Can I Mask You A Question?

To mask or not to mask? 

We all have our thoughts and experiences on this topic, but what we are seeing as Canadians is a general respect and thought for our fellow citizens. Good job Canada!

I will admit, even while thinking about and creating these masks almost every day since March, there have been times when I have forgotten to take one with me to a store. No one gets angry, although you might have some giving you a wide berth as you walk by, but I still felt bad, not because I was scared for myself but by wearing a mask I am telling others- I respect you and your health. 

I just returned from Ottawa, Ontario, where masks are mandatory inside establishments and stores. These requirements were very necessary but even as I type this, things are starting to lighten. 

It was a good reminder to me that although Vancouver has been doing very well, we could still hit another rough patch, and once again we could be back to the life of people jumping into traffic to avoid walking past each other on a sidewalk. We still don’t feel fully normal in Vancouver, but our abnormal is far better than what other provinces and countries are going through.  

The first question everyone asked when I returned from my short trip to Ontario was - how was flying right now? I have to say, it was much better than expected. I wouldn’t recommend doing it for fun but in cases where it can’t be helped, it was a great experience. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t good because everything was back to normal, it was good because most people are still feeling a healthy sense of fear and remaining cautious with their proximity to one another, as well as the amount they are talking and sneezing, etc. But also, in wearing masks in these public tight spaces, they are thinking of others around them, considering their fellow man.  

Masks are not mandatory in most places in where I live in Vancouver, but we can see the evidence around us that shows most people want to do what they can for those around them. And it has made a big difference in keeping our city feeling semi-normal. 

These are uncertain times and we don’t exactly know what the next few months will look like but we do know that we don’t wish anyone in our family or your family to get a serious illness. A virus that for me is not serious might be very serious for my friends grandma. Or mychildren's grandma for that matter.  

Of course, we all want to be free to go where we want, when we want, but at what cost to our health and our society? Hardly anyone “likes” a mask and yet because of the respect we have for each other, we will wear the to slow the spread of Covid 19. For a little bit of discomfort right now, we can save ourselves another lockdown situation.

Imagine trying to keep a Vancouverite inside their tiny Kitsilano apartment in the middle of our “3 nice days” we get every year? Let’s just not even…

It’s not just a mask, it’s a sign of love. 

Written By Kristin Airey