Be Funky & Stay!

This is not about whether you should, or shouldn't, wear a mask when out in public.  It's about two other things - how you treat other people and my different personas with my different masks. 

The first few times I went to the store since we've had our stay at home order, I was nervous about being around people in public.  I've gotten a little more used to going out, wearing a mask and dousing myself with hand sanitizer multiple times throughout my trips.  I've also determined which stores are worth waiting in line to get in, Trader Joe's is one.

We needed milk on Monday so I ventured out to Trader Joe's.  While waiting in line, with my mask on, I noticed a couple in front of me who were not wearing masks.  I noticed this and then minded my own business while waiting to get into the store.  All of a sudden, the lady in front of the couple decided she needed to loudly comment "Shut your trap. You don't even have masks on!"   I didn’t hear anything before this so I don't have a clue what prompted her to say this but she was all I heard and I just thought "Wow.  Ok. That doesn't seem necessary."  

After the lady went in the store, an employee thanked the couple for remaining calm.  This employee had a mask on yet she thanked the mask-less couple rather than congratulating the mask-wearing-and-comment-making lady.  Once inside the store, I noticed the masked lady staring back and glaring at the couple.  Did she forget that all we can see our each others eyes?  And hers were not smiling.  

Who made this lady the authoritative figure of Trader Joe's?  She certainly did not "prove" herself to anyone.  I am guessing she doesn't own the store since she also had to wait in line to get in.  What stuck out to me, more than a couple of people without masks  is how rude and self righteous this lady appeared by how she was acting.  She made herself look worse than the couple without masks on.  

I have three masks that I choose between that were all given to me by Bobby (thanks!).  The first mask  is a P95 Respirator mask.  The second is a surgical mask.  And the third mask I received is a fire department mask. When I wear the P95 mask, I feel like I'm a scientist.  When I wear the surgical mask I become a surgeon.  Side note:  The first time I wore the surgical mask, I had to google how to wear it to make sure I didn't look like a fraudulent surgeon who doesn't know how to wear a mask!  When I wear the fire department mask I represent the firefighters and become Bad to the Bone.

As I thought of the title for this post, immediately I thought of "Be Nice or Leave" but that's not very nice!  Instead, in the words of Dr Bob I say, "Be Funky and Stay!"  Whether you become a surgeon, first responder, scientist or a wanna be, what you should NOT be is rude to others who are different from you.