One thing is for sure about this crazy and uncertain year: some things will never be the same after we finally get out on the other end of this terrible pandemic.
But what will those things be…?
Folks on AskReddit shared their thoughts about what will never be the same after the pandemic.
1. Let’s hope so!
“Hopefully your boss will finally admit that all his dumb meetings actually could have been emails all along.”
2. Married life.
“My marriage.
My wife and I had to work from home together (separate jobs) from March until September when she had to go back to the office. I am still working from home. During this time, we became increasingly closer.
I have heard so many stories of marital problems being caused by Covid. I literally miss my wife everyday she has to go to work.
I meet her at the door like a puppy. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes forced proximity does too.”
3. They’re gonna miss that.
“My dogs have expected me to basically be around all the time and rub their bellies 24/7.”
4. Sad to think about.
“Most of the mom and pop stores in my town are gone forever.
Some of these stores I grew up with, the nickle arcade, the tiny French bakery my aunt took us to when we got good grades, the only ramen shop open after 10PM, my favorite donut shop, the fancy British tea shop I never had a good date in but many London Fogs that were utterly perfect, the only dim sum place, the handmade mochi and tea shop, the only cigar shop in town to get fancy cigars…
I lament the death of all these tiny businesses I took for granted. I always thought they’d be around. Now my community is left with just brand named box stores, no more originality and flavor.
Just closed skyrise buildings surrounded by a garishly lit Denny’s, Olive Garden, and Target.”
5. Not looking good.
“Small businesses.
As a kitchen worker, I am very concerned about our industry. So many independent restaurants have closed down in our town, at least a third.
It’s depressing because we all have a deep passion for our careers, and we’re just watching it all crumble.”
6. No more of that.
“Office life. My company has already announced that once we are allowed to go back, we’d only be going once or twice a week.
It seems many realized how feasible working from home is.”
7. The backlog.
“My attitude towards my entertainment backlog. Previously I used to look at my PlayStation library or my Netflix list and think “If I just had a few weeks off,I could make a serious dent”
I’ve had more then a few weeks off and my backlog seems if anything more endless,I’ll probably be in the retirement home with that little voice in the back of my head going “Peaky Blinders is meant to be good, should get on that”.”
8. A tough one.
“My bank balance.
In the words of the great Tiger King himself, “I’m never gonna financially recover from this”.”
9. Might be gone forever.
“Costco free samples 🙁 .”
10. Hesitant.
“As a nursing assistant, I will be forever oh so hesitant to get near someone (particularly the elderly who like to cough directly at you) without my eye-shield and mask.”
11. No more contact.
“Food delivery just being dropped off on your doorstep.
Remember when you had to go outside and make EYE CONTACT like some kind of PERSON?! No more, my friends. Just leave it outside and I’ll get it when I’m ready.
No more scrambling to find pants when you’re half baked and hungry…”
12. Not interested…
“It’s kinda taught me that even if I had seemingly endless time, I’m clearly not interested in some stuff.
I started to go through the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list (morbid title, but hey, what better year for that), and one of the entries is a seven hour, black and white Hungarian movie called Satantango. “I’m furloughed, there’s no better time to watch that,” I thought.
Nearly a year in to the pandemic, still haven’t watched it, because… did you read the description for it. Hoping, based off the list title, this means I’ll never die.”
13. What does the future hold?
“Working in an office, particularly in Japan.
I live in Japan. Going to the office and spending all day here is a deep cultural tradition. Asking your manager at a traditional Japanese company to work from home regularly is on par with asking them “Hey I just realized I’m Dragonkin, can you please work with the cafeteria to put live cats on the menu?”, you would get the same reaction. Even in cases of personal illness or family emergency.
So many companies here, even in the early COVID days, flat out publicly said “Hah, no, we will NEVER be doing that ‘work from home’ thing, sorry. That’s laughably naïve.”
Then, the country issued a “Declaration of National Urgency” (not an actual Emergency, as that would entitle the govt to be actually accountable to the livelihoods of the people, just a very strong arm public stance and shaming businesses into following suit). Literally those same companies issuing the statements above were scrambling the next week to get their staff safely working from home, online, using remote meeting tools, etc.
So, that was a big game-changer. Still, everyone was thinking, “Once the urgency order is lifted, we’ll all be going back to work as normal”. Well, the urgency order lasted a few months.
And those traditional Japanese businesses saw what happened to their bottom lines when they no longer had to pay for electricity, heating/AC, cleaning, office equipment and maintenance, subsidized travel expenses to/from work, soft items like coffee and snacks, etc… and so many of them now are singing the praises of a “sensible work from home policy” and planning for even long-term work-from-home options.
Now the society is changing very rapidly to accommodate working from home. More people recently are less looking at buying their first house/apartment in crowded Tokyo outskirts/close suburbs, and looking more to buying 1-2 hours away in the boonies where land is actually affordable and living is better.
It’s watching a sociological essay/study unfold, live, in slow-motion.”
How about you?
What do you think will never be the same after the pandemic is over?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Thanks!
