What are you most looking forward to, and what good things have you learned?

[PepsiFree]

I was inspired by a couple of posts in the good news and optimism thread, and I thought it might make a good and positive thread of its own.

Yes, it's premature, we have a long way to go. But there is a light. It will end, eventually. For some, life has changed a lot, for others much less so, but I think everyone has a bit of a post-COVID bucket list, whether it's things you want to do or ways you hope society will be different. And I hope we've all learned some things that will help us going forward. So why not talk about dreams a little bit?

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:
- Visit my family in the US
- Go back to seeing my friends weekly, at the bar, the pub, house parties, all of it
- Concerts, many many concerts
- A Flames game, of course

Things I hope change in general:
- Increased awareness of the importance of personal hygiene (bros who don't even wash their hands after the urinal, I'm hoping you figured your #### out)
- Governments taking a look at better ways to support vulnerable populations and the middle class
- Working from home becomes common and accepted, even if the majority go back to the office, things like coming in and working with a cold are handled better
- Switching the conversation about this stupid virus to what we learned, and how we can move forward, from what everyone is doing wrong and why everything is terrible

Things I've learned that will stay with me:
- Better budgeting, I know how little I have to spend to be happy, and what things (trips, items, whatever) actually bring happiness
- The value of my friendships - I can't think enough about how lucky I feel that the friends I have, even those in completely different situations, have all put in the effort to stick together

[Knut]

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:

Kids sleeping at my parents house.


Things I hope change in general:

The death of the handshake

Things I've learned that will stay with me:


Budgeting.
Mental Health issues are no joke

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Can't wait:
- fart in an elevator full of people
- fart on an airplane
- fart on the ctrain
- fart at the saddledome

Hope changes:
- I'm with Pepi, I hope hygiene improves. People are generally quite filthy and disgust me.

Make me Learned Papa Homer:
- How much I miss the little things. Walking down Stephen Ave on my lunch hour during a chinook in December.
- Wearing a mask when sick or at an airport. Possibly on public transit during rush hour. Few other scenarios too.

[CaptainReboot]

Looking forward to:
- my kids playing with their cousins, and seeing their grandparents in person again. swimming and skating lessons, Calaway Park, Telus Spark and visiting places we stopped going to.
- Going to a Flames game. The last game I was supposed to attend was in a vendor's box suite. That game was the one that got cancelled due to Covid.
- playing hockey. In the middle of a hockey season which got cancelled. Never signed back up.
- hugging friends
- having lunch on a patio on Stephen Ave and people watch
- going to Disneyland. Had some dates planned in Feb but never booked.

Things I hope change in general
- people giving space when in line. Can't stand it when people breathe down my neck.
- more hand sanitizer stations everyone. I'm a germaphobe to being with
- more cleaning of high touch surfaces, like food court tables, self check out stations, etc. Those things were disgusting anyways.
- companies letting their employees work from home more often

Things learned that will stay with me
- if any of my kids have a runny nose, they are staying home, myself included. Before if they were a little sniffy they'd go to school. Not anymore.
- I'll probably continue to wear a mask depending on the situation.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Can't wait:
- fart in an elevator full of people
- fart on an airplane
- fart on the ctrain
- fart at the saddledome

Hope changes:
- I'm with Pepi, I hope hygiene improves. People are generally quite filthy and disgust me.

Make me Learned Papa Homer:
- How much I miss the little things. Walking down Stephen Ave on my lunch hour during a chinook in December.
- Wearing a mask when sick or at an airport. Possibly on public transit during rush hour. Few other scenarios too.

Haha.


* You should introduce “hope changes” to “can’t wait”

They say everyone likes their own brand

[peter12]

Hosting dinner parties, going to dinner parties.

[Dion]

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:

Visit my brother in Minnesota.
Have a Christmas with friends and family.
Have a cold beer and a dog while watching a Dawgs baseball game.
Hug all my female friends.

Things I hope change in general:

More awareness on Mental Health issues that came up during this pandemic.
People become less self centered with a focus on helping those in need.
We as a society becoming more grateful for the things we have in our lives.

Things I've learned that will stay with me:

The world will never be the same after this pandemic. Lives lost, jobs lost and business closures. It will take a long time for the economy to recover.
Don't take friends and family for granted.
This shall pass. In regards to the pandemic and the time it's taken to find a vaccine.

