We Aren’t All in This Together

As I was walking into the local grocery store last Sunday with a mask on, a man came breezing in behind me with his mask in his hand. The masked guard at the front door asked him to put it on and then immediately said, “Monday. The requirement stops Monday.“

“Will they be allowing you to take yours off, too?” I asked, interjecting into the exchange.

I asked the question because I truly hate when I see the requirements lifted for “customers”, but not workers. There is something so odd and indescribably demeaning to me about seeing people walking around stores maskless and the “workers” rushing around with covered faces. They are all understaffed at every type of location from markets to restaurants. The idea that people that are making the solid choice to work during these times while so many are at home, maskless and collecting more on unemployment than working … I guess I find the added layer of keeping them masked annoying. Well … until I got the guard’s response.

She replied nicely, “Well … I am vaccinated and they are going to allow me to take it off. But, I am still deciding what I am going to do.”

Upon hearing her response, I was glad that I was wearing my mask because I’m hoping it hid the telling expression on my face that most people can read from space. And, the unspoken words written across my blank stare were:

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, LADY?”

Instead of screaming what I thought, I nicely nodded and walked into the store thinking, “She seemed nice. I have no idea what she means by what she said. But, she is clearly not one of us.”

It kind of shocked me that I thought in terms of “one of us” now. That has never been a thing before in my life. It got me thinking about how none of us were really on the same page throughout this entire pandemic. People split up into camps that did seem to break along political lines; but I think it went much deeper than that. Our faces the battleground, the mask the flag in between. One side screaming to follow the science and completely ignoring that the science was all over the place.

Only N95’s can work.

Wearing one could do more harm than good by giving a false sense of security.

No, wear a mask it is your patriotic duty.

Actually, wear two if you want to be an extra achieving virtue signaler.

Oh forget it, take them all off.

God FORBID you questioned any of the ever-changing science or asked any questions. You were labeled a science denier and a conspiracy theorist and the constant barrage of insults drove the mask contrarians further into their stance. They went from questioning the efficacy of masks to outright refusing to wear one to become the star of a viral video over it. Yet, those that pushed those buttons with their constant attacks on anyone questioning anything are seriously clueless as to the hand they played in the mess.

The irony going on right now is that the EXACT same people that screamed to “follow the science” are now ignoring the CDC announcement to unmask if vaccinated. Do they NOT trust the science that the vaccine works? Some of those lunatics try to say, “well, people are going to lie and walk around unmasked even if they aren’t vaccinated.” Ummm… again, do you not trust the science that the vaccine works? If you have the vaccine, why exactly would you care and still wear a mask? And, don’t get me started on the people continuing to run outside with masks or drive alone in cars with a mask.

They aren’t in this together with me. I don’t know them. I don’t understand their brains, their motives or their neurosis. I feel like I have been controlled and belittled by it for over a year, though and I am quite over it as are the rest of us on the “other side” of this. I am at the point where I am more than willing to co-exist with those that are still driving alone in a car with a mask on as long as they stay on their “side” and no longer swerve into my lane. Your mental illness will not become my mandate ever again. But, know that your refusal to do so only shows me that it was never about following science for you … it was about enjoying telling other people what to do.

That’s not the kind of people that will ever foster togetherness.