Masking outside

[Matryoshka]

Just now, Not_a_Number said:

No, they aren't anything fancy. As I said, I'm trusting more to social distancing than to masks. We've gotten N95s for the adults for risky situations, but nothing for the kids, since we don't plan to take them indoors. 

I do recommend the Happy Masks - the filters in them are N99, and while they don't give a hospital-grade fit, they are 1000% better fitting than what I've seen most people wearing about, fitting snugly over the nose and tight over the chin and sides, so I do think/hope they may also give me a bit of protection rather than just protecting others.  They are not the prettiest, but they are so lightweight and the funny shape makes it easy to talk in them (I wear them to teach masked kids on my porch 2x/week, so I do need to talk in them!) 

They come in different sizes, including for kids, and have cute patterns if you want.  And hand-washable up to 50x.  I've felt like it's been money very well spent.  I tried out a bunch of different styles, and kept coming back to these.

[stephanier.1765]

Just now, MEmama said:

Wow. At our vet, we have to call when we get there and stay in our car. A tech comes to the car to get the pet and brings it back after the exam. I can’t imagine having to sit inside while you wait! 😞 

When lockdowns first started, they did that for a month and then found it to be to cumbersome. They are first come, first serve and I wonder if that's why it doesn't work for them. They are also in a county with no mask mandate. The other two vets that we've visited recently are in a county with a mask mandate and require you to wait in the car. One makes you come inside to check in and check out but otherwise you stay in your car and talk to the vet on the phone. The other requires you to remain outside the entire time. You call to check in and a tech comes to the car to grab and return your pet as well as your payment for checking out. I much prefer the last two but the first is much more affordable. 😞

[ieta_cassiopeia]

12 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Yeah, I just told my kids. 

Do you happen to know of a good way to keep ear loop masks on their face? They've gotten very attached to their "easy on, easy off" shark masks, but I don't know if those would stay on well enough for the whole time we're out. I'm thinking just something I can use to fasten it behind the head... I'll use a piece of fabric if I have to, but is there anything better? 

Ear savers are the best thing I've seen. You can get a length of fabric (or crochet or knit a length of material) appropriate for the back of each child's head and the masks they have, sew a big button on each side, and that automatically gives the ear loops the correct tension (as well as making the whole process comfier on the ears).

Which is basically what you were going to do anyway (they can be bought, but I think homemade has its own charm) 🙂

[Matryoshka]

Just now, stephanier.1765 said:

When lockdowns first started, they did that for a month and then found it to be to cumbersome. They are first come, first serve and I wonder if that's why it doesn't work for them. They are also in a county with no mask mandate. The other two vets that we've visited recently are in a county with a mask mandate and require you to wait in the car. One makes you come inside to check in and check out but otherwise you stay in your car and talk to the vet on the phone. The other requires you to remain outside the entire time. You call to check in and a tech comes to the car to grab and return your pet as well as your payment for checking out. I much prefer the last two but the first is much more affordable. 😞

Our vet still has us waiting in the car.  They've numbered their parking spaces so they can find you and take the pet right from the car - you don't get out at all.

My dd is going to have a new roommate in Jan who works at a vet's.  I hope their protocols are as strict.  (She's moving here from out of state, so I don't know exactly which vet's she works at...).  I think she's just graduating vet school?  

[MEmama]

2 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I do recommend the Happy Masks - the filters in them are N99, and while they don't give a hospital-grade fit, they are 1000% better fitting than what I've seen most people wearing about, fitting snugly over the nose and tight over the chin and sides, so I do think/hope they may also give me a bit of protection rather than just protecting others.  They are not the prettiest, but they are so lightweight and the funny shape makes it easy to talk in them (I wear them to teach masked kids on my porch 2x/week, so I do need to talk in them!) 

They come in different sizes, including for kids, and have cute patterns if you want.  And hand-washable up to 50x.  I've felt like it's been money very well spent.  I tried out a bunch of different styles, and kept coming back to these.

