Lockdown sucked, but it might have taught you something about yourself or human nature, or given you a chance to learn something new.
I learned to increase my supply of yeast and toilet tissue. What lessons (if any) did you learn from lockdown?
Not so much learned but confirmed how much of a misanthrope I really am. It isn’t that I am incapable or even uncomfortable in social situations. It’s that I’d simply rather not take part in them most of the time. After a brief adjustment period to working from home 100% of the time, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having an excuse to embrace the anti-social me.
I had to pick something up at the local mall for the first time in well over a year and I was physically repulsed by the humanity. Also, why the fuck is everybody out in public wearing spandex?!
It is a combination of the enormous surplus of shitty Lululemon ‘attire’ and that nothing else fits after living on a diet of RC Cola and microwave Hot Pockets for a year. Also, where did you find a functioning mall? Are you sure you didn’t fall into a time vortex that took you back to 1985?
Stranger
NoVA. The land of malls and consumption based (sub)urban “city center” planning.
Ah, ‘False Belgium’. * Ik maak een grapje. Echt!*
Stranger
I read that one person in four went up two jean sizes. I am an avid exerciser but struggled with feeling unmotivated during the worst of the pandemic. But at least I did not purchase anything spandex, out of pride - and consideration for my contemporaries.
I thought it was interesting how it became possible to drive quickly or see things once covered in smog. I think it cured me of a desire to live in a very big city.
I learned that I like the eerie feeling of things not being normal. Well, only in that situation.
That I was already washing my hands an appropriate amount before all of this. I’ve always had a personal rule about washing my hands whenever I happen to be near a sink. Not like, absolutely every time I pass by one, but y’know, if it’s been more than about an hour or so and I happen to be near one, I wash my hands. That part of my life did not change at all.
Also, I buy a 12-pack of TP whenever I happen to be at the store. I may or may not need it, in fact I’ve got a good cushion of extra supply, but I buy another one every time just because it’s there, and I can. I’m not hoarding, but I’m not risking living by the seat of my toilet, either. Same thing with certain cleaning supplies. They’re not expensive items and either have a very long expiration or do not expire. I’ve got plenty of storage space and I’ll use it eventually.
Oh, and if you’re within the general metropolitan area of a large city in the US, there’s almost no limit of what you can get delivered. You pay a premium for it of course, and I suppose in that way it’s always been true, but it’s affordable to laypersons now. Almost anything.
The noticeable decline in ambient noise, at the very beginning, was magnificent.
Same. I’m still not venturing out to public spaces much, because I just don’t want or need to. It’s confirmed for me that I’m okay being alone, and probably won’t change that status at any point in the future.
I was using the term hermit, but like that much better.
We should have jackets made.
And I’m the same body weight to the kilo and my exercise routine remains inconsequential.
Me too. Not being able to go to the gym was the worst part for me. I luxuriated for a while and packed on ten pounds. Then motivated myself into a serious sports injury with my home workouts. Post surgery and post recovery, I’m back in top form.
The wife and I were less locked down than most, but one thing I learned in general was emphasized by a comedian whose name I forget. He pointed out that people are always saying things like, “I’d love to learn another language … if I had the time.” “I’d love to repaint all our rooms … if I had the time.” But the fact is, very few people do it once they do have the time. He himself said he fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV amid a haze of Cheetoh’s dust every night.
On one hand, I did use the time to actually improve my foreign language skills a little. On the other hand, despite having time to clean, my house somehow still got surprisingly dirty during the worst of the pandemic, which required extra efforts later. There are disadvantages to having too much to read.
My cooking skills increased.
Correlated or not, so did my weight 
.
That I am not actually as much of an introvert as I thought I was, in fact, I pretty much need to be in big crowds of random strangers regularly to feel fully alive.
I learned to make far more varieties of bread than necessary. But I also learned croissants stuffed with various common chocolate bars should really be a thing because they are aaaaaamazing.
I learned that Philo T. Farnsworth invented this thing called “television,” which is capable of occupying thousands of hours that I used to spend being productive and creative.
I also learned that 6,000 years ago the Sumerians invented something called “beer,” which is quite refreshing and nutritious, and is appropriate to drink any time of the day or night.
In concurrence with several posts upthread, I learned that I am pretty much a misanthrope too, and that television can be much more awesome than I had given it credit for.
I also learned that I am not nearly as picky about coffee as I had thought. I stocked up on large cans of Costco and Signature ground coffee early on, both as a cost-saving measure and in case it became difficult to buy fresh whole beans. For years, I had been dutifully grinding coffee beans every morning under the mistaken belief that I cared. It turns out that I don’t. Now I only grind beans myself when someone gives me whole ones.
In my case, it’s because I don’t have a car and the handcycle is my only transportation.