How have you grown from the current tension?

[HondaKid86]

I'm sure you have. And I'm looking for a little inspiration.

What personal good has come from all of... this?

[Rare White Ape]

Howdy stranger

I can't say I have grown. In Australia the pandemic only hit very mildly. My employer didn't close its doors or reduce hours. I worked 100% of the time between March and now.

For me, there was no shut down. Only some sort of misplaced jealousy of the people I knew who got to have a paid holiday while I toiled.

I guess I could say that frustration has manifested in a lack of love for work at the moment, as I briefly detailed in another thread that I've started to study to be a motorcycle licensing instructor. I'm even seriously considering quitting my job to study full-time, because with the government response to COVID right now is the best opportunity I'll ever have to boot it out of there and train myself to take up a new career.

You only fucken live once. Why waste it doing some thankless shit for someone else?

(Although I should note that 'thanklessness' is a subjective measure - the work you do in nursing makes you a genuine hero to many people, except you're doing it under really shitty circumstances so it may feel like it's pretty bad. I think you do heaps of good. People just don't realise enough to appreciate it)

[HondaKid86]

I have to redirect your kind words to Godson, the real nurse among us. I can't steal his valor like that. He's the hero, working in a dangerous environment. I'm an EMT, but not on an ambulance at the moment — I was lucky to be sheltered in a cushy gig, until it ended, well, today.

Can't believe I'm going to have to go all the way to Australia to get my motorcycle license now. You're on, though.

I think the pandemic-related instability is the perfect catalyst to make a major change of direction, like going back to school. Chaos makes the perfect cover to take chances and reinvent. I left a solid job with a lot of drawbacks to take a chance on this temporary gig, and though it's on pause, it sure feels like it was the right leap.

More from me later - I want to hear how you guys are evolving from the tension. I don't just mean the pandemic — take your pick: global instability, the civil rights schism, finding out your friends are anti-maskers... There's a lot of tension, but also a lot of room to refine, define and focus.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I guess you're still a kid, most of us here are getting old... so we ain't gonna "grow" no more!

At best we'll readjust and get used to this new normal.

Counting my blessing to still be able to have a job and be able to work from home. After throwing commutes out the window, the extra time saved allowed us to tend to the yard/garden more. Of course extra time with the family as well. I get to do mariokart races with my 8 yr old daughter almost daily... I can't believe she beats me sometimes... we also cook together more...

I think for introverts like myself, staying at home really isn't that big of a deal. The only thing wife misses is traveling... we had to delay our northern european cruise thanks to this pandemic. Wife was really looking fwd to seeing stonehenge... at this point, not sure we'll be able to cruise any time soon...

So maybe our only option left is to start traveling using RV and I'll just work from the RV?

I'm also contemplating on starting my own business with more free time at home...

Anyway, situations change... we all just need to learn to adapt to those changes I guess...

As for finding out my buddy is an anti-mask idiot..., yeah, that was really disappointing. However, whatever, not going to unfriend him just because of that, but certainly won't be having lunch with him any time soon. Will also have to wait to drive his Ferrari until all the virus crap blows over!

[dodint]

Tyler has actually worked less because of COVID.

[Jason]

My stomach has grown a bit, does that count?

[Cam]

I wish I could say I did, but I do not believe I have. My life has not changed much. I've always been a supporter of peace, love and equality. I mostly lived like a hermit before COVID-19. I miss the limited social engagements we would normally attend or host. I want to participate in more protests, but I do not want to get infected or arrested. I would probably recover from corona virus, as I am not a high-risk group. However, getting arrested would seriously eff up my life. I would probably be deported and never allowed back in the US again. We have built ourselves a life here, for now. I do not want that to be messed up.

[21Kid]

My stomach has grown a bit, does that count?

I was going to say, I've grown... wider.


I'm with Cam, except I don't have to worry about deportation. Although that might not be such a bad thing seeing how bad things are getting here.
Love you Adam <3

[G'day Mate]

I was able to grow my YouTube channel a bit actually. About to hit 8,000 subscribers, and for the last two months in a row I've earned over $100, which is the minimum amount you have to accumulate before they send you the money, so now I get it straight away

[Cam]

Congrats! I just passed 7K.