You know when you're driving and everyone going slower than you is an idiot, while everyone going faster than you is a maniac? That's a little bit how it feels right now with this pandemic. Allow me to explain.
Everyone is doing this pandemic a little bit differently. Okay, sometimes a lot differently. The people who have slowed down and are wearing masks and social distancing are idiots while the people running ahead with life as though nothing has changed are maniacs.
Do I believe that? Not really. But the fact is that we are never going to be satisfied unless everyone is doing it exactly like we are. In other words, we want to control the world. Now more than ever. Because controlling other people's behaviors makes us feel a little bit more in control and thinking we know what's best for others at least makes us feel superior to everyone else.
I have heard lots of people talk about how the charitable thing is to wear a mask. You're wearing a mask because you love your neighbor and you want to protect them and care about them. And then you walk in your front door, take your mask off and proceed to yell at your neighbor in the privacy of your own home, or anonymously on facebook. Who knew that masks could breed so much hatred among neighbors? But the sad fact is, people are being pretty mean. Sure, be charitable and wear a mask for your neighbor, but don't badmouth and hate everyone who doesn't. That's not charity.
I have been thinking a lot about masks. Allow me to tell you my relationship with masks. For the first 4 months of quarantine I wasn't allowed to go to work, but I did some shopping for people. My OLD parents, and some other friends. I was a germaphobe. I would get to the parking lot, hand sanitize, put my mask on, re-sanitize my hands, get a clorox wipe, wipe down my cart handle and proceed to shop, being sure to maintain my distance and limit touching things I wasn't buying. When I got back to my car I would immediately hand sanitize again, load my groceries into my car, sanitize again, return cart, wiping it down for the next person, wait until I was all the way in my car before removing my mask, and then sometimes drive to a second or even third store to finish my shopping, repeating the process each time. Even if I visited 3 stores I would only have my mask on for a total of 45 minutes at a time (if the shopping took a long time).
When in the stores I saw all kinds of people wearing their masks wrong. Upside down, inside out, and more often than not, EMPLOYEES wearing their masks under their nose! I was pretty annoyed. Other customers are dumb and maybe don't know what to do, but you would expect the stores to talk to their employees and go over proper mask wearing!
I spent about 4 months being annoyed at these morons for wearing their masks wrong, but seldom changing my shopping places or doing anything about it. Just feeling annoyed.
Fast forward a few months. July! I was finally allowed to start going back to work. I was so ready. First day I sat at my computer for 3 hours trying to get everything sorted. Of course I wore a mask. But let me tell you something, my sympathy for grocery employees skyrocketed.
I discovered quickly that while wearing a mask to go grocery shopping, even wearing it continuously for a full hour didn't bother me much. Yeah, sometimes a little bit warm, or sweaty, or even itchy. It took some getting used to. But I could handle wearing it property for an hour. But once I had to be wearing it for hours at a time I desperately wished I could just wear it under my nose.
Day 1 of wearing a mask for only 3 hours and I felt a little bit light-headed and headachy. And now the days have gone on and each day I find myself needing a mask break at about an hour and a half in. I just want to rip the darn thing off my face and be done with it. But I don't. Cause rules are rules, and I'm a rule follower.
Luckily I work in a job where I can be like "Oh, man, I'm feeling faint!" and I can step outside for a few minutes to take my mask off away from others and breathe normally for a little bit. Side-note: I have never thought that breathing height of summer humid air felt so fresh and clear before!
Now imagine our grocery store workers who were thrown into having to wear masks all day, right from the start. And they can't just step away from their register once every 90 minutes to breathe normally. I don't know how often they get breaks. Cut them a little slack.
Do I think that this means it's okay to wear your mask below your nose? No. I'm just saying that I sympathize and feel much more compassion for them. If you're someone who has never worn a mask for more than an hour or so then maybe don't judge others so harshly. You don't know what it's like.
And I know I'll get some people jumping on me for things I've written here, so let me put a few more thoughts.
One: I know that nurses and doctors have it worse. I'm not gonna try and claim that my hardships of wearing a mask for 90 minutes is worse than doctors who wear them all day.
Two: Yes, I believe that masks should be worn properly. I'm not saying otherwise. I wear my mask when I'm in public and I wear it properly, covering my nose and chin.
Three: If you have kids going into school, or are someone about to go into work more or whatever, get used to wearing a mask. I thought I was prepared cause I had spent the first 4 months of quarantine wearing a mask once a week for less than an hour a day. HA!
Four: Get yourselves fun or pretty masks. I like wearing mine cause they're fun! I just want all the fun and pretty masks! I'm someone who wears mismatched socks on purpose so I can have two different pictures or patterns going on. So give me the fun and pretty masks!
Five: This sucks. It all sucks, and when is life going to be normal again? No, I refuse to accept this as the new normal. One day we'll have sports and plays and groups of hundreds of people together again and it won't freak anyone out.
Six: Be charitable. Wear your darn mask, people!
Seven: Be charitable. That means be nice to your neighbor. Even if they're not wearing their darn mask.
