To Wear A Mask, Or Not To Wear A Mask, That is the question: Mask Confusion.

By Editor in Chief & Publisher Jeff Brown.

I don't know about you, but the whole mask wearing thing is very confusing. I mean, I don't know when or when not to put the damn thing on anymore. To wear a mask, or not to wear a mask, that is the question of the day. I know I'm not alone in this dilemma. I think we are all in a state of mask confusion.

Lately, when I pull into the parking lot of a grocery store, take Fresh Thyme Market on Washtenaw for example, I find myself scanning the parking lot to scope out whether or not folks are wearing their masks as they exit their cars and head into the grocery store. Recently, I observed that people were wearing their masks when headed into the store from the parking lot. So, I in turn would slip on my mask before getting out of my car. I thought my peer pressure years were over. Apparently not.

More recently, I would say that around 50% of shoppers in a grocery store are wearing masks while other shoppers are maskless. During these last couple weeks I would find myself feeling quite conflicted on the issue. I would ask myself, were the folks not wearing a mask the same people who were refusing to wear a mask a year ago? Also, were those wearing a mask going overboard with caution? Very tricky situation.

Of late, I have become brazen. Last Friday, I went into Fresh Thyme Market in Ypsilanti wearing my EMU mask. Suddenly, while standing in the potato section I had a revelation! I decided to release myself from the confines of  my mask right then and there amongst the potatoes.  I mean, I'm fully vaccinated, right? I stripped off my mask and stuffed it in my back pocket.

I wondered, would anyone notice that I entered the store wearing a mask only to discard it minutes later in the potato section? I really don't know. Further, if folks did notice that I had suddenly removed my EMU mask in the potato section would they even care? Who knows? One thing I do know is that we are all going through a bit of mask confusion these days. Now, please pass the potatoes.