What have you learned about yourself and life in general in the past year?
 

I know this is a personal question. Some things really don't need to be shared on a public forum. But, I have been thinking about this a lot as we pass the anniversary of the start of a worldwide pandemic.

In general I've learned that:

I've been socially-distancing for decades. The pandemic changed little for me in that regard.

I'm even more of an introvert than I had previously suspected. In fact, seeing how horribly some folks have behaved during the pandemic has made it worse.

Senior citizens are so undervalued in society.

Living in an earthquake/wildfire area, I was actually fairly well prepared in regard to supplies. (Of course, NO ONE could have foreseen that toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!)

I have found some YouTube fitness instructors that I enjoy.

I have so much more gratitude about having food and shelter in this dreadful time.

Speaking of gratitude, I already knew that VF was a really important part of my life. This past year it has been invaluable!

What have you learned this year about yourself and life in the past year?

I always hear people talk about the kindness of strangers, but I’ve been more surprised by the rudeness of strangers. I have had total strangers walk up to me and tell me I look stupid wearing a mask. I don’t understand why they would even comment. When one guy told me I looked stupid in my mask, I thought I’d try a little humor so I said, “Well, I figure wearing a mask is cheaper than a face lift.” He said, “Well, you still look stupid.” I don’t understand all the hostility toward total strangers.

Similar to Alta, I'm in introvert, and this past pandemic year has simply allowed me to wallow in introversion.

I've learned what's important: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, my bible, my journal, a stockpile of beans, toilet paper, and water (water, people, WATER—I share a private well with five other people. When the pump breaks, it's a disaster of the first order).

I've also learned who in my life are absolutely necessary—family, of course, but who my real friends (you know—the people who, if you knocked on their door at 2 AM and asked them to help you hide a body, would ask, 'Do we need a shovel or a backhoe?') are.

I've learned that I can live without the news and am, in fact, healthier and happier when I ignore the Bread and Circuses that passes for News & Current Events.

I've learned that I do not need as much internet activity as I had previously thought. VF, email, banking, a few Church/Religion related websites. I've also learned that, as much as I like Amazon's second-day delivery, I much prefer to shop smaller sites who rely on something as maddeningly slow as USPS.

I've learned that the women who staff my library are SELFLESS!!!! God bless these ladies. They don't hold library degrees (that guy sits behind a desk and ignores us hoi polloi), but they go out of their way to find the books we want in the library system, and they spend hours each day carting books outside to us who wait in our comfy cars—and they do this in all kinds of weather.

I've learned to hate masks with the heat of a thousands suns. I hate wearing a mask so much that it has curtailed my trips into town. Now I save ALL my errands for one day each week, simply so I don't have to put that stupid mask on all the time.

WOW. At least when you take your mask off, you'll look normal, while he'll ALWAYS be stupid.

I've learned to not just accept that I'm retired now, but to revel in it. When you figure the first couple of decades of life, you're in school, and for the next few decades you're working, this is the first time that all my time is my own. I have learned so many maintenance things around the house and yard, new ways of cooking, online classes, great podcasts and audiobooks, so many things. I am grateful for so many things.

Gams, geez, what a doofus he was!

Didn't you also have endure a theft? We had two guys bang on our front door a few months ago. I never answer the front door, and as I looked out the peephole, I saw a guy stealing an ornament off of our porch. I ran outside and yelled at them, but they just drove off laughing. I'm so glad I didn't open the door. It could have turned into a home invasion.

I haven't witnessed much of "the kindness of strangers" in person. Maybe because I've been hiding in my home much of the time.:p There have been some wonderful stories on the news that give me a bit of faith in humanity. I have had some of the medical professionals be kinder and gentler than usual.

I've been impressed at some instructors who have put up free or low-priced content. At one point, Jenny Ford sold ten of her Walk Across America downloads for only $1.

Verizon gave everyone 15G of free bandwidth for one month. That was a lot more than I had with my old plan.

Myself, glad for family and friends, and the kindness of strangers. Life is too short.

Other folks. Some are filled with love and others are not filled with love.

The isolation of the past year has just been a continuation of the isolation of my life as a caregiver during my father's life.

When, oh, when am I going to have the chance to not feel like I'm trapped at home? I'm more than ready to move beyond the distractions of hobbies, but as things are, I'm just not sure how to make that happen.

My cooking skills are good, and I guess in lock down I've gotten a better sense of how to shop and cook for one, so that's a relief. Compared to the amount of food I used to cook for dad, I barely need a thing. I've begun to re-learn my own food preferences. I eat a lot less chili, hot sauce and garlic now, LOL!!

Funnily enough, I'd bought two big packages of toilet paper in 2019, so that particular shortage wasn't an issue. Had plenty of soap and cleaning supplies from my years of care giving too.

Oh, and as for other people? There's a great deal more dumbness and anger in the world than I'd realized. My general habit of being vague and keeping my distance has stood me in good stead.

I've learned I can be content puttering around at home and not accomplishing as much.

I've learned that life can still be busy during a pandemic. DH has a lot of health issues, and I spend a lot of time taking him to appointments. Add that to normal things around the house, like laundry and cooking, and errands and life can be busy even when you're not going places.

I've learned that I really enjoy picking up groceries and drugstore items rather than going into stores myself.

I've learned that I enjoy picking up food and bringing it home. Pre-pandemic, we always either ate home cooked food at home or went out to eat.

This time has reminded me how much I enjoy reading and that I generally don't like popular or trendy books. I love history - whether historical fiction or true history books - and I've gone looking for it.

I've learned I have a major creative streak. I knew that before, but I've honed it and spent more time on it this past year.

This time has reminded me of who my true and lasting friends are and how much I enjoy spending time with them, even if it's Zoom.

DH is retired and pre-pandemic I was trying to decide what to do with myself with work. During the pandemic, I stumbled into an online tutoring site where I advertised myself as an online software training and I've really enjoyed it. One of my favorite things is helping people learn what they need to use their computer in a way that enhances their life. So many older adults (40s, 50s, and above) feel like they must be dumb because they don't understand standard computer topics when, as I tell them regularly, they just have had no one in their life who can adequately explain the concepts to them in a way that makes sense to them.

(Good thread, Alta.)

I knew I was a homebody and introvert but this pandemic only reinforced it. I learned I really don’t have many friends and it mad me feel sad. My problem is other than exercise, and gardening I don’t have any hobbies. I am in my mid 60’s and work 2 jobs. I cannot see myself retiring because what will I do? I can’t really afford to retire but I worry when I get to that point I will be bored.

I learned a lot more about my co-workers and it wasn’t good. Whereas I continued to work some were happy to stay home, get paid and not do anything. Having a strong work ethic this was difficult for me.

I found myself praying more and taking religion more seriously.

I learned that I tend to judge others and have been taking steps not to do that.

I have been writing monthly goals and learned this helps me.