ALLENTOWN (TNS) — My family spent time over the weekend planning what we will do this summer. My wife and I are fully vaccinated and our sons will be soon. So we’re ready to go.
We’ve booked a weekend at the beach. I will be going on a guys golf getaway. And we scheduled a trip to Pittsburgh to see my parents.
While there, I will be going to a Pirates game. The beach and the ballgame will be the first time in more than a year that I’ve been in a large crowd. And I won’t care whether those around me are wearing masks.
The new guidance from federal health authorities a few weeks ago sparked controversy because it provided cover for anti-maskers to prematurely shed their masks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear masks, indoors or out, in most settings. Since we don’t know who is vaccinated and who isn’t, anyone now can go maskless.
We’re on the honor system, and not everyone is honorable.
That scares some people. It doesn’t scare me.
It doesn’t matter if unvaccinated people around me are not wearing masks and could spread COVID-19. I trust the vaccine will protect me.
I realize I still could catch the coronavirus. But odds are the vaccine will protect me from getting seriously ill.
When I go to the Pirates game, I won’t be required to wear a mask, as the ballclub has adopted the CDC guidance. That doesn’t mean I won’t wear one, though. It depends on the circumstances.
I know that many people are not vaccinated yet, and that some people can’t be vaccinated because of health reasons.
They may be uneasy when around others. If I can ease their mind simply by wearing a mask, I’m happy to do it.
If most of the people sitting around me at the ballgame are wearing masks, I will consider that a sign they could be at risk. So I will wear a mask, too.
If most of the people are unmasked, I will be comfortable not wearing a mask.
That’s the same approach I’ve taken since the CDC guidance was issued on May 13 and adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
I wear a mask when I pick up a pizza or go to the grocery store if there are other customers and staff wearing masks, even if the store’s policy says I’m not required to wear one.
I will wear a mask later this week when I get my hair cut, regardless of whether the shop requires me to, because I will be in close quarters with the stylist.
I believe that’s the proper approach. It doesn’t make me a weenie. It makes me someone who cares about others.
By wearing a mask, I know that I will make some of the people I encounter more comfortable. It’s called courtesy.
You never know what people are dealing with. Some may be particularly susceptible to getting seriously ill if they catch the virus, or have vulnerable family members. And I won’t force employees at the businesses I patronize into the uncomfortable position of being the mask police.
Other people have different opinions. They consider the CDC guidance the greenlight to burn their masks. They will never wear one again, regardless of where they are and who they are with, because they are vaccinated.
And that’s fine.
During the height of the pandemic, I encouraged people to wear masks because I believe they work. And I criticized those who refused to mask up.
But now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’m not concerned about what others do, or don’t do. And if you’re vaccinated, you shouldn’t be concerned, either.
Don’t let the potential for people to exploit the rules prevent you from “getting back to normal.” For more than a year, wise people took precautions to protect themselves until they could be immunized.
Now that we are, let’s get on with our lives — while still being courteous.
(Paul Muschick is a columnist for The Morning Call of Allentown.)