I know it’s been asked many times before here but I can’t remember—the correct Happy Masks should NOT be the ones from Germany, is that right? I think I’m finally going try some. I like what we use but now that we have to walk/hike/ski wearing masks, they do kinda “suck in” when I breathe hard. 
 

Are the Happy Masks hot? I overheat so easily and I’ve found masks to be a huge contributor. 

[catz]

I walk in my urban neighborhood most days occasionally walking in other places.  This area reads as more suburban.  Single family homes primarily but we are a few blocks from a college campus and a business/shop district.  Older homes kind of tightly spaced, not huge yards.  I never mask.  I also almost never get within 20+ feet of anyone.  I avoid campus and the business district during the day, otherwise I weave about avoiding everyone's bubble.  I also trust social distancing especially outdoors more than masks.  If I walked in our downtown areas (and I have a couple times), I do mask and most do.  Many of those people are coming out of buses, condos, offices, etc and walking in somewhere else (stores, parking ramps, etc).  I rarely to never go in anywhere at this point especially while positivity is up.  I do mask for curbside pick ups.  I carry a mask all the time though just in case.   I actually got some carabiners so I can easily attach them to my scarf or the little waist belt I wear out walking.  

[Matryoshka]

6 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I know it’s been asked many times before here but I can’t remember—the correct Happy Masks should NOT be the ones from Germany, is that right? I think I’m finally going try some. I like what we use but now that we have to walk/hike/ski wearing masks, they do kinda “suck in” when I breathe hard. 
 

Are the Happy Masks hot? I overheat so easily and I’ve found masks to be a huge contributor. 

NOT the German ones.  They are not even as nice as homemade ones.  

The ones you want are these.

No, the Happy Masks are not hot.  They are thinner and more lightweight than anything else I've tried, commercial or homemade.  They have a support structure down the middle that gives them the funny shape, but keeps the material out of your mouth when you breathe in and talk, which I have really come to appreciate.  I never would have known about them without this board!  

[Matryoshka]

9 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

  I actually got some carabiners so I can easily attach them to my scarf or the little waist belt I wear out walking.  

Before the outdoor mandate, when I just needed one handy in case, I sometimes would loop the earpieces around my wrist.

[MEmama]

9 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

NOT the German ones.  They are not even as nice as homemade ones.  

The ones you want are these.

No, the Happy Masks are not hot.  They are thinner and more lightweight than anything else I've tried, commercial or homemade.  They have a support structure down the middle that gives them the funny shape, but keeps the material out of your mouth when you breathe in and talk, which I have really come to appreciate.  I never would have known about them without this board!  

Thank you! 
I'm sold! 🙂 

[SKL]

I didn't vote.  I generally do not mask outside.  That is because I am pretty much never close to people when I'm outside.  But if I had some reason to be close to someone outside, for more than a moment, I would mask.

I didn't choose the "when within 6 feet" option, because I don't mask if I'm passing someone on a walking path etc.  I only do it if I'm gonna be hanging around them for some period of time.  Which, again, is almost never.  But for example, if I'm at the dentist's office and they make me wait in my car and then come get me when it's my turn.  I'm walking in with the person so I put on a mask out of courtesy for them.  Yesterday I just stood far away from the vet assistant as she put my bird in the car, because I was talking to my dad on the phone without a mask on.

If someone sends their kids to play at my house, inside or outside, they don't mask and neither do I.

[SKL]

14 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

Hey all, 

I'm curious whether people mask up outside 🙂 . I've been taking the kids outside, and while we mask up on the walk to the park, we do take the masks off when we get to a place where there's no one around (like, we can see one or two small groups of people, and they are all like 30 or more feet away.) 

What's everyone else doing? I have slightly mixed feelings on this one... on the one hand, I think staying far away from people is far more efficacious than masking in the park; on the other hand, I like masking as an expression of public spirit, and I don't know what statement people think we're making by not having a mask on at the park. But I really don't enjoy having a mask on... 

