The global pandemic is not over. Most Americans are no longer wearing a mask. I am still wearing a mask.

As of yesterday, the CDC is urging vaccinated people in Covid hot spots to wear a mask. I never stopped wearing a mask.

Before I go any further, I am vaccinated. I am not wearing a mask because a few signs on a few businesses request that the unvaccinated wear a mask.

I am still wearing a mask because I have a child under the age of 12, variants exist and I like when people can not tell what I am thinking. I highly, highly, highly doubt anyone reading this might get a vaccine because of my eloquent prose or appeals to reason. I do think there’s a chance people may have forgotten how fun it is to judge someone, face to face, without them ever being able to read the lower half of your face.

I am a cis-gender white man that tends to wear sunglasses indoors (they’re prescription and I regularly forget I’m wearing sunglasses once until I’m inside and by that point I’ve most likely left my regular glasses in a car or at home), a black ballcap, beard and headphones. I’m also 6 feet, 2 inches tall. To the best of my knowledge, no one has said anything negative in my direction about my continued wearing of an N95 indoors.

Some people have said things loud enough about people I love who happen to be wearing a mask. The message hasn’t been positive and mostly boils down to the masks are pointless. The line a stranger said to my wife that sticks with me is, “Some people never learn.”

And there are innumerable examples of this type of reaction to mask wearing:

I have learned. I have learned N95 masks have an extremely high effectiveness rate. I have learned that they’re readily available for public purchase and that they’re actually more comfortable than most cloth masks (at least for people with glasses, they’re the only masks that never fog up my lenses). It’s why I’m wearing a mask. Variants exist and people under the age of 12 can not get the vaccine. You already know this. But you may no longer be wearing a mask.

Are you a judgemental? Wear a mask. It’s difficult for others to know your thoughts. 

Are you trying to be a less judgemental? Wear a mask. We all slip up and allow our true feelings across our faces. If most of your face is hidden, those feelings stay private. I’m trying to be less judgemental. Really.

Once the CDC says all people no longer have to wear a mask, I’ll most likely continue wearing a mask indoors. Why would I stop wearing a very affordable device that keeps me 95% safe from a potentially deadly, highly preventable disease and does not harm anyone? Why would I give up something that keeps what I want to be hidden hidden?

Am I taking this too far? Maybe. But I’m OK with it. You most likely couldn’t identify me in a lineup so you’ll never even know who you’re judging.

Recommend If You Like is not owned or funded by a billionaire or even a millionaire. We do have a Patreon. Even sites owned by billionaires and millionaires have Patreons so please don’t hold that against us. And we’re paying all of our writers, photographers and graphic designers. So please consider our Patreon. If you can't afford to become a patron, please sign up to our mailing list. It's free and we're asking here instead of a pop-up. Pop-ups are annoying.