[Huntingwhale]

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:

• Get married
• Travel again
• Being in large groups of people at venues for music, sports, festivals, etc
• Seeing people's complete faces again
• Sit in restaurants or cafes without feeling guilty or worried

Things I hope change in general:

• People staying home when sick. No more powering through the cold or cough you might have. That no longer makes you a good worker. Stay the #### home!!
• More emphasis and support for working from home. It should be promoted as a tool to reduce our carbon footprint
• More washing and sanitizing in all public areas
• People being cleaner in general. More emphasis on things like washing hands and using sanitizer on a daily basis
• Read less fear mongering in the media
• More of an appreciation for science and just how great of an achievement it was to find a covid vaccine less then a year after it was declared a pandemic. Easily one of, if not the greatest achievement in human history

Things I've learned that will stay with me:

• Some regions of people are more caring of others and those around them, then other regions. IMO that mask got ripped completely off
• Governments need to stop caring about catering to charter of rights, the vocal minority or conspiracy theorists during pandemics, and do what is necessary to stop future biological threats. Even if it's unprecedented.
• Human beings as a whole are stupid selfish pricks and the world is better off without certain people

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Dion

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:

Visit my brother in Minnesota.
Have a Christmas with friends and family.
Have a cold beer and a dog while watching a Dawgs baseball game.
Hug all my female friends.

Things I hope change in general:

More awareness on Mental Health issues that came up during this pandemic.
People become less self centered with a focus on helping those in need.
We as a society becoming more grateful for the things we have in our lives.

Things I've learned that will stay with me:

The world will never be the same after this pandemic. Lives lost, jobs lost and business closures. It will take a long time for the economy to recover.
Don't take friends and family for granted.
This shall pass. In regards to the pandemic and the time it's taken to find a vaccine.

You only want to hug women?

[Weitz]

The things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:

Travel
Hockey Games
Play team sports

Things I hope change in general:

Nothing really. Personal Hygiene remains high I guess? Lower things like cold/flu.

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

You only want to hug women?

I think he just meant the lifeguards at his aqua size classes.

[Looch City]

Things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:
Visiting family and friends.

Things I hope change in general:
Cleaner supermarkets. Rather nice not seeing dirty gunk and #### on the baskets.

Things I've learned that will stay with me:
Mental health > work. A short walk out in the fresh air and sun does wonders I found.

[Buff]

Can't wait:
Go to Vegas and attend huge conferences
Go to hockey games
Play hockey

Change:
More work from home time after the pandemic
Less family reunions

Learned:
Some of my relatives are really terrible people
Social media is infuriating

[calf]

Can't Wait:
Grandparents babysitting
Getting the kids to play with other kids, cousins, etc.
Going to restaurants, visiting more friends in person
Travelling/going on vacations
Sports getting back to normal
In general, just doing more stuff around town.


Hope Changes:
More flexibility around working hours, working from home
People wearing masks if they are a bit unwell; more willing to stay home if they are sick.



Things I've Learned:
Seems that everything is amplified under Covid. Fix problems and situations early instead of letting them fester and be worse than they would have been pre-covid.

[SportsJunky]

Business travel. Never thought I'd say this but I miss it.

[WinnipegFan]

For me, the things I can't wait to do without a second thought to risk:
- Scools look somewhat normal again
- get my kids playing with all the kids in the neighbourhood
- Go back to seeing my friends weekly, at the bar, the pub, house parties, all of it
- Sports, I miss hockey so badly
- TRAVEL!! I miss seeing the world
- Get a date night with my wife, we are so wrapped up in isolation and kid care that we barely get time alone.
- Go to a movie!

Things I hope change in general:
- Everything PepsiFree said
- People move a bit from the materialistic side of the fence towards experiences and relationships

Things I've learned that will stay with me:
- That I can be alone with my family and be fully satisfied, this is a weird one but I am an extrovert and truly required social interaction to function. I also craved approval by my friends. I have overcome that hurdle to value my friends but be more comfortable alone.
- How to properly wash my hands
- That my hockey gear is friggin gross and likely could be ground zero for the next epidemic, I will replace some gear next season

[GoinAllTheWay]

I'm really just looking forward to the post pandemic orgy.

What I hope doesn't change is working from home 5 day and in the office for 5 days. Perfect.

[chemgear]

What good things have you learned?


That people are ####ing stupid and selfish pieces of #### beyond redemption.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by chemgear

What good things have you learned?


That people are ####ing stupid and selfish pieces of #### beyond redemption.

Not all people, but unfortunately more than I thought. This situation has permanently changed my opinion of a great number of people I know.

Had a friend/colleague straight up admit to me she had thanksgiving dinner with family.

My wife just about lost it hearing this as we slashed our wedding guest to like 8 people, held outdoors with mask and this was in September.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by chemgear

What good things have you learned?


That people are ####ing stupid and selfish pieces of #### beyond redemption.

Is that really a good thing?