Mask on…mask off- um, back to normal?

By this point many of us have chosen to get vaccinated bringing a sense of relief for so many, but still a level of uncertainty. What about those who do not want the vaccine or the young population under age 12? Will it be comfortable taking masks off altogether because of following the CDC guidelines? I am not so sure. Of course, I am happy to be vaccinated and know that means I will be able to actually be closer than six feet of my loved ones especially if they too are vaccinated. Human contact, an actual for real hug! But, what about everyone else? There is no way for any of us to know who is and who isn’t inoculated, so I have no immediate plans to ditch my mask. Why? So glad you asked…

Even through extreme caution the virus made its way into the lives of my sister and me. All it took was someone’s not following the mask guidelines that were put in place. It sucked, plain and simple. Of course, my thought at the time was, how could someone be so careless. This was also when vaccines were being developed to try and stop the spread. There was hope and it would make a huge difference, but what about those that never even bothered to mask up or follow any guidelines? Would the desire to go “back to normal” be enough? Honestly, what was “normal” anyway, so much had changed. I knew my world would never be the same but my thoughts always lead me to the new possibilities. So, after recovering from the dreadful Covid-19 and the vaccine was made available, we dutifully got our appointments as quickly as possible and are finally fully vaccinated. Things are going to get better, right?

So many people getting vaccinated even though it is a two-step process is hopeful. However, there are still those that do not want the vaccine (seriously!); just like those that refuse(d) to wear masks. Geez. Well, what are we supposed to do? Every single news outlet would report on the growing numbers of humans willingly choosing the inoculation inching us to “herd immunity”. Let’s be real so many lives were lost in the world because of this virus and the goal is to build immunity. But that will work, if a large percent of us, our fellow humans, gets vaccinated. Then there are the updated CDC guidelines about the masks, that are, well, confusing. Bless their hearts they do try to be clear, but wait, what, masks on or masks off?  

Yes, I am fully vaccinated and will carry a mask. How can I feel safe and protected if there is no way to know if the person next to me at the grocery store or gas station is vaccinated? Oh wait, the honor system. Right, I am supposed to believe my fellow human is vaccinated and following these guidelines. Yeah, no, the inner me does not buy it. What if they never wore a mask before and did not believe the virus was real? Too many people still stand by that theory, even after so much loss. In the year plus of the pandemic businesses made Social Distancing part of their every day and made sure to protect staff as well as customers. Now I wonder if that will change. Are they going to stand close to me again? Do I have to sing “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police? I kind of like the 6-foot distancing in the stores (can you please stand in your circle?). Am all for two shopping carts apart and being call to the next available register. Oh yeah and my mask, it will be on in the store and readily available for the foreseeable future.

So, we are on the road back to normal. Let’s think about that for a minute, back to normal. This pandemic hit us like a freight train and we all, every single one of us had to make changes and sacrifices to get through. We adapted, wore masks, kept at least 6 feet apart, stayed inside, worked from home, remote learning, sanitized everything in sight, lost jobs, faced uncertainty all in the name of staying safe. Yes, it was hard, but we pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps and pressed on. All the medical professionals, first responders, grocery store workers, bank employees, delivery persons, mail carriers, truck drivers had to physically keep going, they did not have a choice. Others were fortunate enough to be able to work from home, not always easy, but they did it. What about the lost lives? Where is their back to normal? Those families, including mine, will never be able to get that part of their lives back. All of that still has to be processed, don’t you think? We still have a way to go.

Going forward, not back, is what we should be thinking. Yes, the economy has to get back on its feet, but this was no ordinary circumstance. One thing that would make me happy is for all of those brave and amazing humans that worked and continue working through this extremely arduous time be acknowledged. Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough. They are our true heroes. Are we even going to remember that? While so many long to “go back” to normal, we simply cannot. Our world changed, our lives changed, we have changed. We learned that we can do things differently. I sit here reading about how New York has reached a milestone and now reopening. How do I feel? It definitely is very promising. And even though the mask message may still be a bit confusing and am happily vaccinated, my mask will be close by…just in case.