I Hate … the Mask

I was talking to a local businesswoman whose doors to her business are locked but she is still able to go to work; it’s not necessary for her to interact with the public in order for her to get her job done.

Thankfully she doesn’t work alone. Like us here at CV Weekly, she works with others so she doesn’t feel entirely isolated. (As an aside let me share how fortunate I feel to go to work every day; I feel very much connected with my community.) But she is eager to reopen her doors so she can see the public for whom she does so much work. She shared with me that the possibility of reopening her doors gets more and more distant every time she looks outside her windows at work and sees people not wearing masks.

She works at a business located in Glendale and the current rules are that face coverings are now required whenever people are outside their homes. This includes going on a walk, picking up essential goods and walking pets. Seeing people walking around without a face covering causes her stress – not because she is fearful of the virus but because it’s the rules. She is worried that opening her doors will be further delayed as long as people disregard the face covering rules.

Conversely, in areas of the unincorporated County of Los Angeles, such as where I live, face coverings are only required when “you must be in public for essential activities, such as shopping at the grocery store.” So unlike in the City of Glendale, I can walk my dog or go on a walk and don’t have to wear a mask – as long as I maintain a social distance of at least six feet if I come across someone else.

Let me be clear: I hate wearing a mask. I wear glasses and they easily become fogged up when I wear one. I wear lipstick and it typically is smeared or comes off altogether when I wear one. I hate the way it smells when it is on my face. But my comfort is not of consequence; it is my safety – and the safety of those I come in contact with – that is of consequence.

So, I’ll wear the face covering when it is deemed required. I don’t like it but I never want to question if my actions caused someone else to become ill.

It’s just the way it is – for now.

  robin goldsworthy