(Author’s Note: The CVC website has been down for awhile so the blog posts have been delayed.  This was written July 2, 2020.)

The Governor’s office has released a new logo promoting Wyomingites wearing masks. While it’s a man (typical) and he looks like a bandit, I still find it eye-catching.  And since I’m easily attracted to bright and shiny things, the logo made me consider wearing masks as my column subject.  It’s a bold move given the topic can go from zero to firestorm in any given discussion.  But why let that stop me?  My readers always give me plenty of latitude and grace so why should this be any different?

I didn’t have strong feelings about masks when COVID-19 first hit Sheridan because there was so little conclusive evidence at the time about their effectiveness. As with all COVID-related information, that’s changed as the days go on. Now, in some cities and counties around the country, masks are strongly encouraged or flat mandatory.

Most of Wyoming hasn’t been a very mask-wearing state and I was happily oblivious to other areas until I ventured out of here last week.  Holy mask, Batman! (See what I did there? Slaying myself.) Illinois is just starting to open (you can’t sit down in a restaurant) so they’re still cautious.  It was clear that you didn’t go into a grocery store, restaurant for pick up, etc. without a mask so I got into the habit of wearing one quickly.

Around here, masks have incited vehement reactions when restaurants and stores started opening, and we’re not alone.  It doesn’t take much searching to find stories about individuals nearly coming to blows over wearing or not wearing a mask.  Even in Peoria, we were waiting to pick up some food in the parking lot and two men were shouting at each other over one not wearing a mask to pick up his pizza.  How crazy is that?

A good friend of mine declared that he refused to wear a mask because doing so would show “submission.” I was speechless. (This state is, admittedly, a rare occurrence for me.) Submission to whom? The virus?  The Man? The CDC?  Only in America would we pit individual rights against the perceived common good.

Here’s my take, for what it’s worth. I am a people person.  I love to see people, talk to people, be near people, hug people. I am the perfect host to transmit a highly infectious virus to anyone in my orbit.  By wearing a mask, I can still do almost all those things (the hugging is suspect) without worry that I may have unknowingly brought COVID with me, and then just as unknowingly passed it on to someone else.

Maybe I’ll be one of the fortunate ones who is barely touched by COVID.  It’s Russian roulette though. Marathon runners are on ventilators, as are babies and bulletproof young adults. Those with underlying health issues are still more likely to be hit harder but in no way are the rest of us off the hook.  It’s the weirdest virus. It can last for months, cause strokes, and be responsible for other random and horrible outcomes. I couldn’t live with myself if I ever thought I had caused someone else to fall ill.

Wearing a mask is a pain. If you wear glasses, they steam up.  If it’s hot and humid, a mask is the last thing you want to put on.  You must work twice as hard to smile with your eyes.  And talking can be a little muffled.

So what? Are all the heroic restaurant, grocery store, childcare, and medical personnel wearing them?  They are.  Are they loving every minute of it? They most certainly are not. I am far from perfect and vigilant about wearing my mask nearly as much as I should.  I’m trying to be better about it.  I did order a very festive KU Jayhawks mask, so I look forward to advertising my school on my face soon.

Bottom line – I like to believe the sooner we all don masks, the faster we can take them right back off.  We will have beaten back this scourge and will be moving on with our lives.  Until then, I’ll be enthusiastically smiling with my eyes.