The Coronavirus pandemic has arguably been the most disruptive event in recent history. How has it impacted your life now?
The early days of the pandemic were by far the most disruptive, as we all struggled to adjust to the spread of the disease. This included lockdown, the adoption of facemasks, disinfecting groceries, a shortage of toilet paper, and on and on.
However, most of the immediate impacts have been alleviated. There are vaccines, and that, combined with a growing familiarity with living in a society with COVID, have seen many aspects of life return to normal. Large gatherings, including sporting events, concerts, and so on are happening again. Many people no longer wear masks. Socialization has increased.
Listen to a podcast where Michael and Lee discuss a related question: ‘Freedom or security?’ We also discuss a bonus question: ‘Is technology neutral?’
And yet, COVID is still with us. While the overall case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID are lower than in past years, they are still significant. Individuals and/or families still catch the virus, and plans are frequently postponed or cancelled even now, nearly three years into the pandemic.
Now that we, as a society, have adapted our lives to accommodate COVID, what do you find to be the most disruptive to your life? Are they things you do, other people around you do (or don’t do), or some combination of the two? Three years in to this situation, what has had the biggest impact on your life?
Related questions: What advice would you give your pre-lockdown self? How do you want this to change you? How has your work life changed? COVID-19?
I no longer eat in restaurants or partake in a cup of joe in a coffeehouse. The most prominent way this has impacted me is that I no longer preempt my severe cases of the Sunday scaries by frequenting a coffeehouse, grabbing a snack and a coffee for a long late afternoon/early evening of listening to my music, and visiting various sites on the web. While I now deal with this affliction by doing the same activities at home, I do miss the ritual of hanging out in my favorite coffee shops.
I miss the bulk spice section in my grocery store. I used to just buy small amounts of whichever spice I needed at the time. I now have to buy larger amounts in bottles which invariably get thrown out because they loose their potency before I can use them up.
I have switched over to buying whole spices, whenever possible, and grinding just the amount I need. I do get better quality now, but some things spices are difficult to find in whole forms or are hard to grind to the consistency that I need.