Anonymous wrote:Brought out in the open what I've been saying all along. This area is filled with small-minded, sanctimonious virtue-signalers who are some of the nastiest people on the face of the earth. Add to this, the vapid denial of the rise in crime and the rapid conversion of the suburbs into third world nations, and I'm not staying, even if it costs me my marriage. And I say this as someone who is living a life of privilege in a gorgeous home in a gorgeous area. I'd rather live smaller and poorer than deal with the likes of people in this area.

Op, I live in an exurb around lots of blue collar workers (and teachers, etc) and I’m not sure what you mean by this. People here still struggled with isolation, being wary of each other, teachers and parents at odds, people overbuying at the grocery store. I’m not sure there’s any place that did not struggle. As far as I know every community in the country grappled with this and is still recovering. No DC suburb I’ve seen has become ‘third world.’ The tent cities downtown are concerning but still not resembling third world. I’m just not sure there’s a utopia out there unless you go to some obscenely wealthy enclave like Jackson hole.

Physically, I'm an absolute mess. I've gained weight, gone grey, and all of my muscle turned to fat. I have no motivation to exercise. I feel like I've aged ten years. Emotionally I'm pretty good. I've barely seen anyone in eighteen months and haven't had sex since January 2020, but life is very peaceful and uncomplicated. I've spent lots of time with my dog and have read a lot, I've spent tons of time on the phone and video chat with my elderly parents, and have de-cluttered my home.

or sure it made me reassess priorities. I’m a teacher and it’s very easy in teaching to give all your energy and your best self to your job/the kids. Teaching through a pandemic was awful but personally illuminating because when I saw how little regard they system and community had for teachers I realized fully, it is a job. A job I love, but a job. And I could still be good at that job while not giving it my best over my family. So I stopped working at all outside contract hours. I’m talking I wouldn’t even check email from 4:15 pm to 9:00 am. I erected much better boundaries to prevent school from completely consuming all my energy and attention. Never again will school get the best of me while my family gets the rest. It was a very needed reset.

SO TRUE. I worked insane hours, skipped exercise, and didn't see a single person except for students and work colleagues from August-March, when my loved ones could be vaccinated. Then I said enough and changed my behaviors to prioritize my physical and mental health. I will never give so much of myself to this job ever again.

Anonymous wrote:Brought out in the open what I've been saying all along. This area is filled with small-minded, sanctimonious virtue-signalers who are some of the nastiest people on the face of the earth. Add to this, the vapid denial of the rise in crime and the rapid conversion of the suburbs into third world nations, and I'm not staying, even if it costs me my marriage. And I say this as someone who is living a life of privilege in a gorgeous home in a gorgeous area. I'd rather live smaller and poorer than deal with the likes of people in this area.

Bubbye!

It made me a political independent. The viewing of COVID through a political lens has done and continues to do enormous harm to our country. Republicans haven't taken it seriously and don't believe in vaccines and people are dying needlessly. Democrats continue to way overestimate the risk of COVID which has caused unnecessary and prolonged school closures that have been harmful to children and families as well as other restrictions. There seem to few sensible people in this country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nanny and I realize how little my bosses cares about me, just as a human being. I’ve been with the family for 9 years and it’s soul crushing when I think how I’ve given almost a decade of my heart and soul to this family, and the parents didn’t care about exposing me to dangerous situations. I arrived at work after a week off for Xmas, to find out everyone had covid. I found out when the kids told me and I was already exposed. I was sick for a month and my boss didn’t pay me beyond my 5 sick days.

Im looking for a new job in September.

I'm a nanny as well and heck no. I would've been outta there. In this time, nannies have been in high demand so unless they put a gun to your head, not sure why you actually stayed. Good luck.

I stayed for the kids, because it’s not their fault. The youngest has a learning disability and I was helping with remote school. We did not go back this year until the last month. I’m September he goes on person and I’m gone.

