Will life not go back to pre-covid 19? Is o/s the new way forward?

Toonie

I imagine most people don't have the the space to exist like the pioneers of old. We certainly don't here in London, though I am grateful for the small garden we have and the little plastic greenhouse my parents bought me several years ago as it means we can grow a few things ourselves. We definitely wouldn't have the space to be self sufficient though or indeed the funds to get going in that respect.

I am more naturally inclined towards OS as I enjoy cooking, baking, and gardening, but I can't sew for toffee. And currently I'm doing my best to be frugal as have very little income and no chance currently of finding another job (no one is hiring nannies at present). Whilst I have no notion of when certain restrictions will lift I do hope that for some people they will maintain some habits (walking more, grow what you can, don't be wasteful) and reassess what is actually important.

elsien

dandy-candy said:

I keep hearing that life is changed forever now and i have to admit I can’t quite accept it. Everyone i talk to is desperate for this to be over and for things to get “back to normal”, is it really not going to happen until (if) we find a vaccine? I now look at all the advice i picked up over the years here and where it used to appeal to me as im frugal by habit, i now think it is actually going to be essential for many. I bake, garden, sew and knit as hobbies but might the future might involve these becoming the main source of food and clothing? My DH is super handy and always will try to repair before replacing, im very glad he has those skills. 

Do you think things will go back or will we be living now like the pioneers of old?

I do hope not. I can only grow food in pots in a very limited space and have two thumbs as far as DIY goes. I'd be completely stuffed. 

ladyholly

There are things to be thankful even if it is only the cleaner air and the beautiful blue skies there have been lately. The night sky is amazing without all the pollution.  I live on the outskirts of a small seaside town and the silence from the lack of traffic is wonderful. There are fewer trains and no aircraft so I can sit out and hear the birds sing.  These are, I know, small blessings but I think at the moment we need to embrace the small things.

ladyholly

Sorry pressed the wrong button. The one thing I really hope for is that as life returns to normal (either new or old) everyone remembers there are many older and disabled people (and their carers) who live in permanent lockdown as they either have no family and their friends have passed away and they cannot leave their homes due to age and infirmity.

elisamoose

I hope things do get back to normal but for some it will not be as it was . those working or retired from the travel / tourism business will be left penniless. we have gone from looking forward to a nice retirement to facing retirement with very little as most travel companies will go bust along with their pension schemes.

LillythePink

Some of this experience has been good, but quite a lot not.

Life here will get back to normal (hopefully) pretty quickly if we have no new cases, however, it's the wider world that we have to be wary of - living on an island we can control who comes in - it was made mandatory that you self isolate for 14 days - and that was back in early March - a criminal offence if you ignored it and went out and were caught.

But holidays are what's going to be missed - may be petty to some but we will have to assess the impact of going away and coming back - at the moment only essential travel is allowed and the self isolation kicks in upon return (even if it's for medical reasons)  That's likely to be until at least mid/end September but it may be longer - there had been talk of "until a vaccine was found" which could be never.  I really don't want a staycation here - I know my island why would i want to holiday here when there's a whole world out there - but I guess if I have to I have to but plan for lots of time away next year!

thriftwizard

Hmm - what exactly is normal, anyway? I have to say that I'm missing my family very much, especially the son who's on his own, and my mother - at 94, tomorrow's never guaranteed - but otherwise, life hasn't been that different for me. I do feel very lucky & I know it hasn't been that easy for most people; I have a garden & an allotment, our little, walkable, town still has a few small independent shops & a market, & is surrounded by glorious countryside. OH is a key worker who's working from home, so we're not really missing the money that I normally bring in, and one of the two offspring who are still living at home is a supermarket worker & has been able to bring home anything we really needed, though the first few weeks were horribly stressful for her. We're especially lucky that we are all fit & healthy - again, not a given; we have had our challenges - and that our home is big enough.

The question I'd like to see answered is, if this is to go on, how could it be made more bearable for those who aren't so lucky? I would honestly like to see everyone have access to a garden or allotment, whether that be a "community garden" or their own little patch, easily reachable from their home without needing to use a car, bus or train. (It seems to be acknowledged that you are much safer outdoors than in confined spaces.) Maybe a decent balcony, at the very least, where space really is at a premium? Also to independent shops, or a market; it's not necessarily the case that they're more expensive than the supermarkets & chain stores, or that the goods are of a lower standard. And people shouldn't have to travel far, to out-of-town venues, to buy or access the things they need. Maybe, when obsolete or inconvenient buildings are being torn down, some consideration should be given to creating green space or local amenities, rather than more "executive" homes that no-one can afford, or office blocks that are two-thirds empty with the lights & heating/air con blazing all night?

