You know I meant to post yesterday, but I was overcome with a huge case of Do-As-Little-As-Possible which of course as a lot of you know, is the type of malady that not only can come on suddenly, but one that has no vaccine and no accepted medical treatment.
But fortunately, it only lasted a day, and now I can actually not just write a post, but get motivated to so things, even if they are not major or not of great benefit to society overall. At least it's a step in the right direction, if you ask me.
Most places in the U.S. at this point are relaxing a lot if not all of their Covid-19 restrictions for people who have been vaccinated. Tomorrow, the City of Philadelphia will cancel the indoor mask-wearing mandate for any vaccinated people. I've been thinking about all of these seemingly sudden changes, and deciding how I want to proceed, and while doing so, I realized that once I got over the intial claustrophobic feeling of wearing a mask, I really didn't mind at all. And so, continuing to wear one - even when the state said we didn't have to - was not a problem for me.
Then I realized when I sat down to write this post, that it was also Thursday, and have decided that I would make this a Three on Thursday post. So here you go: Three Things I Liked About Having to Wear a Mask:
*these are all reasons beyond the obvious ones about not getting Covid, or giving it to anyone else, etc.
1. In the cold weather, a mask helped to keep my face warmer; in the warm weather, a mask helped me not feel my allergies so much, since it blocked a lot of the pollen.
2. I could frown, stick out my tongue, or just place a look of disgust on my face, and as long as it was not too elaborate, no one was the wiser. It was freeing to stick my tongue out at douchebags with no consequences.
3. This one is my most favorite - wearing a mask meant that for the last year plus some months, I have not had to deal with a single random male person of any age telling me to "Smile, honey, it's not that bad," or "C'mon sweetheart, give us a nice smile there." ZERO OCCURRENCES during the pandemic and it has been the Very.Best.Thing.Of.All. Granted, if someone had been stupid enough to say it anyway, I could revert to actions described in #2. But not having to even hear the words at all was the most wonderful benefit.
I would like to think that moving forward, when people have colds, etc., they will decide to wear masks to keep others from catching it. But I also really liked to think that people would band together during the pandemic to do the right thing, and that everyone who possibly could would get vaccinated once the vaccine was available, so I think I may be the only one saving my masks for when I am sick.
In any case, at least a lot of people DID wear masks, and I hope for them there were some benefits other than the obvious and necessary ones. I have to say, for me it has become automatic, so I guess going forward I'll have a new habit to break, at least for every day regular life ...
11 comments:
We dropped the mask mandate a few weeks ago and Daughter is reporting that all the kids and families that she coaches are now sick with colds and stomach ailments they haven't had in a year. She sent 6 home sick just yesterday.
I liked wearing a mask in the winter too. It does keep you warm. We are still wearing ours when we have to go inside. About 50% of the folks here in MD still are. Outside it is about 20% of the folks on the boardwalk and the beach.
I too got much more used to the mask than I thought I would. And I definitely didn't mind it as much in winter. Now that the warm weather is here, I'd like to not have to wear it. The grocery store's a/c wasn't working very well the other day, and I was dying between that and my mask while getting groceries the other day (Dave says I speed shop, so maybe I just need to slow down).
We probably won't be able to give up masks inside until the fall - they say they should have 80% of adults with two doses of vaccines by then. I hope so.
One benefit that probably only I like is that with the mask I don't have to worry if I remembered to brush my teeth that morning (now that I work from home, I tend to forget).
I still wear the mask when shopping inside, altho, many stores are letting up on that. I don't wear one when outside.
I never minded wearing a mask either.
I concur completely. It's going to be difficult to give masks up.
I will still wear mine when I am inside if there are other people around.
Another benefit: With a mask on, no one could really see that I don't have much of a chin.
Ohio dropped ALL health restrictions as of 2 June for the fully vaccinated, and lifted restrictions for bars and restaurants. Sigh--Ohio, the Texas of the Great Lakes.
I plan on keeping my masks for cold and flu season. And I've always been a robust hand washer and user of hand sanitizer. Let's face it: People are gross. Especially the stupid men who tell us to smile. (I've gotten that in the grocery store several times. I fix them with a glare and say rather loudly and icily, "Why are you talking to me?".
I'm currently suffering from your malady of Do As Little As Possible, but I expect it is a Morning Case only.
Having lived in Japan, it was not unusual to see people to wear masks 1) when they were sick and had to go out, 2) when air quality was bad (soil blowing in from China could turn the air yellow at times). So perhaps the people will feel freer to wear masks in the future. :)
I often put my mask on anyhow these days. I do think flu etc will be on the rise now that we are mingling. Can't hurt to wear the mask.~!
I am still a proud mask wearing woman. I just feel after in one. I wear it at work and at the store. I was just in Target and very few people still have them on which in reality makes me want to wear one even longer. Plus I don't have to let anyone see my happy or unhappy face!
I have not had a cold for over a year all because of the mask :) I also liked that it kept the wind away while outside.
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