As our country continues to be functioning in a reduced capacity, the topic of masks and mask requirements is becoming more in focus. Those of us living in Wisconsin and Dane County, are now joining many other parts of the country in requiring masks to be worn in public. From what I understand, this pertains to any indoor business where there is a reasonable expectation of other people being present besides restaurants. Personally, I am ok with this and encourage it as I already wear a mask everywhere to be thoughtful, safe, and respectful.
I also have to consider how much I actually go out of my house. I work from home now every day so besides going to the gym, shopping, and hanging out with close friends and family I have little need to actually spend a lot of time in a mask. Here I am worrying about how it will be more difficult to work out with a mask on for an hour or so while knowing there are many, many workers whose jobs and professions require them to wear masks for 8-10 hours or even longer in a day.
My mom is one of these people, who now in her 60’s, works part-time at a Kwik Trip. She is required to wear a mask and gloves while on the property – and to be honest, I worry about her a bit. I often stop at the local Kwik Trip, probably at least once per day. It is a high traffic area, many different people in and out, and sadly, a majority of people do not wear masks and there are a good amount who do not respect social distancing.
I have seen a lot of people complaining about the requirements, pointing out conspiracy theories about mass control, and so forth. I for one love a good conspiracy theory and questioning the world to an extent is healthy, but this is bigger than that. This is a social responsibility. Wearing a mask indicates that you care about others and how you could potentially negatively impact them without even knowing. COVID-19 is not a hoax, people do die from it. Sure there are plenty of other ways that people die, but this is one which is still an unknown, and erring on the side of caution is just the right thing to do.
I know masks are not awesome to have to wear, but I really encourage everyone to just take a deep breath and be a team player. Remember, there are people (like my mom or other retail/CSR workers) who have been wearing masks for not only their own but for our protection as well for months now. Unity is what strengthens communities so keep that in mind as the days keep creeping by. The sooner we all commit to stopping the spread, the sooner life can get back to business as usual.
By Cole Schenck
Please connect with us if you are seeking support or hoping to learn more about being part of a Supportive, Inclusive, Compassionate, and Kind community:
Join The MindReset!
Check out Events for support groups or live events:
- Follow The MindReset Facebook page
- Follow The MindReset Twitter
- Follow The MindReset Instagram
You are always welcome to connect directly with an individual from TMR at contact@themindreset.com or 608-514-5161