I don't believe it's healthy to have the mask on all the time.  It's not a statement for others to opine on.

[SKL]

14 hours ago, marbel said:

When I walk my neighborhood alone I do not mask but I am not going to get anywhere near another person. A lot of people walk my neighborhood and I never see masks unless there is a group of friends from different households walking together - at least, that's what I surmise when I see a group of 3 or 4 middle-aged women walking together; they are clearly not of the same household.

Sure, they might be in the same household, or they may be a "pod," or they may have already had the Rona.

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

NOT the German ones.  They are not even as nice as homemade ones.  

The ones you want are these.

No, the Happy Masks are not hot.  They are thinner and more lightweight than anything else I've tried, commercial or homemade.  They have a support structure down the middle that gives them the funny shape, but keeps the material out of your mouth when you breathe in and talk, which I have really come to appreciate.  I never would have known about them without this board!  

I think my kiddos are going to hate me if I take away the shark masks, sigh. 

We've ordered N95s for ourselves... would these be better than those? 

[theelfqueen]

I rarely mask outdoors... but outdoors here rarely means around other people. I might see two other people from a distance when hiking or when walking in my neighborhood. I live in a suburban area right on the edge of a huge rural area. My son spends one morning a week at the little Airfield on the prairie (seriously there are days when one of the three kids in his gliding  group has the job of chasing the antelope off the grass runway they use). I do mask in my car before going into the store and usually leave my mask on til I'm back in the car.  If I'm going to a food truck and theres a line I'll put on a mask. If there's no line - I probably won't...

Edited December 3, 2020 by theelfqueen

[marbel]

28 minutes ago, SKL said:

Sure, they might be in the same household, or they may be a "pod," or they may have already had the Rona.

Well, sure, but since they are masked, I assume they are not in the same "pod" or household or whatever.  But really the point was, people in my neighborhood don't tend to mask when out walking, whether alone or with, say, dog, spouse/SO, and kids or some combination thereof.  Thus, I see no reason to mask because it's not an expectation and I can stay far from people. 

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

I think my kiddos are going to hate me if I take away the shark masks, sigh. 

We've ordered N95s for ourselves... would these be better than those? 

Happy Masks have a Narwhal pattern...    Also tigers.

These are N99 rather than N95, and are so much more comfy.  Then the question is if the N95s fit a ton better, which is not a given. If not, then you're at least as good if not better in a Happy Mask.

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Happy Masks have a Narwhal pattern...    Also tigers.

These are N99 rather than N95, and are so much more comfy.  Then the question is if the N95s fit a ton better, which is not a given. If not, then you're at least as good if not better in a Happy Mask.

I haven't seen independent tests for them, though, so that makes me worry. Were they done? 

[Hyacinth]

43 minutes ago, SKL said:

I don't believe it's healthy to have the mask on all the time.  It's not a statement for others to opine on.

Agreed.

Plus, while you may be thinking “I’ll mask anyway because we’re all in this together” others may read it much differently: “See? It’s not about following the science or protecting others. It’s a virtue signal and/or a political statement and/or a bowing to fear and/or insert any of several other anti-masking defenses here.”
 

 

[Matryoshka]

13 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

I haven't seen independent tests for them, though, so that makes me worry. Were they done? 

They say they've had them tested at two outside labs:

1. Powerful Filtration

Our filters have been tested by Nelson Labs and the Taiwan Textile Institute to block over 99.9% of particulate matter (PM) 10, 2.5, and 0.3. To put this into context, dust particles are PM8, bacteria is PM3, and pollution and viruses are < PM1.* Our standard of filtration is one of the best available on the market.

[Terabith]

So, when I go take walks, I usually do so at night.  Sometimes it's around the block; sometimes it's at a level series of parking lots near a soccer field with Poke gyms, but at the time of day we go, I typically never see anyone outside my family.  I don't wear masks then.  But if I'm outdoors walking where I think there is a reasonable chance of encountering people, I do.  

