1.618 said:

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I've been fighting cancer for 15 years, so I have worn a mask for the better part of 15 years when I leave the house. People always assumed that I was sick and contagious when they saw the mask but if I left the house, I was well and wanted to stay that way.

For me, the mask gave me the freedom to go out in society in relative safety while immunocompromised so I never hated it. On the contrary, it gave me freedom to leave the bubble that is my home. Sure, small children would point or make comments but that was ok as it was unusual at the time. Today, I don't go out much but I sure as heck wear my mask when I do. And no one gives me a second thought these days when they see my mask, which is funny.

So yea, even when covid19 is under control, I'll still be wearing a mask. There will likely be some adult idiot who makes a comment about my mask (kids prob won't say a thing anymore) but I won't care. I have worked long and hard to stay on the planet and I intend to do it for a good bit longer.

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Stay well my friend. If anyone makes fun of your mask when I'm around I'll knock them on their ass for you.

Belton Ag said:

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I just doubt I can ever get used to a mask. I mean, I guess I'd get used to having a railroad spike sticking out of my skull if I had to. But I've gone 46 years without masks, and the past few months of being exposed to trying to conduct business, carry on conversations, and work with one on makes my quality of life suffer to the point where I resent them.

If I get sick - where I'm contagious and can negatively affect others - I stay home, as should everyone. To me that's even more polite than wearing a mask.

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Wearing a mask in crowded public areas is causing you suffering and resentment? Hope you make it through.

b0ridi said:

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Belton Ag said:

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I just doubt I can ever get used to a mask. I mean, I guess I'd get used to having a railroad spike sticking out of my skull if I had to. But I've gone 46 years without masks, and the past few months of being exposed to trying to conduct business, carry on conversations, and work with one on makes my quality of life suffer to the point where I resent them.

If I get sick - where I'm contagious and can negatively affect others - I stay home, as should everyone. To me that's even more polite than wearing a mask.

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Wearing a mask in crowded public areas is causing you suffering and resentment? Hope you make it through.

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Clearly someone who didn't read the post and/or deliberately chooses to take one sentence out of context.

Belton Ag would be shocked at the things one can become accustomed to -- the railroad spike in the head comment made me immediately think of a cerebral shunt and a central venous line coming out of ones neck and attached to an IV pole. At first, you think "No Way In Hell" and then it's done and you adjust. And later you might even be grateful for the tortures that your brilliant doctors think of to keep you going. Might.

I know that my experiences are quite different from most on this board and I'm happy about that. It means that you don't know the daily inconveniences of chronic, critical illness. There is nothing like a couple near death experiences to yank your priorities straight and keep you from getting bent out of shape over things. And thank you to those who offered both well wishes and butt kickin. Much appreciated.

Now, go back to griping about your mask if you must, but please wear it for those of us that actually might die from covid19. It sounds like an unpleasant way to exit this world.

b0ridi said:

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Belton Ag said:

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I just doubt I can ever get used to a mask. I mean, I guess I'd get used to having a railroad spike sticking out of my skull if I had to. But I've gone 46 years without masks, and the past few months of being exposed to trying to conduct business, carry on conversations, and work with one on makes my quality of life suffer to the point where I resent them.

If I get sick - where I'm contagious and can negatively affect others - I stay home, as should everyone. To me that's even more polite than wearing a mask.

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Wearing a mask in crowded public areas is causing you suffering and resentment? Hope you make it through.

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This is the kind of BS reply that turns people away from the whole mask wearing in public. The people who go out of their way to mask shame , or put down people who have a different opinion than they do causes two things:
1) hardens the attitudes of the anti-mask person even more
2) makes the shamer look like a fool.

TLDR: I'm a covid nurse and masks have kept me safe.

I'm a nurse, sometimes a covid nurse. We only wore surgical masks in March/April in suspected patients rooms due to the concern over n-95s. Based on PURELY my personal experience, even surgical masks tend to offer decent protection from the virus. We now have enough n-95s to get one every three shifts. Every admitted patient is now tested. I use my n-95 with all new admits, simply because it is available and I'm going to assume someone is positive until they are negative. We are instructed to treat it that way. (And if you are coughing a lot, I'll likely continue that practice, in case of a false negative, I really don't want to pass that onto other patients.) in public, I started wearing one around the time the bars opened up. Probably later than I should have. It's become a normal part of the day for me. It's worked so far for me, and I hope it continues to work for those who are immunocompromised.

Belton Ag said:

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It's uncomfortable and unnatural to me. I put up with it when I go indoors but that's about it.

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Uncomfortable, unnatural, and only worn when you're around other people - def sounds like you're talking about bras.