So for those of you who hit it, how do you cope with turning 40 years old?

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by frank_one

Still no one in his 50s on the board?

Pretty sure we have a few users in the 50s here, but don't ask me for names since I can't think of any from the top of my head.

[CyberCubed]

There were a few people here who back in the early 2000's I remember being in their late 30's already, so now that we're 15-20 years later, some of them have to be in their 50's now. Of course a lot of old users aren't around anymore, a lot left around 2008-2010 or so.

Man to think I made the thread about turning 30 only a few years ago, and now I'm halfway making it to 40. What the hell. People aren't kidding when they say "time flies" when you get older. My 20's went by pretty quickly after you hit 25 or so and now my 30's are going by in a blink of an eye.

[Prowler]

And it's even worse with the pandemic since it made it harder for us to enjoy life the same way we did before it.

I feel bad for kids/teenagers who are growing during this rough time period.

[frank_one]

The pandemic has literally stolen us a whole year.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by Prowler

And it's even worse with the pandemic since it made it harder for us to enjoy life the same way we did before it.

I feel bad for kids/teenagers who are growing during this rough time period.

Eh, it'll help build character. Considering stuff like The Draft isn't a thing, not being able to go out to the coffee shop is probably the worst thing they'll ever face in their coddled little lives.

[IndigoErth]

The world should have collectively just decided to have a do over. Year 2020.1 and try again. lol


As for the kids... I feel like it would be more of a serious issue if this was, say, a five year pandemic, instead of just a year and some, assuming this thing wraps up this year. If it ware longer then I guess that's probably a real risk of kids missing necessary life lessons, but a year probably won't be all that hard to make up for in that regard. Might also give them more appreciation for normal life, friends, etc. which isn't a bad lesson itself. Likewise learning about making collective efforts as a community when needed.

While we kind of lost a year in some sense and I'm quite sad for all those lost and the people grieving those losses, on the other hand a part of me has also kind of looked at this as sort of an interesting experience... which I guess is the best way I can put it. It might not have been the black plague by any means, but I guess it's sort of a morbid point of interest to "get" to be one of those generations that sees an actual global pandemic and surreal to see something that all of humanity is responding to. But also lucky enough to live in a time where the world has a better grasp on trying to respond to it so it can try to prevent anything from turning out as bad as the plague.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Well, considering the Plague was really only ever a major issue for Europe, I'd say this global pandemic is a bit bigger in scope.

I've looked at it as a kind of global reset button for humanity, in that we got a chance to see the immediate effects of a full stop on human activity and pollution on a grand scale. Yes, the cost has been high, and the loss tragic, but the signs of life returning to many places, water clearing up, etc, have made it evident that we CAN change things, if we really want to. I just wish that we could take the lessons to heart, but it looks like that may not happen unless leaders can agree to make changes.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

Well, considering the Plague was really only ever a major issue for Europe, I'd say this global pandemic is a bit bigger in scope.

I've looked at it as a kind of global reset button for humanity, in that we got a chance to see the immediate effects of a full stop on human activity and pollution on a grand scale. Yes, the cost has been high, and the loss tragic, but the signs of life returning to many places, water clearing up, etc, have made it evident that we CAN change things, if we really want to. I just wish that we could take the lessons to heart, but it looks like that may not happen unless leaders can agree to make changes.

What a horrible way of thinking. Tens of millions lose their livelihoods, families destroyed, businesses never coming back, suicides across the roof... but hey, a worthwhile exercise for less smoke on the roads for a little while?

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

I've looked at it as a kind of global reset button for humanity, in that we got a chance to see the immediate effects of a full stop on human activity and pollution on a grand scale. Yes, the cost has been high, and the loss tragic, but the signs of life returning to many places, water clearing up, etc, have made it evident that we CAN change things, if we really want to. I just wish that we could take the lessons to heart, but it looks like that may not happen unless leaders can agree to make changes.

I don't think we needed to have this happen to know that a full stop on human activity would reduce pollution. How is this a global reset button? You're making an incredibly loose, Hollywood-style point here.

[Jephael]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Tens of millions lose their livelihoods, families destroyed, businesses never coming back, suicides across the roof... but hey, a worthwhile exercise for less smoke on the roads for a little while?

Those things happen all the time. Remember the recession we had about 10 years ago? Everybody was broke as a joke! There's always going to be some horrible catastrophe that nobody is prepared to deal with, leaving thousands scrambling like chickens with their heads cut off. Then before you know it, everything will go back to the way it was and it'll all be a bad memory we constantly repress.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Jephael

Those things happen all the time. Remember the recession we had about 10 years ago? Everybody was broke as a joke! There's always going to be some horrible catastrophe that nobody is prepared to deal with, leaving thousands scrambling like chickens with their heads cut off. Then before you know it, everything will go back to the way it was and it'll all be a bad memory we constantly repress.

