To Mask Or Not to Mask

Summary

The article discusses the evolving attitudes and individual responses to mask-wearing during the global changes brought about by recent months and years, emphasizing the importance of kindness amidst differing stances on mask use.

Abstract

The article "To Mask Or Not to Mask" reflects on the shifting norms surrounding mask usage in the wake of the pandemic. It highlights the author's personal experience in San Francisco, where an encounter with an angry maskless man underscores the tension between those who continue to wear masks for various reasons and those who refuse to do so. The piece advocates for understanding and kindness among individuals, regardless of their stance on masks, and suggests that both masked and unmasked individuals are navigating the situation with good intentions. The author proposes that society needs to move beyond polarizing views, recognizing that the pandemic has left a lasting impact on behaviors and that it will take time for the world to adjust to a new normal.

Opinions

The author acknowledges a resistance to change within their own religious community, the Presbyterians, but notes that recent global events have necessitated a new understanding of change.
Mask-wearing has become a polarizing issue, with some individuals opting to continue wearing masks for safety and courtesy, while others reject them outright.
The author stresses the need for kindness and empathy, suggesting that everyone is dealing with the pandemic's challenges in their own way.
There is a call for tolerance and the avoidance of confrontation over personal choices regarding mask use.
The article suggests that societal recovery from the pandemic will be a gradual process, requiring patience and respect for differing viewpoints.
The author humorously proposes creating posters to encourage positive interactions between masked and unmasked individuals, promoting mutual respect and understanding.

To Mask Or Not to Mask

That’s the changing question

How many Presbyterians does it take (you may have heard this one) to change a light bulb??

C-H-A-N-G-E???

I get to repeat this, having been a Presbyterian for about sixty years and being intimately familiar with reflexive opposition to change. However. The global changes of recent months & years have brought a whole new understanding to the word.

About masks, for instance. Required? Optional? To hell with them all? Things seem constantly in flux. There is only one universal truth:

We need to be VERY kind to one another. We’re all on the same planet. That includes people who are going to keep wearing masks for a very long time and people who absolutely refused to wear masks and certainly aren’t going to start now.

Recently, while walking in a super-trendy area of San Francisco, about a mile from my home (which is in a good but hardly trendy area itself) I had my mask hung over my left ear while eating an ice cream bar. I was overtaken — within a few feet, certainly not a proper social distance — by an attractive, well-dressed white man who appeared to be in his 50s or early 60s. He was fit, maskless — and angry. As he strode alongside we both slowed (or, he slowed to match my already-slow pace) and he glared into my eyes.

“I thought we don’t have to wear masks outdoors,” he said.

“Oh,” I said, with a disarming smile that did not disarm him, “I just keep mine handy, in case I want to go into a store or something.”

“Ridiculous,” he said, as he began to walk ahead. Which was my clue to let it drop. But still seeking to disarm I added, “Maybe we’ll all avoid getting the flu!”

“The hell with it,” he threw back over his shoulder. “I’m getting the flu. I’ve had it with this expletive, expletive, expletive.”

So much for friendly passages.

I worry about the fact that this guy and thousands like him will continue to walk the streets with mild-mannered sorts like myself. I think we need to find ways to avoid both shouting expletives and making inane remarks that provoke others to shout expletives. Maybe we could plaster the country with posters such as:

AHOY, MASK-WEARERS: You haven’t been vaccinated, and are being extraordinarily considerate of the rest of us. You have compromised immune systems and must be super cautious. You have terrible cold sores disfiguring your mouth. Thank you for wearing that mask!

AHOY, ALL UNMASKED: Happy to see your smile. Isn’t it lovely to emerge from the dark days? Thank you for being fully vaccinated which I’m sure is true.

Being masked doesn’t have to mean I’m a snob, or a Democrat, or a generally bad person. Being unmasked doesn’t have to mean I’m a threat to your health, or a Republican, or a generally bad person. Several billion masks have been manufactured or created since early 2020 and it’s going to take a long, long time for them to go away.

In the interim, maybe we could take a collective deep breath. And smile, whether anyone sees it or not.