OK – I’m Ranting…Wearing a Mask or Not?
I didn’t want to write about this Covid-19 thing at all. Not that I am not interested but because everyone else is writing about it too. Overload. But this has gone too far.
I don’t watch the news, but I do travel around a lot in my RV and it is fairly easy to see who is wearing a mask and who isn’t. I couldn’t figure out the obvious differences as it wasn’t age or sex or certain places or color of skin and not others.
I figured it was time to ask some questions and because friends and family were close by, they got chosen first.
I got everything from “I don’t like them, they fog up my glasses, what difference does it make, they’re hot, they’re ugly, nobody else is wearing them, I don’t care, I don’t have to, I’m not going to get it, I don’t like anyone telling me what to do.” Sound familiar? Are you in there somewhere?
Here’s the deal. What do you care about? Who are you in a time of crisis? How does it make you feel to wear or not to wear a mask? No, I do not want to know. That is up to you to decide and live with.
Me, I am wearing a mask when I am near people. I do not wear one when I walk the dogs in the woods as I never see anyone that early in the morning. I do not wear one when I am pumping gas unless I have to go into the store for something. I do not wear one when I am driving or anywhere by myself where I do not come in contact with other people.
I am in the at-risk category because of my age. I want people to know that I care about them enough to wear a mask, so they do not contract something from me even if I am symptom free. I don’t care what people think most of the time, but their health is a different matter to me. I do not want to be responsible for getting someone sick because I was arrogant enough to feel I was somehow immune or better than they are.
My rights as a human are not being violated in any way. Maybe inconvenienced a little. So what? Traffic jams inconvenience me too. Do I get frustrated when Siri doesn’t recognize me, and I have to put in my code? Yes. Do I get pissed off when I cannot get the plastic veggie bag to open for my broccoli without wetting my fingers? Yes. Do I just hate it when the mask makes my Maui Jim’s fog up? Damn right. So what? I get over it. This pandemic isn’t about me.
I’m trying to figure out people’s emotional maturity, grit, and ability to stay strong even when the shit is hitting the fan? Lately I have been witnessing a boat load of stupidity for what people think is their right. And for what? Not to be inconvenienced?
Am I for people going back to work to support their families? Absolutely. Safely and with scientifically backed recommendations based on science and not inconvenience.
Am I looking forward to the time when I can go to a fresh market, hear a live concert, travel to a fun place, hang out with friends? Hell yes. And until a viable vaccine appears and everyone on the planet has access to it and this pandemic is declared by scientists as over then I will be wearing my mask to protect you.
