It’s been 18 months given or take… so what lessons can we take away from ticking pandemic off our collective bucket lists?
Ten unexpected consequences of Covid:
1. Being a positive person is no longer the exclusive preserve of optimists
2. Being negative can be a positive
3. Wearing a mask in a bank is encouraged
4. You are being a responsible citizen not visiting your relatives
5. Working from home is no longer a euphemism for either ‘I am hungover’ or ‘I’m pulling a duvet day’.
6. Big Pharma aren’t necessarily the bad guys
7. Modellers don’t work exclusively in plastic and balsa wood
8. We all now know the first four letters of the Greek alphabet
9. In times of National crisis the Great British public aren’t worried about food, water, or heat but toilet paper.
10. Statistics can be interesting (I made that one up)
What about you guys? What surprises has Auntie Corona Virus sprung on you?
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About TanGental
My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline.
I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy.
I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere.
These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
TanGental 
My five eggs:
Covid doesn’t care who it attacks. Don’t let your guard down, even if you’ve been vaccinated. The vaccine is not a cure and licence to do what you want when you want where you want, but it can help to protect and reduce symptoms should you come in contact with an infected person and not know it.
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All true. I’ve managed crowds in the last few weeks – at Lord’s for the cricket – and some people complied with the request to wear masks while moving about- say 20% – but that went up to 80% indoors- toilets, the shop etc. In the seats, being outdoors masks aren’t mandated and maybe 5% wore them. The test events showed there was no greater infection risk than generally but it is still there. I haven’t managed the tube yet though.
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We live with potential exposure every day with so many visitors, none of which are wearing masks. We keep away when and where we can.
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Oh, my experiences with Covid have led me back to analog work in a very banal way. I’ve been a fan of digitization and the paperless office for 20 years. Now I had noticed, that my involvement in particular motivates government agencies to correspond even faster. Lol I don’t have to have this boomerang effect either. 😉 Have a beautiful Friday, Geoff! xx Michael
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Thanks Michael. I think that’s possibly a German thing. Here in thr UK governments local and national have migrated to online so as to make contacting them almost possible except on their terms. I’m sponsoring an app that allows you to send a punch via your smartphone to particularly annoying people.
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Yeah! We are milky ways away.
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Oooh, I’ll have one of those, please.
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There’s a short but very educated queue forming…
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Online shopping has been a boon!
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You are giving yourself away!
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Loud and proud!
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You signed to the OSA yet? Online shoppers anonymous? ‘My name is Ritu and its been (insert minutes) since I last shopped online’
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I’m with ATA – Addicted To Amazon! 😁
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I think the best thing about Amazon is Bezos’ rocket. Who knew you could have such a graphic description of the man, climbing into his on phallus. The tumescent take off…
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🤣🤣🤣
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The surprising inadequacy of the human brain. Good friends thought to be clever, are suddenly virus/vaccine deniers. So sad. …
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Yep that would pull you up short. Thanks for adding to the list
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And, every time I read the word ‘deniers’, I have to look at the context, having been brought up in the time when hosiery thickness was measured by denier, pronounced quite differently.
Mind you, some of the current deniers are pretty darned thick …
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Goodness, I need to sit down. Pretty Polly legs on the side of a no 15… takes me right back
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Great points Geoff.
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My sadness/annoyance is a friend who denies Global Warming. Says it’s just that natural order of things ever thouand years, And you know this how? Just how old are you?
Hugs
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Ah indeed so many deniers, so much to deny. ‘It wasn’t me’ is a well worn excuse that time hasn’t improved since I first tried it as a child. Adulting should at least give one the maturity to admit errors but sadly so many are still mewling infants
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Interesting, got me thinking. I learned that I really cannot function properly working from home, my brain just doesn’t fire on all cylinders, and that I still need bits of paper for some things!
Also that I can function for weeks or even months on end without ever looking at any news at all in any form. I was addicted to checking headlines every hour, now I just don’t bother.
The most memorable thing so far: if ever there was anything more ridiculous than Boris giving his lifting of restrictions message from his then state of isolating, I’d like to know what it is.
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Yes irony lives in no. 10
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1, All politicians speak in tongues.
2, All public information and advice will be contradictory.
3, If there is a pandemic, number one son will get stressy..number two son will catch it, number three son will cope
4, Hospital Drs are more helpful and brave than GPs.