Anonymous wrote:It made me realize that I married the wrong person and it made me regret not telling (out of fear) the one person from my past -- the only person I've truly fallen in love with -- how I feel.

Or maybe you just watched too much lifetime.

Anonymous wrote:It turned me into a republican. I will not vote for Trump but going forward I’m only voting GOP. I’ve had enough of the over the top identity politics being so extreme lately. I’ve had enough of the scare tactics. I want my kids back in school.

Welcome!! We love critical thinkers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Made me really appreciate just how evil the Chinese Communist Party / Chinese government truly is.

They are the Number One threat to the world. Not just to their own citizens, but to every single human on this planet.

+1000

The Chinese communist party is dishonest to the core. And completely devoid of anything resembling morality.

In secret, they are actively perpetuating genocide against their Uighur population.

They are also massively exploiting Africa and many other underdeveloped regions.

And yet, the man running the pandemic partnered with them on gain of function research

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having small kids and taking care of them is the most isolating and tiring experience even when there is no pandemic.

People need to also understand that having more than 1 or 2 kids is not easy. No one owes the raising of your kids to you. The parents have to raise them. If they are lucky they will have paid or unpaid caregivers at various times but it is not a guarantee.

If you cannot do it on your own and do it well then don't have kids.

Oh shut up.

Please shut up. You have no idea what anyone's circumstances are.
Maybe her husband died. Maybe he was abusive.
Just be kind people. Why is that so hard.

Because people in the DC area don't know how to BE kind

Brought out in the open what I've been saying all along. This area is filled with small-minded, sanctimonious virtue-signalers who are some of the nastiest people on the face of the earth. Add to this, the vapid denial of the rise in crime and the rapid conversion of the suburbs into third world nations, and I'm not staying, even if it costs me my marriage. And I say this as someone who is living a life of privilege in a gorgeous home in a gorgeous area. I'd rather live smaller and poorer than deal with the likes of people in this area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cost us an enormous sum of money (small business owners)

2 of our 3 kids feel behind in school, one is also depressed.

DH and I have both gained weight and drink too much.

I had to go back on meds for my anxiety, and DH is depressed (first timer). Marriage not in a great place.

We were all healthy and thriving before.

It has been very unfair, and absolutely no one cares. A few have born the brunt of this, while so many others have “enjoyed the break”.

It is hard not to be bitter.

But, you asked.

I’m really sorry. A certain class of people (work from home with nannies or sahm
) have had the loveliest time of this. They have no self awareness or compassion for people like you. It makes me sick. Everyone’s ok-ness with no school encouraged our family to leave dc. Can’t live around so many thoughtless lemmings.

I want to leave this area more than anything. Husband won’t budge. That’s what’s making me depressed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s made me mad. I will never ever forget the feeling of abandonment. The whole world walked out. I was home alone with 3 small children, one with special needs, for 15 months. Our schools didn’t reopen. Therapies were only on zoom. And nobody cared. My parents social distanced from us. My DH can’t work from home and was out of the house from 8-7 every weekday. Soooo many “friends” and neighbors gushed about all the “silver linings” of the pandemic and how they enjoyed the family time and slower pace. Can’t relate. At all.

Sounds like maybe you bit off more than you can chew.

Sounds like you’re a major a$$hole.

For sure it made me reassess priorities. I’m a teacher and it’s very easy in teaching to give all your energy and your best self to your job/the kids. Teaching through a pandemic was awful but personally illuminating because when I saw how little regard they system and community had for teachers I realized fully, it is a job. A job I love, but a job. And I could still be good at that job while not giving it my best over my family. So I stopped working at all outside contract hours. I’m talking I wouldn’t even check email from 4:15 pm to 9:00 am. I erected much better boundaries to prevent school from completely consuming all my energy and attention. Never again will school get the best of me while my family gets the rest. It was a very needed reset.

It made me realize that I married the wrong person and it made me regret not telling (out of fear) the one person from my past -- the only person I've truly fallen in love with -- how I feel.