During the pandemic citizens around the world were forced to adapt to new ways of living for their own protection and for the general greater good.
Curious to find out more examples of this, Redditor Outrageous-Collar-09 asked:
"What normal thing pre-covid feels weird now?"
People talked about the things that seemed different from establishments.
No Longer Fiction
"Watching post-apocalyptic movies and seeing things on abandoned store shelves that we damn well know would be long gone. Like TP."
– GloomyBend3068
All You Can Eat
"Buffets."
– NextFaithlessness471
"You know whats always been gross? Pizza buffets."
"You take your plate and carefully touch only the serving spatula to serve yourself a slice from the desired pie."
"You most likely hold your plate with your non dominant hand and use your dominant hand to touch the spatula."
"The spatula that EVERYONE ELSE HAS TOUCHED."
"Then you go and sit and eat your pizza, most likely with your hands, and also likely with your dominant hand- which you haven't washed."
"Barf."
– IsNanaTakingPens
The mask effect has completely transformed how we view ourselves and others.
Mask Convenience
"Wearing lipstick."
– tor93
"Sooooo I've had crooked teeth for years and finally got them fixed during lock down."
"I always wanted to wear lipstick and now that I can, I can't wear it out in public! Lol we'll get there one day."
– MeN3D
Mystery Face
"Knowing what the lower half of faces look like. I imagine my own version, and then I see them without a mask and I get a sort of dissonance."
– Bingo_is_my_name_o
Unrecognizable
"My hairdresser. I started going to her shortly before everything shut down. Last time I had my hair cut I arrived before she did and when she walked down the hall without her mask on I didn’t recognize her. Really hit me."
– No-Yak2005
Communication
"Reading lips. I’m autistic with an auditory processing disorder (I sometimes hear syllables instead of actual words), so I lip read to make sure I’m hearing someone correctly. Masks have created so many awkward/embarrassing/confusing interactions for me because I can’t lip read anymore!"
– lunanightphoenix
There was a discussion on hygiene and manners.
An Annual Tradition
"Blowing on a cake to take out the candles and then giving it to other people."
– Lucky_Wolf_03
Washing Hands
"I never thought it was gross before - but since the pandemic I've learned that some people didn't know how to wash their hands properly (and also don't wash their legs!!??), so yes you're 100% correct."
– erincee
Gesundheit
"Coughing/Sneezing in public."
– ineedadownpayment
"We used to cough to hide a fart, now we fart to hide a cough."
– Ugh_dont-ask
People commented on previous expectations from employers.
Sense Of Duty
"Still going to work when you’re sick because you’re not 'too sick' to work."
– ASaltyPorkchop
Commuting And Working
"Taking mass transit and going to work even though I was sick because I didn't feel sick enough to warrant using one of my days."
– Hrekires
Boss's 180
"Told my boss I was sick in the first month of covid and was told to still come in. Covid got to my country and my boss got angry at me because I came in and had me get tested. 'Why would you come in if your sick?' YOU F'KING TOLD ME TO."
Adopting A Common Practice From Another Culture
"Going to work/school when you’re feeling sick. I’ve always admired east Asian cultures for adopting the courtesy of wearing masks often in public when they have some cold symptoms but need to be out and about."
"So I hope wearing masks occasionally like those cultures did pre-pandemic becomes commonplace in the west post-pandemic."
– i_tune_to_dropD
Well, It's Not COVID
"I've had pnuemonia for 4 weeks and havent had any days off from work outside of my regular scheduled day off once a week. I'm struggling to breathe, coughing up mucus, sneezing and I'm downright miserable but I literally HAVE to work. Nobody cares unless it's a positive COVID test. I was back the day after I was hospitalized after fainting and nobody gave a f'k. Because it's not covid."
– ThisSorrowfulLife
Depending on the profession, going to a physical office is strange after most of us have gotten acclimated to conferencing with coworkers in a Zoom session.
The necessary trend has proven there is no more need for companies in big cities to spend an exorbitant amount of money to rent office spaces when employees could work just as efficiently from home.
I have no problem limiting my commute to a distance that is from my kitchen table to the bedroom.
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