2020 has been intense and exhausting on so many levels it's not even funny ... unless semi-apocalyptic dumpster fires are your sense of humor. People are so over this year and it's not even autumn yet.
Thing is, being intense and exhausting doesn't necessarily mean it's all bad. Some of the most intense and exhausting things in the world eventually make you stronger and teach valuable lessons.
One Reddit user asked:
Normally we save these sorts of things for a year-end wrap up, but we're a little more than halfway through and now seems like a good time to write some stuff down before we forget.
Time Management
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want
I feel this man. I thought that with all the extra time I had I would get so much more done. Turns out I just need to get a lot better at time management.
I always told myself I'd get more writing done without my day job. Then I lost my job from May to August... all that free time filled up fast... hardly any writing done.
Not Surprised, Just Disappointed
Sad Empire Strikes Back GIF by Star WarsGiphyCame here to say how disappointed I am to find out that there are so many stupid, hateful racist morons among my countrymen. I always knew there was an element of that in society. I never knew it was so many damned people, though.
Makes we wonder how we ever got beyond living in caves and flinging poo at each other.
I'd also add entitled to that list. It seems to be across the board; not just in any one demographic. I'm more shocked at seeing this trait in people aged 30 and up.
Grown ups are acting irresponsibly w/o regard for other people's rights or safety and throwing temper tantrums when they don't get their way. Worst of all are the ones who act like selfish, obnoxious a$holes and call themselves patriots for doing so. It baffles the mind.
Subject To Change
LIFE IS ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Get out there and do the things you want to do because one day you may not be able to.
- cshady
I remember my last day of high school, I was becoming burned out and wanted a break from school for at LEAST a week... this is not what I wanted
- krexcent
Trump's election in 2016 kicked my rear into gear. I figured he would make the US such an international pariah that Americans would no longer be able to travel. So in 2017 I traveled to 22 countries.
Looks like I was right; only a handful of countries want Americans now.
Not Exactly A Loner
That I'm nowhere as much of a loner as I thought I was. I may not be the most sociable person of the universe, but spending months holed up in my room with basically no IRL human contact got old fast.
People mistake introvert for no social interaction. We just don't like big crowds where everyone is yelling and you can't have a conversation and you don't know most people. What we want is a small close group of friends 1-5 other people we are very intimate and deep with.
90% of the introverts in my social circle feel this way. They still need some social contact now and then.
They just want to be able to do something low key 1-4x a month with friends, like invite them over for dinner, or play a boardgame.
Level Up
That the baseline on what I can handle has leveled up.
Same. I feel like my anxiety and depression got better compared to everyone else as I realised I am way stronger than I thought I was.
- pajamakitten
FaceChan
I remember my grandma telling me I shouldn't be a nurse on Facebook because I don't value "life" because I don't calculate my entire electoral vote on the single platform of being against abortion. Or her and her online friends bullying me for having a different, not racist opinion. I finally had to block grandma.
I still talk to my grandma, just not on Facebook.
- Azamaline
Everything Sucks But Its Pretty Great
This is going to come across as pretty insensitive, but life is pretty great right now. In 2020, the following things happened for my family:
- $20k raise
- Wife got a new job with a $15k raise
- Bought a new house
- Son with autism is making progress on speaking more clearly (because we're actually working on his speech therapy, unlike school and his speech therapist)
- Investments are doing great
- Weekly D&D game happens pretty reliably
- Alrik
I think 2020 shows us the great divide of the haves and have nots. Some people are really hurting right now. Others are totally fine or are thriving. You'll see more of one group than the other depending on your socioeconomic class.
- thelyfeaquatic
It's important to remember that while you're doing good and that's amazing, the reason Reddit is like this is because it's awful right now for a lot of if not most people.
You got a raise, but I lost my job to covid, had to pick up an extremely taxing Amazon job in the interim, my girlfriend is under extreme danger being locked down alone with untreatable depression, and I have to go into NYC twice a week soon for school, making me extremely vulnerable and unable to interact with anybody for a semester.
Just keep that in mind, I guess. I'm far from the only one
- arcrticphreese
A Hug
couple hug GIFGiphyHug your spouse more. Man on man woman on woman man on woman whatever hug those who are there for you. Wife's an ER nurse I'm a firefighter working through covid non sense. The forced quarantine after contact with a positive pt has ripped us apart. It's hard to cope when your coping mechanism is behind glass out of reach. Hug your peeps peeps .
- lldumbcloudsll
2021 Won't Make It Better
That people will genuinely believe bad events will end just because the year is over.
Its overwhelming how many times I hear things like: "omg I cant wait for 2021, everything will be a fresh start" or "2020 can just leave"
Like, what do you really expect? All issues reset every January the 1st? Wtf.
- InconspicuousCupboard
So true. I fully expect January+ to be horrible. Violent protests over the US presidential election, riots, panic and stress reactions as people go back to more public living/offices, a resurgence of COVID. There is no way '21 is going to start well. I just hope it ends well.
- drwhogwarts
Nah I'm Good
I'm just as much of an introvert as I thought I was.
Don't get me wrong, I like hanging out with friends and I'm a pretty social person these days when I'm in a social environment. But I don't need it. I had a lot of people going stir crazy around me for lack of in person social interaction a month or two into quarantine. I never got there.
- muroid
Same with me. I don't miss seeing people, I don't miss coworkers, I don't miss friends in person. I got stir crazy from staying in place but having a change of scenery occasionally is all I need :)
For keeping in touch with peeps, chatting online is enough for me. Some of my friends and colleagues were up the wall wanting to find ways to hang out or do stuff but, seems like they've gotten better at managing it.
- emwo
Same here. Being happily married helps, though. I think if I were alone, I would be craving the occasional face to face interaction, but as it is, I'm just fine only interacting with people on the phone, or on a Zoom call.
- nakedonmygoat
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