Where Everyone Wears a Mask

I wore a mask to the bank today.

Nobody batted an eye.

They probably would have been more concerned if I hadn’t worn a mask, since they’re now required for anyone working at or visiting an “essential” business that’s still open to the public.

A month ago, when I first went outside after recovering from the flu, only a handful of people were wearing masks. It’s still not everyone, but a lot more people are masking up these days.

Bandanas mostly, and pleated cloth masks. At the grocery store I saw a few people, mostly older, with more serious filters.

Maybe half the people I see walking around residential areas. It’s not required in this area, at least not yet, if you’re going for a solo walk, just if you’re going to be interacting with people. And if you’re out with someone from your own household, it’s not like you’re endangering each other. And yeah, I get it: it’s a pain to grab a mask just to walk around the block.

More people along bigger streets, where they might be on their way to or from a store or restaurant that’s still open, or a bus.

Everyone doing construction or landscaping or gardening.

Someone standing on a street corner selling masks for a few dollars apiece. A sign on a telephone pole advertising hand-made masks by someone in the neighborhood. Parked cars with cloth masks hanging from the rear-view mirrors.

And scattered around, the occasional discarded masks. I don’t understand: They’re not easy enough to find that you can just toss one and replace it on a whim. What’s the story? Did someone rip another person’s mask off and throw it in the dirt as a form of bullying? Throw their own mask away in frustration?

=> Photo of a discarded mask on the ground.

—Kelson Vibber, 2020-04-17

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