First of all, I’m not telling you that you need to wear a mask. I think you should (for the time being), but it is your life, your right, and your choice to wear one or not to. I am simply laying out the reasons why I’m wearing masks again when I go out in public.
I had stopped wearing masks this summer after the CDC changed their guidelines in May. When they changed the guidelines back again in July, I continued not wearing a mask at first. My logic was that I’m vaccinated, so I didn’t need one. Then I found out that even vaccinated people can get covid and spread it to others and I sat down to have a good long ponder about it. I did something that most people find near impossible and I found incredibly daunting at first. I changed my mind.
The reasons I’m wearing a mask again:
Although my state has not implemented a mask mandate again (and it’s extremely unlikely they will, given how strongly against masks most Republicans are, Tennessee being one of the most red states in the country), the CDC currently recommends people to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. Again, this is not a law right now in my state, but it should be. I consider myself to be a law abiding citizen, therefore I plan on following the law. My school district’s superintendent also just recommended this, based on CDC and ADA guidelines, and I will follow my school district’s rules.
I don’t want to get other people sick. I don’t have Covid right now and I don’t plan on getting it anytime soon, but I could easily get and spread the virus without even knowing it. The virus, as we all know by now, affects everyone differently and a large portion of people who are infected by it are asymptomatic. This means we could have the virus and give it to many other people even if we never have a cough, fever, etc. I value other people’s lives, safety and well-being and do not want to get others sick. Even more than that, the thought that scares me most — I do not want to kill anyone. I cannot stand the idea of me getting the virus, giving it to someone else, say an elderly person in poor health, and that person dying. I know this is extremely unlikely, but it is not impossible and I doubt I would ever be able to get over it if I was the cause of someone’s death.
I don’t want to get sick. I hate being sick. Being sick sucks. If you like getting and staying sick, there is something legitimately wrong with you. I know that I am in good health and am very unlikely to die if I get Covid (though there is still a microscopic chance). But again, I hate being sick and would rather avoid it if it’s at all possible. When I’m sick, I feel like shit and can only think about getting better. If you think it makes me weak to wear a mask again and it seems like I’m afraid of getting sick, I’d ask you to stop and think for a second of the last time you got sick. I bet you felt weak. I bet you weren’t functioning at anywhere near 100% capacity. I bet you wished more than anything else that you could get better as quickly as possible. This is how I feel when I get sick. I remember the last time I got sick. In March of this year, I had a cough and a fever for a few days and felt like death. It wasn’t corona, I got tested and it came back negative. I had to take my first sick day from work — ever — and I hated it. I hated having to ask my school to scramble to find a sub for my class. I hated letting someone else teach my class. I hated how far behind the class was when I got back to school. I hated every second of being sick. I know that getting sick is a part of life and it’s bound to happen again at various points in my life. I also know that wearing a mask will help prevent me from getting sick right now when Covid rates are skyrocketing from the Delta variant. If the simple act of wearing a mask again can help prevent (I know it’s not foolproof) me from getting sick, then you can be damn sure that I’m going to wear one in public.
I want to set a good example for others. I know that my wearing a mask will most likely not change anyone else’s decision of whether to wear one or not, but that’s not important. What is important is me setting a good example, being a role model for my kids (students), my friends (a good number of whom are strong conservatives and are vehemently against masks), my family (also mostly strong conservatives), and even random strangers (such as the people who get in my car for Uber rides). Perhaps by my wearing a mask, I can make an impact in the lives of others. Perhaps by my putting a cloth covering with elastic straps around my ears for a few hours at a time when I am out in public, others will be more likely to reciprocate my actions and stay safe and healthy themselves. Perhaps by me performing this incredibly simple act, I can save a life, and others in turn can save countless lives.
I know this might sound like hyperbole or abstract nonsense, but the fact of the matter is this, there is no single more important thing I can do right now to fight this pandemic than wearing a mask (I have been vaccinated for months). I hate how little power I as an individual have in fighting something so big. I usually like to believe that I can take down any opponent I face. I’m a big strong man who loves competition. This virus is a rival I can’t beat, but you can be damn sure I’m not going to let it beat me.
Call me a sheep if you want. I love it. As a Chrisitian, I consider myself to be a sheep. To understand why I say this, I ask you to read Psalm 23. You’ve probably read or heard it many times in your life even if you’re not a Christian (it’s one of the most famous Psalms/chapters in the Bible), but I’d ask you to reread it again from the perspective of a sheep. “The Lord is my shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1 NKJV). I believe in God and I believe He will take care of me. I believe when I die (not if), I will go to Heaven. I also believe that I have a lot of work to do on Earth before that happens, work that God has called me to do, and there is no reason to put myself or others at risk by not wearing a mask in the midst of a worsening pandemic.
Before you get mad at me for asking you to consider wearing a mask again, I ask that you sit down and have a good think about it like I did. Think about why you feel the way that you do about masks. Do you actually find it to be such an imposition that you would put others’ lives at risk by choosing not to wear one? Or are you sticking to your guns for the sake of sticking to your guns? By this, I mean, are you so against masks because you hate being told what to do? I bet if you stop and think about the risk you’re putting yourselves and others in by not wearing one, you might not be so steadfast.
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PS- If you see me not wearing a mask when I’m outdoors, that’s because all the data that I’ve seen suggests it’s very unlikely the virus will spread when you’re outside, unless you’re in an incredibly crowded area.