June 26, 2020 – The fourth blog in the RestorationAge

No one likes wearing a mask and if you can produce someone that prefers to wear a mask over not, I will bow at your feet. Wearing a mask is inconvenient, doesn’t feel good, can be impersonal, and is basically a pain in the ass, but ultimately prevents the spread of this virus. But umm..where have I heard these complaints before? Stay tuned…

The internet is full of people refusing to wear a mask because they think being told to do so violates their constitutional rights. Like, “this is ‘Merica, I can do what I want”. Well, no, you can’t. Being asked to wear a mask isn’t a rights or political issue, even though the president recently scoffed at a reporter for refusing to take his mask off to ask a question, asserting that the reporter wanted to look politically correct. The recommendation of masks at gatherings comes directly from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a national public health institute meant to help raise awareness to fight disease. The CDC would have made this mask recommendation regardless of the presidential office political affiliation. They aren’t trying to take away your rights, they are trying to save your life so that you can have rights.

Since the early days of COVID-19 and quarantine, a great deal has been discovered about the virus and how it is spread. In March we were told we didn’t need masks and not to hoard them, mainly due to the shortage of N-95 masks for our medical community. They are our COVID front line and needed them most at the onset. But then general population mask-makers showed up in April and started fashioning cloth masks when it was learned that the virus could be spread by asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic persons with the virus. The focus moved from wearing a mask to keep yourself safe from vapor droplets, to protecting others from your vapor droplets. Needless to say, a two-fer when wearing a cloth mask.

When I first wrote about Mask Shaming on May 8th, I stated there would be people who would refuse to wear masks because it’s human nature to be rebellious. But now, the fact that some are refusing because they think it infringes on their rights, or they don’t “believe” in the virus, that they distrust the media, or that they are following the example of the president who treats mask wearing as a political issue, they run the risk of looking super duper stupid.

These people remind me of the boys along the way who refuse to wear a condom because it doesn’t feel good, because it isn’t convenient, because they forgot it, because they honestly don’t think they have to, because it’s the girls’ responsibility. All of these excuses scream “I’m a narcissist and it’s not about you, it’s about me. And if I don’t want to wear one, I won’t.” To the girls with boys like this, I scream “Run sister!”.

I feel like I need to talk to these people like I’m having a sex talk with my kids. Okay, let’s go over this again. Can you get pregnant or an STD without a condom during sex just one time? Yes. It only takes one time. Can you get or give COVID-19 not wearing a mask to the grocery store just one time? Yes. It only takes one time. Maybe it won’t happen that one time, but maybe it will. Why would you ever take that chance when all you have to do to prevent these things is to wrap it up?

Just like the female who can refuse to have sex with anyone who doesn’t put her first in order to keep her disease and fetus free, we can refuse to be around anyone who won’t wear a mask. Stores and restaurants are within their rights of public property to kick someone out or refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask, as long as it’s not discriminatory in nature. No shirt, no shoes, no service. Sound familiar?

I will admit that I have started doing group bicycle rides a couple times a week where we don’t wear masks. But we have all agreed to that. Outside of these instances, I keep my face masked up unless I’m told by others around me that they are comfortable enough with being outside with proper social distancing. I would never want anyone else to feel uncomfortable around me not wearing a mask.

It’s all about thinking of others first and then ourselves next. It’s not hard to do. Don’t be that self-righteous, non-condom wearing dick. Pun intended.

Just wear a fucking mask. (That’s the beer-infused part of this blog.)

LLM

NOTE: If you need a fun, colorful fabric mask, Marcia Seiler still has a basket-full on her porch (see pic above). $10 each – cash or venmo.

Peace Out.