“Yesterday and Tomorrow, All at Once”: What Ordinary Life Lost After COVID

Reddit readers have shared brief, vivid recollections of ordinary customs and small comforts that feel diminished or gone since the COVID-19 pandemic. Their posts map a quiet cultural aftershock — from faded neighborhood rituals to eroded trust in institutions — and show how everyday life still bears the pandemic’s imprint.

What People Say They Miss

Community Rituals and Neighborhood Life

Many users describe seasonal and neighborhood traditions that never quite came back. Trick-or-treating, once a front-door ritual, is now often reduced to candy left on driveways; some children only know “trunk-or-treat.” Others summed up the emotional landscape with short, telling lines: "Every day is Blursday," or life feels like "Groundhog Day." These remarks point to a broader sense of time distortion and diminished shared moments.

— DarkGrayDalia: "Standard style trick-or-treating still hasn't returned to my neighborhood... kids can't or won't come up to the front doors here anymore."

Local Businesses and Services

Respondents lamented the disappearance of independent restaurants, bars and theaters that gave neighborhoods character. Many said cities feel increasingly homogeneous, dominated by the same chain options. Small service details and fast-food staples — from a beloved Costco onion dispenser to 24/7 breakfast at some chains — were also missed as late-night and unique conveniences have become rarer.

— JakethePandas: "Now every city has the same handful of restaurant chains, and it's depressing."

Work, Public Courtesy and Social Life

Office camaraderie and in-person rituals have thinned: fewer people in the office, quieter events and more strangers among coworkers. Several posts described a decline in public manners and situational awareness — people stopping on escalators, blocking doorways or not yielding space — and a growing reluctance to host guests. Screen reliance and social withdrawal were common themes: many feel their impulse to go out or invite others over has been dulled.

— MaximusSydney: "Post-pandemic, the office is often only half full... events are quieter, and there's generally a lot less of a vibe."

Economics, Healthcare and Trust

Economic shifts — higher costs of living, persistent understaffing, and reduced 24/7 services — feature prominently. Several users described career setbacks, especially older workers facing hiring barriers. Others raised a more serious concern: weakened trust in medicine and vaccines, and the emotional toll on healthcare workers. Personal stories of losing loved ones under restricted visitation policies underline the pandemic’s human cost.

— beardofdoom2017: "My Mom... I couldn’t be there when she passed. Just my Dad could, because of the rules at the time."

Bottom Line

Together, these recollections sketch how a health crisis reshaped everyday life beyond the immediate emergency. What’s missing isn’t only conveniences — it’s spontaneity, shared rituals, and a steadier sense of community and trust.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.