Some things we hope stay
NO to e-learning, YES to curbside everything
“Is there anything you’re not looking forward to when the pandemic is over? Anything you kind of like and hope stays?” A friend posted this question online a bit ago which is thought provoking since so much of the pandemic is utter shit. But there are some parts of this life that make sense to keep moving ahead. Witches of course had thoughts:
“I like the slower pace of life, not always rushing around and trying to get to appointments and kid stuff right on time. I also LOVE never having to see my colleagues in person. They’re all bananas.”
“As much as I long to do things again, I like that I can take part in events without leaving my home in Europe. I've had good ‘happy hours’ with people I don't talk to enough. And I got to do things I otherwise could not, like ‘attend’ funerals and baby showers back home in the States.”
“God do I WANT to go back to sharing a bed with my husband? We decided to start sleeping separately just to preserve what grains of sanity we could during the pandemic. I like the idea of it, but very rarely over the last 10 months have I thought ‘I wish someone else was in this bed with me.’ I like waking up and starting my morning my own way, not tiptoeing around and making him mad because he prefers to sleep in.”
“Bringing kids to birthday parties and buying stupid gifts for the kid which will sit on a shelf and annoy the mom. Paying for so many kids sports and activities. Washing lunch containers and losing a water bottle every day.”
“I do hope I stay tuned into how much booze I can tolerate before it all falls apart.”
“My MIL didn’t Christmas shop her heart out and send us useless stuff. She actually mailed us a check!!! Please let this be the new norm.”
“Without business trips, not only do my husband and I have far fewer fights over who does what at home, he has time now for things like working out and taking guitar lessons so he’s a happier guy overall and I don’t resent him for being Mr. Busy Man.”
“Gonna be SUPER sad to not wear a mask all the time because I don't like awkward interactions with people who've got a kid who knows my kid.”
And you had answers on Twitter (Substack’s platform won’t let me run them all; here’s a sampling)
Finally, one weird bright spot I found from 2020 is that many of the folks who decided to still do holiday cards were creative and funny and real. Of course I’d gladly trade for a healthy normal holiday with boring trite holiday messages but opening some of the cards I got with messages like the ones below brought some much-needed little smiles:
“Well… THAT was crazy! Happy 2021 (finally)”
“We tried.” (featuring a photo of three restless children)
“Wishing you a very different new year. We hope to close the social distance with each of you in the new year. And never go hiking again.”
A series of photos of two little girls in rain coats tearing up a “2020” sign and stuffing it in the trash.
“2020: What the actual fuck?”
“Good Riddance 2020” (featuring a photo of three tots sticking out their tongues defiantly)
“This past year, Josh’s New Year’s resolution was to travel less, and he knocked it out of the park.”
And finally:
End credits
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One witchy thing
Great post. Now, sorry to crash the girls' party, but if you care for a man's opinion, one pandemic-related thing I've come to enjoy are masks, of all things. Why, you ask? 1) In winter, they keep my face warm; 2) I don't have to shave every day; 3) dog breath? No problem! Just saying...