[Terabith]

I have two Happy Masks:  a narwhal one and a black one that I sewed a very thin mask I love but that wasn't safe to wear on its own onto.  I really, really like the Happy Mask, but I think that while the filtration is excellent, the more important metric (for all masks) is fit, and whether or not they work well for an individual may depend on how well it fits your particular face.  

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I have two Happy Masks:  a narwhal one and a black one that I sewed a very thin mask I love but that wasn't safe to wear on its own onto.  I really, really like the Happy Mask, but I think that while the filtration is excellent, the more important metric (for all masks) is fit, and whether or not they work well for an individual may depend on how well it fits your particular face.  

Yes, I agree.  Fortunately, the Happy Masks seem to fit everyone in my family quite well.  I'm very happy they come in sizes - do measure, don't go by height!  One dd (5'8") and I (5'4") wear Larges, and my other two kids (5'1" and 5'5") wear Mediums.  The size of your face really has nothing to do with your height...

[Porridge]

When we exercise in our neighborhood we don’t mask— but we choose times of day when there are few people out, and we steer far out of the way of anyone we may encounter. Otherwise when we are out, we always have masks. 

[1234]

10 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I have two Happy Masks:  a narwhal one and a black one that I sewed a very thin mask I love but that wasn't safe to wear on its own onto.  I really, really like the Happy Mask, but I think that while the filtration is excellent, the more important metric (for all masks) is fit, and whether or not they work well for an individual may depend on how well it fits your particular face.  

Yeah, I bought one for each member of my family and only one of the four of us is actually able to wear them. They don’t fit the rest of us at all. It was a bummer. We use the Old Navy masks with ear adjusters and I added nose pieces to all of them.

[Not_a_Number]

48 minutes ago, Hyacinth said:

Agreed.

Plus, while you may be thinking “I’ll mask anyway because we’re all in this together” others may read it much differently: “See? It’s not about following the science or protecting others. It’s a virtue signal and/or a political statement and/or a bowing to fear and/or insert any of several other anti-masking defenses here.”

Yes, I know that's what some people are thinking, although I think that's a real shame. 

However, around here, I don't think that's the feel. It's a deeply blue area. 

[MoyaPechal]

Our city mandated that everyone wear a mask outside if you can't maintain a distance of 6 feet. If we're at the park and no one is there, I won't wear them. If I'm taking a walk on the sidewalk I will because we live in a dense area and I don't want people to have to step into the street to avoid us. 

[Lady Florida.]

I voted yes unless I have 6 feet between me and others, but it's more nuanced than that. When I go to a store or doctor visit I put my mask on before I get out of the car so it's already on as I enter the building. I leave it on afterwards until I get back in the car.

I regularly take walks in the neighborhood now that the weather is cooling off. I don't wear a mask but I always carry one in case I need it. On one of my walks I got turned around (we're new to the area and the neighborhoods run into each other). There were some people at a park. They were there with their kids and were wearing masks. I put mine on and went up to them - 6ft. away - to ask them where I was and how to get back to my street. 

I don't have an issue wearing a mask outdoors though I don't feel like it's necessary in every situation. I live in Florida and wore mine as mentioned in the first paragraph all through the hot, humid, summer. 

[TravelingChris]

We do not mask outside except going into stores, doctors,etc  where we put on the masks in the car.  But I don't go to crowded open spaces.  If I went and you coul;dn't keep welll away I would wear a mask.  

[Pen]

10 hours ago, MEmama said:

I know it’s been asked many times before here but I can’t remember—the correct Happy Masks should NOT be the ones from Germany, is that right? I think I’m finally going try some. I like what we use but now that we have to walk/hike/ski wearing masks, they do kinda “suck in” when I breathe hard. 
 

