Now You See Me ...

 

CDC eases COVID-19 mask guidelines!  For those fully vaccinated, they no longer have to wear a mask.

Freedom!

Well, sort of.

It's freedom, but there are exceptions to the rule.

The first stop along the mask freedom road comes in the form of Federal rules on the subject.  But politicians are just as tired of wearing them as the rest of us, so while there are places where they must keep their hot air and germs still corralled behind mouth and nose coverings in Federal government buildings, etc– oh, yeah, they're GONE.

Then come the mandates of each state. Some states embraced the change immediately or within a few days of immediately.  Still others have set dates where masks can be tossed in the air like graduation mortarboard/caps, a preparing period and/or wait-and-see what happens approach of several weeks to a few months duration.  Basically, though, all the states will have followed suit by sometimes during the summer.  County and local municipalities, including school districts, are basically following their state's mandate.

Finally, there are the individual business decisions.  Now, while you might think every business would be thrilled to see their customers full-faced and want to greet them the same way, there are still some who are being cautious.  I was surprised to find my grocery store still requiring masks or face coverings after the state had eased the restriction.  But I also understand it.  

Think about it - someone with COVID-19 who has no symptoms just coughed or sneezed on the produce, etc.  Granted, just breathing passes the virus into the air and onto surfaces as much if not more, but there's more of an eww factor with the cough or sneeze that gets to us.  We like to think that everybody covers their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze.  We like to think that everybody without a mask is abiding by the honor system of being maskless only when fully vaccinated.  We like to think that we're still as cautious with our handwashing and our food washing as we were when the masks were always required.  Reality check - it ain't necessarily so.

Masks, handwashing, social distancing, and now vaccinating are not perfect in their prevention of COVID-19, but they do work.  If they didn't, we wouldn't be seeing the numbers infected noticeably decreasing.  We're still on the road to recovery from SARS-CoV-2, aka COVID 19, and we can't fully let our guard down yet.  So, sometimes you'll see me without mask (fully vaccinated - thank you Pfizer and Walgreens) and sometimes you won't.  It depends on where I am at any given moment.  If they say I can ditch my plain white multi-layered cotton face covering, I just might (and have). I can only hope everybody is following the rules in doing the same.

So, I Have a Suggestion for Mask-Wearers

Oh, trust me, I am among you.  I have multiple masks which get regularly washed and worn.  You can protest all you want how it takes away your freedom to be told to wear one.  Go and have that argument with someone who has a loved one in the hospital trying to survive COVID-19.

Sorry - this was supposed to be a short and slightly humorous.  Here's the thing.  We all find masks and face coverings  warm, acne promoting, eyeglass steaming, restrictive, annoying, can't wait to get them off our face apparel.  But for the moment, this is where we are in our existence.  However, I firmly believe that there will come a day in the not so distant future (not this year - sorry) that SARS-CoV-2 will be controlled and we will be given the all clear to take off our masks and leave them off and we won't be sorry we did.  Take a moment to think about that day to come and smile.  

Now, what the heck are we going to do with all the masks we've accumulated.  Toss them all out?    Aren't the landfills and trash barges overcrowded enough as it is?  But the reality is that that's likely what the majority of people will do.  Oh, some will hold onto them for the next pandemic or "just in case".  Some will donate them for use for something else somewhere else.  Some will try to recycle them a bit, wash them one last time and then use them as dusting cloths, piece them into post-COVID quilts, or turn them into fashion that isn't worn on the face for a change.  There is no perfect answer as to what to do with them all.

Yet, I have this suggestion for one of your masks.  Just one.  Burn it.  

I know this has already been done in protest by anti-mask wearers, a STUPID gesture if ever there was one.  I also realize this is an untimely suggestion in the face of wildfires burning on the West Coast of the U.S., and I mean no disrespect to those who fight the fires and those who have sadly been impacted by any loss as a result of that devastation.  However, I'm talking controlled, celebratory ignition of a single face mask that wouldn't be happening right away, and by the time we get there, we might be ready to do more than just toss them all in a trash can.

Although I'm old enough to have burned my bra during the early days of the feminist movement, I never did.  It was symbolism, pure and simple, and not really necessary.  But, the liberating aspect of the action does have some appeal, especially after all these months of being compliant in covering  noses and mouths with paper or fabric protection.  

Again, I don't think the final day of wearing masks against COVID-19 is happening in the immediate future.  But it will happen soon enough, and when it does, even if it's just me, a mask and a match in my driveway, there's gonna be a celebration.