like sitting down inside but sometimes I just want to go home. And I’d like your food.
Buffets can come back too. Again sometimes, I just want a little of this a little of that etc.
Obviously medical care tied to work for us Americans here HAS TO GO. Completely ridiculous and I hope people finally have come to see that.
Handshakes can leave too. I’ve never liked them. A simple head nod, a quick bow or prayer hands whichever you like personally. I love hugging you IF I know you but beyond that, Nope!
I miss the beach. I’ve lived near the beaches for most of my life, I miss it. I was so PO’ed when they were closed because people wouldn’t crowd them.
Virtual wine time – usually around sunset. Being an introvert who lives in a cool climate area, I love the social side of having an afternoon debrief via phone or a video, over a lovely glass of red, whilst staying at home, with your tracksuit and slippers on.
Best of both worlds that I won’t be ditching 🙂
Hand shaking and hugs can end and never come back, IMO.
Handshakes are total germ enablers. And, I have never been comfortable will social hugging, never. I can/will happily hug certain family members and dear friends but, if I never have to put up with social hugging again..I would be delighted.
Social hugging = coworkers I can barely tolerate on a good day, idiots who stroll up “You look like you need a hug” and proceed to attach themselves to me. Read my body language.
No Touchy!
I am an open book with my emotions to my loved ones. Everyone else….no. And, no I don’t want to “bond” with you “team mate” I am employed at the same business.
Years ago I was employed at a small company, I got a ton of actual work finished because I wore headphones to signal “do not disturb”. Owner, once described me as “German, short tempered, and quite like a machine. I wish I had 10 more like her.”
I completed my work in 6 hours, got paid for a full 8, left early everyday. I loved that job!
Got a dog to go home to, good friends away from work, turns out I do very well keeping my employment life completely separate from “the real me”.
I wish I could go back to the grocery stores without anxiety. Grocery shopping used to be a relaxing time for me, looking at new items, buying some goodies/treats for my family, etc. Now? I rush to get needed items and get out.
Work is always too many useless meetings, lunch with vendors, etc.
Give up handshakes and cheek kissing. I hate those.
-Reopen gyms because I like walking outside ALONE but everyone is walking outside now so walking is annoying because there’s too many people
-Reopen restaurants because they’re awesome
-Keep social distancing (get out of my personal space!!!!)
-Keep working from home
-Keep the mask on. Especially food service people and customer service people. Also, it means I can wear less makeup so I like it….
– Keep loungewear and get rid of typical office clothing
-keep online meetings and get rid of in person meetings (I don’t mind video but what about just phone? It’s sufficient)
-keep the extra sanitation (cleaning grocery stores etc), I don’t want germs
Also, keep up the “socialism” in the sense of govt’s actually helping the poor (I’m in Australia). It’s disgusting that our govt used to vilify them, I hope we don’t go back to that.
I’d like to keep up the community spirit, people helping each other,ppl appreciating the lower paid workers for once. Keep the environmental stuff, like less flights, less driving etc.
Get rid of ppl like Trump that feel entitled to steal resources from others… Get rid of capitalism all together… I would have said that with or without a pandemic though.