Are the Happy Masks hot? I overheat so easily and I’ve found masks to be a huge contributor. 

the right ones are the ones made in Taiwan, not Germany

They are not hot as masks IME go, but hotter than no mask 

I have found them

mostly not too hot even back in summer — but I haven’t had to wear them

very long at a stretch and most places I needed mask had a/c

 

my mom gets sweaty from them - possibly partly due to hotter place and partly longer time on or now places being heated indoors

 

I reduce other layers etc when wearing mask

 

or if walking or something I might reduce pace to help make up for mask 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Pen

[EKS]

We live in a semi rural area, and I don't wear a mask when I walk in my neighborhood because no one is ever out though  I do bring a mask with me just in case I actually do see someone.

When I go into town, I put a mask on when I leave the house and remove it when I return (note that I don't think it's necessary to have a mask on while alone in the car).

[happi duck]

On 12/3/2020 at 7:37 AM, MEmama said:

Yes, always.

My state has a mask mandate that masks must be worn in public at all times—that includes walks in the neighborhood but not, say, hunting alone in the woods. 

Beginning the very morning that went into effect, nearly every single person I’ve seen walking or biking in our neighborhood is masked. (Nearly everyone already did at the grocery, etc, at least in my town). 🙂 

I wish my state would just do this.  

[MEmama]

13 hours ago, Pen said:

the right ones are the ones made in Taiwan, not Germany

They are not hot as masks IME go, but hotter than no mask 

I have found them

mostly not too hot even back in summer — but I haven’t had to wear them

very long at a stretch and most places I needed mask had a/c

 

my mom gets sweaty from them - possibly partly due to hotter place and partly longer time on or now places being heated indoors

 

I reduce other layers etc when wearing mask

 

or if walking or something I might reduce pace to help make up for mask 

I bought each of us one for our stockings! I hope I got the right sizes; I remember reading that they run small. 🤞

[MEmama]

16 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I voted yes unless I have 6 feet between me and others, but it's more nuanced than that. When I go to a store or doctor visit I put my mask on before I get out of the car so it's already on as I enter the building. I leave it on afterwards until I get back in the car.

I regularly take walks in the neighborhood now that the weather is cooling off. I don't wear a mask but I always carry one in case I need it. On one of my walks I got turned around (we're new to the area and the neighborhoods run into each other). There were some people at a park. They were there with their kids and were wearing masks. I put mine on and went up to them - 6ft. away - to ask them where I was and how to get back to my street. 

I don't have an issue wearing a mask outdoors though I don't feel like it's necessary in every situation. I live in Florida and wore mine as mentioned in the first paragraph all through the hot, humid, summer. 

I struggle with overheating in a mask at 30 degrees— huge kudos to you for being able and willing to wear one in the Florida summer!

[Pen]

10 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I bought each of us one for our stockings! I hope I got the right sizes; I remember reading that they run small. 🤞

We all use large adult size 

mine gaps a tiny bit under chin which I can fix with paper surgical or kinesiology tape and it gives my jaw room to move for speech

[SquirrellyMama]

On 12/2/2020 at 9:20 PM, Corraleno said:

If I'm out in public I wear a mask from the moment I get out of my car until I get back in. So, for example, if I go to the grocery store, I mask while walking across the parking lot, even if no one is around. But I don't mask when I walk the dog, because I rarely see another person, and if I do they are at least 20' or more away from me and only for a minute or so. I do carry a mask in my pocket though, in case something happened to me (tripped and fell and couldn't walk home or something) and I needed help. But I've never had to put it on.

I said no to masking outside, but this is what I do. I mask as soon as I get out of the car when walking in a building. I usually take it off as soon as I get out when walking to my car. I would leave it on if there were a lot of people around.

I live in a small town so it is easy to take a walk and not mask. I cross the street if I would be too close to someone. I also carry a mask just in case I need it.

