To Mask, Or Not To Mask, That Is The Question

“Are you at the point of risking the past few months in quarantine by venturing out into the world with the attempt of going back to business as usual?”

Staring into space while on my porch, oblivious to the numerous exercise enthusiasts and fresh air seekers passing by, I’m reminded of the opening to Charles Dickinson’s  A Tale of Two Cities…"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we are all going direct the other way --- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." …sounds like he’s talking about the current state of affairs in the world today, right?

So how are you handling quarantine? Safe to say you are probably like most of America…glad to be safe but itching to get back to the way things were. Unfortunately, going back to the way things were does not seem like an option. That is, IF we intend on fighting this pandemic for good.

I recently read an article in the Washington Post describing the energy and attitude behind the country slowly opening back up. The article was focused on a wealthy neighborhood in Atlanta. While it was no surprise to learn that so many Atlanta residents were excited to get out and enjoy the offerings of the local business district, it was unsettling to learn that there were some interviewed who chose not to wear face masks while in public. Face masks have been a sensitive subject in general across the country during quarantine but now that the stay at home order is slowly beginning to lift nationwide, I find it troubling that there were those that chose to breathe in the outdoor air sans covering. Did you hear about that incident at Costco recently? Hmmmm, I thought to myself, how can those people have so much faith in themselves to think they are immune to catching this virus or giving it to others unbeknownst to them if they are asymptomatic? After reading the article I was desperate to go meditate since I could feel my blood pressure rise at the lack of sensitivity of those mask-less who are putting individual feelings and needs before those of the less fortunate in our country that seem to be more vulnerable to the virus like seniors and those who are immunocompromised. After my meditation I felt compelled to write this piece to post the following question to those of us who are parents or parents-to-be. So let me ask you…Are you at the point of risking the past few months in quarantine by venturing out into the world with the attempt of going back to business as usual? I for one am torn. It makes no sense to me that after shutting down the entire country, no less the entire world, to prevent the spread of this deadly virus, we are attempting to go back to normal. Personally I think that there is no going back to normal. We need to adapt and be open to a new way of adjusting to life in public. Perhaps that day of normalcy will come ONCE a vaccine is found. But until then, I am not optimistic.

If you find yourself to be a member of the camp that believes in getting “back to normal” let me propose a thought for you to meditate on. As parents we voluntarily isolated our contacts with the outside world to protect our newborn from the virus’ and germs circulating in the air. I vividly remember my wife and I taking every precaution possible to keep our newborn safe by limiting exposure to the world and other people. In fact I went so far as to wear a bottle of hand sanitizer in a McGyver-like hoslter I rigged up around my waist so I never was left unguarded by germs just waiting to attack my newborn. For at least 6 months we made sure to limit the exposure of the outside world in order to make sure our son was strong and safe to enter that world. While I admit that the first year of parenting was very much a blur due to the lack of sleep, my wife and I still decided to take the plunge and add two more children to our family, all the while gearing up for that bittersweet moment of starting the journey all over again. It wasn’t easy but the sacrifices made were definitely worth the price. So this leaves me to wonder if we as a society, are too focused on our own individual needs rather than those collectively as a society? Yes, America is the land of freedom, but is there a limit to the amount of freedom we have when it affects others as well? I’m not sure I have the answer to this question. But planting the seed to start thinking about it is important.

So as we attempt the slowly move towards getting “back to life” I urge you to have compassion and take a moment to think about your loved ones before choosing to wear, or not to wear a mask. First responders have been our saving grace during this pandemic. Do we not owe it to them and all their hard work in keeping us safe by donning a mask? I for one want to feel like I am part of the team routing for discovering a path to normalcy while keeping my mouth and nose covered. Remember #weareallinthistogether.