People you know - As one might expect, some rose a rank up or two in my estimation, while others took a step back. I learned from the things I appreciated from others and tried to pass that on by being more thoughtful. This was a bit more easily done when evaluating the behaviour of people close to me since I was better informed about the parameters they were operating with.
People you didn't/don't know - I also tried to learn from strangers, but more in a general societal sense.
From both people I know and ones I don't, I basically learned that kindness and respect generally engender more kindness and respect. Arrogance and ignorance, well......
Politicians - Not an easy job, that's for sure. I'm sure there are a few who get involved in that arena for the right reasons, let's call it "for the common good", but sadly, their reins get rapidly pulled in by the real players, the ones out for control. More than before, I'd say, I try to decipher/decode what's coming out of their mouths so that I can better evaluate what the situation really is. Not sure I'm entirely successful at that but I keep learning.
My real problem here is not really with politicians themselves but now more with their blind followers. Some of the crap some people fall for, without it making any sense at all, is beyond belief. Very sad.
Food & drink - To begin with, I have never been a resto guy. One area which has really changed for me is the status of my inventory. I am not a hoarder at all, but I can now always tell you exactly what I'm running a little low on and will make sure to replenish as soon as I can. When I go to my kitchen to prepare a meal, I know exactly what I have to work with, if I need anything....no surprises. Makes my life easier. (I'm running a little low on oregano and parsley at the moment, but not to be replenished yet. Maybe in a week or two. And I should probably pick up some chicken breasts tomorrow or Tuesday, unless I thaw some out frm my freezer, depending on what's on offer. Oh yeah, I'm out of mushrooms.
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Your job - I still love it. Been at it for more than 30 years and it has naturally evolved over that time. Continuous minor steps along the way is easy for me to adapt to.
Because of unfortunate circumstances, I went through a very difficult time at the start of the thing medically. Some of the folks I work with really surprised me with their support. I appreciate kindness more than I ever have. Alost blindingly so.
Special skills - I have developed a bit of an ability to actually listen to my inner voice. I police myself a lot better than I ever have before. For example, I had decided that I was cleaning my windows yesterday and that I wanted to get started on that by noon so that everything else I had planned for the day would not be affected. And so I did. In the past, those damned windows would not have been cleaned for at least another week, maybe more. Knowing mysel the way I do, I would call that a new, special skill. Makes my life a lot more enjoyable by removing unnecessary stress from things under my control.
I guess I'm a rather stuborn guy. When my mind is made up (i.e. when I agree to listen to my inner voice) the deal is as good as done.
The effects of various restrictions on you and yours - I've pretty much always lived by the rules, especially when I understand their aim. But I've also learned to at least try to understand why others may not want to follow said rules. I don't have to agree with them, but unless they are actually causing harm to themselves or others, well, I don't let it affect my humour. Some people I know were very positively affected by the fact that bars were closed entirely. Nuff said.
Hobbies - I still love and still suck at painting (acrylic). I'm slow and lousy but I don't care. Still fun. I also learned that one can only do so much Sudokus/crosswords/Bineiros... before one gets their fill. One being me of course. To each his or her own.
Your love/hate of shopping - I love shopping. I mean, I love shopping MY WAY. I need something that I can afford, I go to the store I have chosen, go in, pick up what I need, pay for it, and I'm done. In and out. The fact that I had to wait in lie outside on occasion only made that habit stronger. I was never one to "look around" very much but that particular characteristic of mine has been further amplified. Heck, I've even bought a coupe of items online, a bit odd since I also need to see and touch what it is I am buying.
The only area where I will impulse buy on occasion is at the grocery store where once in a while, I will pick something a little different up in order to experiment. Most often though, I will notice something, take it in mentally and check out what I could do with it once I'm home. If I'm interested, I migt pick it up on a followin visit. This is made easier by the fact the main store I go to is just around the corner and open from 8am to 10pm.
Anything else - As a result of the combination of the general effects of the pandemic, the unavoidable effects of ageing including the possibility of retirement looming in the fairly near future, a fairly serious medical condition, the continued and also unavoidable disappearance of a few dear ones (something that will unfortunately continue of course), I have learned to try and make the most of what time I do have left. In my case, that means better planning and better recognition of what I can and cannot do. I know that I cannot make this wrld a better place but I can try as much as I can to make my little corner a little sunnier.
And I've also come to learn and appreciate that this life's real heroes are not usually featured in the newspapers.