The Real Reason People Refuse To Wear a Mask

It all comes down to life experiences.

Every person in this world has unique life experiences.

We’ve lived different lives that have brought us to where we are today. Our past experiences have made us the person we are. They have shaped our thoughts, actions, relationships, attitudes and views on the world.

The same goes for the current global pandemic. It seems as if some people are taking extreme precautions while others are throwing caution to the wind. Some stay home, only leaving the house when absolutely necessary wearing a mask. On the other end, some are crowding into bars and restaurants in very close proximity to others mask-less.

How are we as a nation and global community supposed to resolve this pandemic when we’re all taking different approaches?

Take me for example. I’m a young person in my 20’s. From the outside, I look healthy and invincible. However, I am one of those people being extremely cautious when it comes to coronavirus. I feel I am one of the few young people taking great precautions to protect myself and those around me.

My life experiences have formed the way I approach this virus.

Most young people my age have experienced healthy bodies that quickly recover from infrequent illnesses. They have experienced living in bodies that they can count on to work for them. They have immune systems that attack invaders like they are supposed to. They haven’t experienced any serious illness in their life. They don’t know what it means to be really sick.

The few times they have become sick, doctors were quickly able to fix the problem and get them better. Healthy people believe if they contract the illness, their bodies will be able to fight it off and the doctors will know how to fix them. They have never been forced to face their own mortality or the possibility of their bodies not working properly. However, this has not been the case for me.

Just because I am young and look healthy, doesn’t mean I am.

I suffer from two autoimmune diseases, the first of which I was diagnosed at seventeen. As a young person, I was robbed of a healthy body.

Unlike most of my peers, I know what extreme physical and mental pain means. I know what real illness looks like. Nobody knows how my immune system would react to this virus.

I’ve experienced extreme sickness – I don’t want to take a chance.

Despite being young, I don’t have the luxury to take risks. I’ve been dealing with chronic pain and symptoms for over two years. While doctors continue to perform tests and search for the right treatment, I’ve suffered. Doctors can’t fix everything and that’s a lesson I’ve only learned by dealing with my pain.

When your body doesn’t work, there isn’t always a quick easy solution.

The different approaches to the pandemic are a result of a range of life experiences – and that goes for mid-age and older adults as well. Those who have experienced a period of extreme illness know that our bodies are not invincible and are capable of failing us. If I hadn’t experienced this, I’m not sure how I’d react to the crisis.

I’m not going to shame those who choose to go out. All I ask is that you consider people like me, who live with underlying health issues that you might not know about from seeing us.

In a world that seems uncontrollable, please take advantage of what you can control. Think of others.

Together we can help save lives. Wash your hands and stay home if you can.

And please, wear a mask in public. For us.