Kelly

[Farrar]

I live in a dense urban neighborhood. I mask outside as a general rule. You *will* pass someone on most blocks as you walk in my neighborhood. You can't distance. If we go to the park and it's semi-empty, we will remove masks sometimes, but often it's just easier to keep them on. I do not wear a mask in my backyard. If the neighbors are outside, I try to be sure I've left a very wide berth and am not hanging out next to the fence or anything. Generally, I like that people are masked here. It means that I leave mine on walking around and I just don't have to think about it. 90%+ people will be masked, I will be masked, walking around contact will be brief, and thus I don't have to think or worry about the virus just to go outside.

I have noticed that many people have gotten extremely lax about masks outside. Outside is not safer, not safe. If you sit six feet (or ten feet or whatever, but near and not next to) friends (or randos) unmasked for an extended time, you are not necessarily safe. There are more stories like that circulating now. And now that the weather is colder, it's even less safe for the exact reasons mentioned in this thread.

[vonfirmath]

On 12/3/2020 at 9:10 PM, Pen said:

I reduce other layers etc when wearing mask

 

or if walking or something I might reduce pace to help make up for mask 

My daughter actually expressed appreciation for her mask the other day when it got down to freezing "It keeps my face warm"

[Pen]

59 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

My daughter actually expressed appreciation for her mask the other day when it got down to freezing "It keeps my face warm"

that’s true when it’s quite cold it can be like a ski face cover!

rain is a new interesting situation

it has been raining enough to be fairly soaked between car and store door  

 

[vonfirmath]

3 minutes ago, Pen said:

that’s true when it’s quite cold it can be like a ski face cover!

rain is a new interesting situation

it has been raining enough to be fairly soaked between car and store door  

 

EEK.In that situation I'd put the mask in my pocket and put it on inside. Soaked it does no good. (We have gotten very lucky and not been out in rain yet.)

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by vonfirmath

[Shoeless]

I live in a rural area, so I don't see a lot of people on a walk outside. There have only been 2 times I can think of where I was outside with a random person: dropping off some recycling and dropping off stuff at Goodwill. Both interactions were less than 30 seconds in length. "Here's my bag of stuff. No thanks, I don't need a receipt!" and off I went. I had a mask with me, but no, I wasn't wearing it.  I really don't think that length of exposure is going to transmit Covid. If I lived in a more densely populated area, I would mask outside. 

I do put my mask on in the car before I enter the grocery store. I don't want to block traffic in front of the store while tying on my mask. 

[wathe]

On 12/3/2020 at 12:43 PM, Not_a_Number said:

I think my kiddos are going to hate me if I take away the shark masks, sigh. 

We've ordered N95s for ourselves... would these be better than those? 

Probably not.  The fabric that the Happy Masks are made from has been tested, but not the mask itself.  There appears to be a seam right up the middle.  Needle holes are not N-ninety-anything.  But, if you like them, and find them comfortable so that you can wear them without touching to readjust, then they are a probably a very good choice.

Without a fit test, I'm not convinced that n95s are better than regular surgical masks for most people either.  Properly fitted n95's are uncomfortable and hard to wear for very long without touching to adjust.

[Lady Florida.]

On 12/3/2020 at 9:20 PM, TravelingChris said:

 But I don't go to crowded open spaces. 

I don't either. No one in my small family bubble does. I guess if you do this would be an issue - to mask or not outdoors. It's not something I need to even consider because I'm never in that type of situation.

[Matryoshka]

21 minutes ago, wathe said:

Probably not.  The fabric that the Happy Masks are made from has been tested, but not the mask itself.  There appears to be a seam right up the middle.  Needle holes are not N-ninety-anything.  But, if you like them, and find them comfortable so that you can wear them without touching to readjust, then they are a probably a very good choice.

Um... no.  On a lot of counts.  The outer fabric has not been tested, it's the THREE filter layers in the middle of the two fabric layers that have been tested.  The filter layers are not sewn to the fabric layers except at the edges.   The outer and inner fabric layers have seams, but they are basically filter covers, not doing the heavy lifting.