5, Vets are more helpful than G.P.s
6, Dogs have no concept of lockdown or social distance.
7, A lot of people don’t have any concept of lockdown or social distance.
8, There is always a numpty who will swear blind that Rona is a hoax.
9, Two negatives don’t make a positive.
10, It’s much nicer to be kind and helpful.
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Yep tick. If you add 6 to 7 you inevitably end up with certain people are dogs but without the levening loyalty and devotion
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Yes indeed 💜
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Jolly good Willowdot21 x !
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These are strange times aren’t they Joy 💜
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So clever and very funny, Willowdot. Thanks muchly.
Best wishes from lockdown in Greater Sydney,,
Rowena
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A pleasure, I do hope you are safe and sound 💜💜
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Yes indeed
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💜
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1. Research everything. Listening to politicians is not research.
2. Embrace kindness and try to find patience.
3. Ignore mainstream media.
4. Respect personal distance.
5. Find ways to appreciate life.
6. Value each moment.
7. Tell people that you love them.
8. Pray for our world, each other.
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I’ll go with all those save perhaps 3. In the UK the BBC is still pretty good as are the main broadsheet newspapers – Times Telegrsph and Guardian.
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Excellent advice,Gwen. Although I hope rather than pray, being a Humanist. x
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I realized that I could get along very well without interacting with my own species.
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Yes. I found lockdown remarkably amenable. Not sure I could tell many though. It helps having a garden thr size of a London park mind
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Confessing Howard Hughesism is not a widely understood situation. 😊
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And now I know what I have is a thing. Marvellous. Better to have an -ism than an -osis I I expect.
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So true.
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Experience beta early retirement of your husband who has been working from home for 15 months. It is as challenging as we always thought it would be to have us both home all the time!
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Oh dear. Hope you’ve separate laptops!
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Yes, but sadly not two houses. LOL
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Mine is: Never underestimate how selfish people can be.
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Or the generosity of pets…
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It is very awkward to have a runny nose during Covid!
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Oh yes. Coughing can clear a train carriage quicker than a quarter pounder fart
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Great list! I think we’ve learned how stubborn some people can truly be. By the way, I like that you made up #10. I remember reading “How to Lie With Statistics” in college.
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One of my dad’s favourite phrases which he used when debating with the radio ‘it’s all lies damned lies and statistcs’
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The great thing about the radio is you can always turn it off—not necessarily true with blowhards, though. 🤣
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The human race has a split-personality narcissism disorder. (I think I just made that up, but it sounds about right)
Truly thankful for the few close friends I have, none of whom have displayed the above disorder.
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I have many friends with many disorders, mostly induced by incompetent government
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Others are just “creative”…or Australian!
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Thanks for the above, Geoff. all very interesting!
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Prompted by thr first – how can being positive turn into a negative? The world I’d truly on its head
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Ah, Geoff, lessons from Covid. I’ve learned that I would hate to be a teacher and that even introverts need to occasionally see another person other than mother, husband, and sons. Hehe
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I don’t know about teaching but I imagine home schooling was a trial. And yes human contact is essential for most
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My regard for teachers has increased, Geoff.
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My guilty secret is that I quite enjoyed, in the first lockdown, having so many things that I simply couldn’t do. It meant I didn’t have to feel guilty about not doing them.
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Oh I hear you! Being healthy and able to potter without planning 1000 things was quite destressing
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If it wasn’t so true it would be hilarious. You did make me laugh. I’ve had this open for awhile but seem to have a wild case of ADD lately. Can I blame that on the vaccine? What have I learned? Some really smart people are really dumb. I’m going to get my booster when it’s time and I wear a mask and even gloves in places where people can get too close, indoors or out. Wishing you the best on Saturday.
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Great list and it’s nice to see the humor in it. I also just wrote on COVID. It’s been a huge lesson on personal growth.
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Pandemic like Covid tests relationship. Those who are in LDR and unfortunately can’t meet have to test themselves how long can they survive. Couples who never had time to be with each other (busy at work or career) became stuck together and discovered they had so much differences and misunderstandings.
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The biggest lesson is that you can fool most of the people most of the time.
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Big pharma hires scumbags to do its marketing campaigns and doesn’t mind costing lives to do so.
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