We wear a mask because we care about other people. The end.
Ever since I was a new mommy, I have stressed to my children, the importance of helping others. I pushed the reality that we were very fortunate and we had a responsibility to take care of those who weren’t. Everybody needs help a some point in their lives.
When they were little, this referred to donating their outgrown clothes and extra toys. As they got older, it meant sticking up for their classmates and befriending the lonely kids. Today, it means we wear a mask when we’re out in public.
The 1rst mask mishap
It all started the last weekend of September.
Peter Pan was invited to his Godmother/Aunt’s house for a birthday party for one her children. It was a bar-b-que; everyone would be outside. Peter Pan went and hung out with his family and played basketball with his little cousin… with out wearing a mask.
All of his cousins are much younger than him and he’s a favorite because he still remembers what it’s like to be a kid.
He left the party and went straight to Wendy’s. They spent the rest of the weekend together, like they always do.
Tuesday night he gets a call from his Aunt. The little cousin he was playing basketball with was diagnosed with Covid-19. He had complained of ‘not feeling right’ and had a slight fever. Since they are attending in-person school, his mom took him to be tested.
Peter Pan immediately calls work. The dealership is in Illinois. They have very strict policies. His boss tells him he cannot come in until he gets a negative test. He calls Wendy to tell her.
The two decide if he’s positive then she would be as well and they will quarantine together in her mother’s basement where there is a sort of apartment set up away from the rest of the family.
On Wednesday, much to the minion’s disappointment and my relief, he refrains from coming over to do school with the rest of the ‘students’. However, that did not stop the nerd squad from playing dungeons and dragons. Instead they opened a laptop and started a video call.
Symptoms and Testing
He couldn’t get his test until Thursday. By this time he’s feeling a little scratchy throated and sinus-y. Wendy is also coming down with cold symptoms. Her boss sends her home with instructions to get tested. She’s a veterinarian assistant and has limited exposure to people. Just the same, Covid-19 is no joke.
Wendy heads home and the two of them begin their quarantine together.
She gets tested the next morning. They both receve their negative tests results back by Saturday but they’re still suffering with cold symptoms. Peter Pan is told by his boss to get a second test. He does so on Sunday morning. Only now there’s a 2-4 day wait on the results. Just a few days before it was a 24 hour test.
Now Peter Pan has another week out of work all because he didn’t wear a mask to play with his cousins. Its sad, it’s weird, its a pain in the ass. A mask would have prevented this.
I’ve been in daily contact with them, reminding them to rest, drink lots of orange juice and let me know if their symptoms get worse.
The promising news is that they’ve actually enjoyed hanging out together in quarantine.
The 2nd problem
Due to Peter Pan’s possible prognosis, Lucky called me Thursday morning, irritable and edgy, trying to calm down an anxiety attack.
The guy was absolutely invincible for 27 years. Nothing scared him. Nothing could hurt him. Even as a child, he would never believe me when I told him to NOT do something because It was dangerous. I grew my first gray hair at 26, by the way.
Corona virus dominated the headlines in March and he started having panic attacks for the first time in his life. The problem was that sometimes anxiety symptoms mimic covid symptoms which leads to stronger anxiety attacks.
I had the pleasure of teaching him how to recognize and manage it. After coaching 3 of his siblings and battling anxiety myself, I was well versed in the subject.
Even though he has the tools, he found that talking to someone really helps. He’s an extrovert, it makes sense.
I’m number two on his list. I’m totally okay with that. Chiquita should always be his number one; he’s an adult now. And she’s really good at soothing his anxiety but she also has a full time job. Apparently my full time job is talking villagers through adulting.
The Renaissance Man thinks its weird that my adult children call me for random life things but the secret is I designed it that way.
We are all connected – wear a mask!
Anyway, Peter Pan’s possible infections alarmed his brother because not only do they work together, they also live together at their dad’s house. Lucky’s in the basement and Peter Pan is in the attic and they hardly see each other outside of work but just the same, I understand his concern.
He’s mostly aggravated because he has been diligent in wearing the mask whenever he’s around people.
Peter Pan made a point to wear his mask in the common area’s of the house before he left for Wendy’s, so there’s that.
The only thing we can do is try to stay healthy, wear masks and keep our distance.
The 3rd problem
The Royal couple traveled down to Lafayette this weekend for a Wedding. They travel that way a lot. That’s were all Prince Charming’s fraternity brothers are.
The ceremony was outdoors and the reception was in a barn, with the doors open. How very Indiana.
Masks were requested but not required because, ya know, its Indiana. God Forbid anyone try to regulate their body or behavior, unless you’re a white man making laws about women’s healthcare. Then it’s okay.
The newly-wed’s tried really hard to keep things safe. They even set up the ‘bar’ outside the barn, so people would be outside if they wanted to drink and chat.
The Prince and Princess started out pretty good. They wore their masks through the ceremony and the first part of the reception, but after a few drinks and a few dances, they’d abandoned them.
She texts me this morning to cancel my hair appointment – for the second time! They’re kicking themselves for their cavalier attitude toward mask wearing when they were drunk.
Out of an abundance of caution (or maybe because Prince Charming had enough peopling this weekend) they’ve decided to self-quarantine for 2 weeks.
At least they’re responsible that way.
Wear a Mask!
Masks and distancing from people are the only preventative measures we have in this fight against Covid-19. The bonus is that they will also protect us (and others) from spreading the flu, normal colds and any other airborne communicable diseases.
I understand that they’re not comfortable to wear but neither are bras, neckties, or high heels and we’ve conformed and accepted those for less important reasons.
All my life, I’ve walked up to a store and read the disclaimers:
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service.
I know, historically, these disclaimers were put into practice to protect our honest, hardworking, tax-paying shop owners from those dirty hippies as well as poor and destitute people who might steal from them…
However
The shoe thing had some merit. If you walk in the grocery store barefoot and step on something sharp, you could cut your foot and bleed all over.
This would put you at risk for infection, the public at risk from any blood born pathogens you may carry and the shop owner at risk for litigation should you choose to sue.
Besides, other peoples blood is a little gross.
The shirt thing is just societal modesty.
Wearing masks provide a greater human service. Science has shown that most people are contagious for 2 days before they even know they’re sick. Masks limits the viral load dispersed in the air.
So, why are masks any different than shoes or shirts? It would seem masks are more important.
My kids are young and healthy. If they should contract the virus the odds are in their favor. Those odds are not necessarily in my favor or the Renaissance Man’s favor.
Unfortunately, those odds are absolutely working against our parents and all those other wonderful people in the world who happen to be up there in age or otherwise immuno-compromised.
We wear masks for them. We keep our distance for other peoples health and safety.
This is not about your civil liberties. It’s about community, compassion and doing our part to make the world a safer better place.
We have a responsibility to each other. We have a responsibility to take the necessary precautions to keep other people safe. I don’t understand why American’s don’t get that?
It’s not a political thing.
Alright, I’m stepping off my soap box now.
Drink your orange juice, wash your hands, and wear a mask!
