My daughter’s friend—I’ll call her Amanda—never wears a mask anywhere. When the clerk standing outside our local grocery store distributing free masks and hand sanitizer asks if she’d like a mask, Amanda smiles and says “No, thank you.” If he asks, “Are you sure?” she nods and says, “I don’t have to wear a mask. I suffer from CS.”
The clerk then says, “I’m sorry,” and waves her inside the store.
CS carries a dire tone, sounding like some congenital ailment of the lungs or heart, or some affliction derived from asbestos or smoking.
For Amanda, CS stands for “Common Sense.”
Bedsure Satin Pillowca...
Best Price: $8.83
Buy New $10.99
(as of 06:28 UTC - Details)
I laughed when I heard this story, but then got to thinking: Why is it I have so detested masks ever since the first day the governor mandated them here in Virginia? If masks protect others, shouldn’t I be happy to cover my nose and mouth? When I’m in my Honda Civic, I practice defensive driving; I don’t tailgate, I double check my rearview mirror before changing lanes, and if another driver behaves rudely or foolishly, I try to keep my cool.
So why am I having such difficulty showing people similar courtesies when it comes to wearing a mask?
My reasons, from least to most important, are the following:
Comfort. The masks I wear irritate my cheeks and chin and also stifle my breathing. After spending just 15 minutes masked in the grocery store I begin feeling like a caged animal as I pull and tug at the corners, seeking air and relief from discomfort.
Glasses. Wearing a mask fogs up my glasses, in turn demonstrating that the mask is not working, my breath is escaping around the corners.
Ray-Ban unisex adult R...
Buy New $109.95
(as of 06:28 UTC - Details)
This time last year, and for three years before that, I visited our public library several times a week, where I would browse the books before settling down to a couple hours of writing. The library offered seating galore, including a vestibule with five tables where I could eat lunch and sip my coffee while working.
Masks have put an end to those prolonged stays. The library staff is strict about this mask business, they even removed the tables from the vestibule because some patrons were removing their masks to talk with friends. Besides, typing with befogged glasses is a misery I’ve decided to avoid. Today I go to the library to find a particular book or two, then I check out and go home.
Ineffective protection. Physicians and scientists have argued about whether masks even work. The thousands who signed the Great Barrington Declaration, including prominent epidemiologists, argue against lockdowns and for herd immunity instead, encouraging the healthy and the young to resume their normal lives.