Quote

Without a fit test, I'm not convinced that n95s are better than regular surgical masks for most people either.  Properly fitted n95's are uncomfortable and hard to wear for very long without touching to adjust.

I agree that an N95 or higher is not going to get that level of filtration without a fit test.

But I completely disagree that a well-fitting N95 or N99 that doesn't leave huge gaps around the cheeks and the nose, like the Happy Mask, isn't a ton better than surgical masks, which not only don't have as high a filter level in a perfect situation, but are hugely gappy on most people, tend to fall down their noses and constantly have to be readjusted.  I can't see how worse fit with lower filtration is going to be as good - well, maybe for protecting others, but personally would like something that has a ghost of a chance of protecting me at least somewhat, if not perfectly.

Not to mention I can't handle the waste.  Those disposable masks are generating so.much.trash.  I say leave them for the professionals.

[I talk to the trees]

On 12/3/2020 at 1:05 PM, Hyacinth said:

Agreed.

Plus, while you may be thinking “I’ll mask anyway because we’re all in this together” others may read it much differently: “See? It’s not about following the science or protecting others. It’s a virtue signal and/or a political statement and/or a bowing to fear and/or insert any of several other anti-masking defenses here.”
 

 

This sort of thinking does a great disservice to people like my friend with interstitial lung disease. She has always used a mask around others, and I have never once heard her whine or complain about having to do so. For her, putting on a mask is like me putting on my glasses. It’s just what she does in order to live life as normally as possible with her condition. Should she and her family just stop wearing masks because some judgmental goober thinks they are making some sort of political statement? 

[Hyacinth]

2 hours ago, I talk to the trees said:

This sort of thinking does a great disservice to people like my friend with interstitial lung disease. She has always used a mask around others, and I have never once heard her whine or complain about having to do so. For her, putting on a mask is like me putting on my glasses. It’s just what she does in order to live life as normally as possible with her condition. Should she and her family just stop wearing masks because some judgmental goober thinks they are making some sort of political statement? 

Of course not. People should do what they need to do and ignore any and all judgmental goobers. Really, “Ignore the Judgmental Goobers” is a pretty good life mantra. 
 

ETA: My comment about what people might be thinking was in response to the original poster who wondered what people might be thinking. 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Hyacinth

[Not_a_Number]

19 minutes ago, Hyacinth said:

Of course not. People should do what they need to do and ignore any and all judgmental goobers. Really, “Ignore the Judgmental Goobers” is a pretty good life mantra. 

It's a good life mantra, except that when all the social pressure against you, your life feels like constantly swimming upstream, and that's really unpleasant. 

[Hyacinth]

5 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

It's a good life mantra, except that when all the social pressure against you, your life feels like constantly swimming upstream, and that's really unpleasant. 

Unpleasant, indeed! Which makes the life mantra that much more important. People living a life of ease and societal conformity don’t need to remind themselves to ignore the judgers. 

 

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, Hyacinth said:

Unpleasant, indeed! Which makes the life mantra that much more important. People living a life of ease and societal conformity don’t need to remind themselves to ignore the judgers. 

I think it's safe to say that none of us on this homeschooling forum are living a life of total social conformity 😉. 

[Hyacinth]

Just now, Not_a_Number said:

I think it's safe to say that none of us on this homeschooling forum are living a life of total social conformity 😉. 

True! I amend my life mantra thusly: Ignore the Judgmental Goobers and Pass the Bean Dip. 

[JFSinIL]

I don't wear a mask when out walking the Labrador, but then again, there is almost no one else out in my neighborhood...except other folk walking their dogs, and a block or so away from each other one of us will cross the street.  But usually I am the only person out outside.  I do have one in my pocket just in case. 

 

Last night one daughter and I went to a nearby neighborhood that each year has award-winning houses all lit-up for the season.  We were the ONLY people with masks on!!!!and about half of the walk had to go next to the street or in the street to avoid family groups.  True, each family group is probably in its own bubble, and each clump of folks kept 20 or more feet apart, but still...