And here we are, three years into a pandemic that might be subsiding, or might just be hunkering down for awhile before another surge, a new variant, emerges. We don’t know. But suddenly mask wearing is a “personal decision”. At school, on school buses, at social gatherings in public places we are being asked to respect other people’s personal decisions to wear, or not to wear, a mask. Fine.
When I walk into a room full of people celebrating an older person’s retirement, a school library say, and everyone else in the room is wearing a mask - and I mean every single person - then even if I had not worn a mask all day, that is the half hour that I wear a mask. My personal choice involves keeping other people safe, even if I personally feel safe without a mask. As Nike would say, “Just do it!”
But no, not the only person in the entire school whom I know for a fact to be unvaccinated. That person does not wear a mask. Around elders, around colleagues who may, or may not, have situations in their lives requiring them to take no risks, around the retiring guest of honor who IS wearing a mask, and probably wants to enjoy his retirement Covid free, that one particular person does not wear a mask.
Is that one particular person respecting others’ personal choices? Am I capable of respecting hers?
Like so many other choices and decisions we have made over the last 2 years, this one seems murky and fraught. Your instinct toward grace is probably a good one.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sticky wicket, indeed. I think this is the first time I’ve ever actually written that phrase but it fits so well. I’m right there with you!
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