Freddie Mercury, No Pants and Wear the Mask

I had would could be the silliest discussion this week about wearing a mask to continue to slow the spread of Covid-19.  The person who said we shouldn't wear one kept harping on the fact that a typical cloth mask has a weave that allows the tiny virus particles to get through and since there is evidence that the particles can be airborne a mask is useless.  People keep using the analogy of trying to stop a mosquito with a  chain link fence.  But that is not a good analogy because while it is true that some virus will get through the mask and may become airborne in those cases, a large quantity of the virus is in spittle and other expectorants that are stopped by a mask, even a simple cloth mask and do not spread as much.  Think about it like a shower curtain.  The shower curtain, when utilized properly, will keep the water from splashing out onto the floor of the bathroom.  Is it perfect, no, especially when someone turns into Freddie Mercury in the shower doing the entire song with  movement, using a Trader Joe's shampoo bottle for a microphone (best kind of bottle so I am told) and swinging your arms around sending waves of water over the top of the curtain.  It also allows the steam to float out and condense on the mirror that you have to rub away to truly see what all God gave you....okay back to masks.  

Without the shower curtain, the bathroom would become a swamp in due time because regardless of your actions in the shower it will block a significant amount of moisture from getting through but not all.  That doesn't mean it is ineffective, the argument that because masks don't stop all virus it is useless is illogical on its face.  People are looking for any excuse to attack mask instructions because of politics.  Someone wrote that it was one step closer to being put in cattle cars and taken to the ovens.  While remarkably offensive it also makes no sense because if wearing a mask for public health is a way to begin a Holocaust why didn't we see it when laws were passed that required shoes and shirts in many public indoor spaces for health reasons?  

One thing we have learned during this pandemic is that a surprising number of people don't like to wear pants.  I don't just mean the remarkable and subversive nature of women's workout apparel becoming office and even formal wear, I mean going completely without pants.  When co-workers only see you from the chest up in a little box who knows what is going on down there.  That is unless your child coming running into the room and asks why you aren't wearing pants or worse cut themselves and you get up to  help showing that the print on the underwear you chose that day has faded.   But here is the thing, we expect to wear pants in many situations.  It is not tyranny to require you to do that and it may not even be public health at stake but it is an agreed upon norm that we embrace.  Masks, like shirts, shoes and pants are not a fascist mile marker, they are one club in the bag to help keep this virus at bay until we can better destroy or live with it.  Masks save lives.  We have research to prove it.  It is time we start acting like adults who until very recently didn't think about all the times during the day there were cultural norms and rules we follow unquestioned or at least most of us try to follow.  

Masks will be part of who we are for the time being.  Wear them when you are around others who you might infect.  Wear them when you go to the grocery or get take out.  Wear them when you really need to talk up close with a neighbor or friend you don't share living quarters with.  Wear them for the sake of those who will not survive the virus.  Wear them because it is the right thing to do.  

Oh and when you are dancing in the shower singing Freddie's part think about the words......

Turned away from it all like a blind man

Sat on a fence but it don't work

Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn

Why, why, why?

Love, love, love, love, love

Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking

Can't we give ourselves one more chance?

Why can't we give love that one more chance?

Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love

Give love, give love, give love, give love, give love?

Let's make sure we give love a chance, love calls us to wear the mask.