However that would all be in the distant future; if people are to keep their heads above water in the immediate future, which looks like bringing us some serious economic difficulties, many of them will have to become more OS. Some will find it very hard, but some will not; there are a lot of young Eastern Europeans around here, who are very adept at making every penny do the work of two & making a good life on a shoestring, and I'm hoping they won't all go home as soon as they can, because they could set an admirable example to some of our own.

[Deleted User]

I'll second that as a range of forward thinking ideas Thriftwizard, a plot of land to walk to and work for food for every home in the country would be a wonderful thing.  I know in the last war some of the parks were used for allotments and even the moat round the tower of London was used to grow veg.  We also have some young Eastern Europeans here and they are so hard working and seem to have thrift built in, we have one of them Doomi who has the allotment next to ours, he's amazing the plot is immaculate and made to work to give two or three crops a year, he works full time too and really is an example of how to do it right! They are role models we might usefully emulate, hard working, thrifty, family minded and good neighbours and I hope very much they DO stay here and help in the rebuild after covid has run its course and gone. we'll need them greatly and not just to work the land for us and pick the crops.  We need their work ethic and attitude to help us be the same and rebuild a good future for ourselves too.

dreaming

I’m never quite sure what people mean by “normality”.  My normal is very different to that of my brother, for instance, or my neighbours etc. and actually has changed very little during the pandemic – as I’ve posted elsewhere.  There are some differences of course.  I haven’t been able to visit my daughter or grandchildren (but we keep in touch through various technology) and I can’t suddenly decide to jump in the car and go off to the garden centre or craft shop but again have managed to obtain things online.  I am one of the people who lockdown seems to suit – I’m happy to nod hello to my neighbours and help them out if I am able – but I am quite a reserved person who values time to herself and my socialising preference is for some sort of activity – reading groups, craft groups etc. rather than just sitting around drinking tea and making small talk.  So yes, it is a bit of a relief to not have to consider if I am hurting people’s feelings by turning down a social invitation. I’m quite able to say no to many more casual friends/acquaintances but there are some people who I care a lot more about so will make the effort to attend even though it may not be my natural inclination. 

Another thing is that what is seen as normal changes all the time. For example, 50 years ago it wasn’t normal for a lot of people to go abroad every year for a holiday – now it seems that many not only consider it normal but almost a “right” to go at least once a year.  Of course this is a vast generalisation as there are still many who don’t, or can’t, go abroad each year – but it is still considered to be “normal” behaviour.  “Normal” eating patterns are often considered to be breakfast, lunch and dinner as opposed to breakfast, dinner, tea, supper when I was a child – and sadly there are still, in our supposedly civilised society, many who don’t have enough to eat to actually call it a meal. We often don’t see this as, change is usually a very gradual “creep” in people’s behaviours but the lockdown has forced a very dramatic, sudden change in what we are able to do (or not do).

However, I don’t think people will live “like the pioneers of old” as those pioneers lived like that because they had no choice.  Although I know there are some who like to live “off-grid”, or in a more sustainable fashion, those people choose that way of life but with the knowledge and scientific and technical advances of the passing years.  So if they cut their foot and it becomes infect they may prefer to treat it with honey or herbs etc. rather than antibiotics but they are unlikely to resort to kitchen table amputations if the infection worsens (at least I hope they wouldn’t try it).  I would guess that even on the Old Style threads on this site there is a variety of people living more frugal lives than might be considered “normal” – some through choice, some through necessity, and all at varying degrees from each other and at different times. So normal can mean many different things to different people – some of whom are possibly desperate to return to the life they lived before, some who desperately hope they don’t, and I’m sure there will also be some who will re-evaluate their lives in the light of this experience.

Foofoopuppy

@MoneySeeker1, for me the positives are no travel for work, more time at home means my house is cleaner and tidier and I'm spending more time with my cat and husband. My husband usually works shifts, with the shutdown they have regularised his hours so he doesn't have to leave early/get home late.
I'm spending less money on random stuff and eating better because I don't just grab a meal deal for lunch and then get home too tired to cook.
There are negatives, but for me there have definitely been positives as well that I would like to carry forward.