Not many people died though. Covid-19 feels like the second coming of 9/11, in that it essentially changed the world.

[Andrew NDB]

And also it wasn't man-made/forced by the government (the "quarantine" and crashing of the economy and so on).

[IMJ]

Total Global Population: 7.9 Billion
Total # of COVID Deaths: 2.93 Million
Total population of New York City: 8.4 million
Total population of Chicago: 2.7 million
Total population of Paris: 2.16 million

There are thousands of cities on Earth. Also to for perspective:
2020 Cancer Deaths: U.S. only : 606,500

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

What a horrible way of thinking. Tens of millions lose their livelihoods, families destroyed, businesses never coming back, suicides across the roof... but hey, a worthwhile exercise for less smoke on the roads for a little while?

As I said, the cost was indeed high- apparently you missed that part- and yes, there was terrible loss(again, I already said that) BUT, I try to see the positive in things, because there is good as well as bad in everything. It's about learning from events, not just boo-hooing about them. Seeing where there is light even in a dark situation. Try it sometime.

Originally Posted by IMJ

I don't think we needed to have this happen to know that a full stop on human activity would reduce pollution. How is this a global reset button? You're making an incredibly loose, Hollywood-style point here.

No, it is truth. Having seen so many of the stories about changes taking place almost immediately once quarantine was established all over the world, it has become clear that we really DO have a HUGE impact on the world around us, like things we never even notice in our daily lives. For instance, city traffic and lights causing urban wildlife (especially birds) to change sleep/activity cycles. Ever wonder why you hear birds at 3 AM? When they SHOULD be sleeping? Because of human interference. A lot of that stopped for a while during the pandemic's early months, because less traffic and fewer lights used gave them a chance to go back to a natural rythm. Or the Venice canals being clearer than they had in decades, maybe even a century or more. It happened all over the world, and it proved one thing- the environmentalists were right about our footprint being so damaging. And that we need to change how we treat our planet.

[Leo656]

I always wonder how hippies sleep at night, what with all the crippling existential angst and whatnot.

I mean, knowing that flushing the toilet twice might have uprooted an entire family of ducks or something must be incredibly emotionally exhausting.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

It's about learning from events, not just boo-hooing about them.

Not boo-hooing about them? How about we just STOP doing them altogether, and stop the damage at the root?

What a sick, sick mentality.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

No, it is truth. Having seen so many of the stories about changes taking place almost immediately once quarantine was established all over the world, it has become clear that we really DO have a HUGE impact on the world around us, like things we never even notice in our daily lives. For instance, city traffic and lights causing urban wildlife (especially birds) to change sleep/activity cycles. Ever wonder why you hear birds at 3 AM? When they SHOULD be sleeping? Because of human interference. A lot of that stopped for a while during the pandemic's early months, because less traffic and fewer lights used gave them a chance to go back to a natural rythm. Or the Venice canals being clearer than they had in decades, maybe even a century or more. It happened all over the world, and it proved one thing- the environmentalists were right about our footprint being so damaging. And that we need to change how we treat our planet.

facepalms

I don't think anyone is arguing with you that it isn't the truth. But rather, I think that there are a few people here who are always surprised when meeting someone who has to touch the fire before they know they'll be burned. The point is that most people with common sense knew beforehand that if human activity slowed down, the environment could stage a fast comeback.

And so, I'm not entirely sure what your point is. Is this an epiphany to you? What actions should be taken outside of this sort of child-like view that says "look, lockdown cleaned up rivers, we need to change something!"
There's an episode of South Park that encompasses this perfectly.

[Leo656]

*I* Broke The Dam.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

What is sick about awareness of human mistreatment of our own source of livelihood? Or the need to do something about it? Seems you completely lost the point I was making, that while the pandemic has had terrible consequences for HUMANS, it has done the exact opposite for the rest of the world. Nature severely needed a chance to recover, and we saw a hint of what could happen if we were to change how we live and treat our home. What YOU take away from that is your own issue. I took away the belief that things CAN get better, IF we actually WORK at it. If you disagree with that most basic idea simply because people died or lost homes and businesses (again, I acknowledged that TWICE already) then maybe you are just not seeing the bigger picture of what we are continually doing to our own futures, which is far, FAR worse than what Covid has done thus far! (There is a floating island of garbage in the pacific as big as Texas. If THAT doesn't tell you something is seriously wrong, I really just don't know what to say.)

[Leo656]

Is it really that shocking that most PEOPLE care more about what happens to PEOPLE than about what might happen to anything else?

It shouldn't be that shocking.