Read on Twitter
I don't tweet a lot. I'm not good at it. I hope this thread does more than prove that my opinion about my abilities is correct. It seems that there are two REAL reasons why people won't wear masks. First is that they don't care about other people.
Masks protect you but also protect other people from getting sick if you're sick - and you could be sick and contagious and not even know it. So if you're not wearing a mask, you don't care that you could give the virus to someone who may die from it -
or pass it along to someone in their family who may die from it. I like to think that a lot of people in this group just don't understand this - and when they do, they will start masking up. To them I say, you're not a murderer.
You would never go into a stranger's house and stab their grandmother to death. The only difference between killing grandma with a knife and killing her with the virus is that with the latter, you can convince yourself that it wasn't your fault. But it was.
How would you feel going to grandma's funeral and seeing all the grief you caused just because you didn't want a mask to mess up your make up or because it was inconvenient or thought it made you look "wimpy"?
I'm sure there are some people who truly don't care if grandma lives or dies. I like to think that they are in the minority. They are dickheads and can't be reached so there's not much use trying to convince them.
The second REAL reason people won't wear a mask is because they don't care about themselves. They don't think they are going to get sick or they think that if they do get sick it won't be that bad. To them I say, I had Covid 19 in early March.
Before there were any tests in LA. It SUCKED. This is not the flu. It felt like being thrown off a motorcycle and skidding across the asphalt. It hurt to lie down. It hurt to move. My fevers were low but my nerves were on fire
The first week was anguish. The second week was a haze. The third week was exhaustion. I am a very healthy 49 year old man. Running up hills is a hobby of mine - and the first night of symptoms I had trouble breathing.
I'm telling you this because I'm sure some 25 yr olds will say I was symptomatic because of my age. Bullshit. This thing will come hard at anyone. As for long term effects, I still can't taste anything and everything smells like burnt cinnamon.
The virus fried the nerves of my sinuses. I may get my taste back, I may not. Everything may not smell like Santa's fireplace one day, maybe it will. But if you go out without a mask today you're risking never really enjoying food again.
I understand the mentality of young people - in your heart you know Covid isn't going to kill you. The stats say you're probably right. But there are other issues that you could have to deal with. We don't know the long term effects of getting it.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. The virus attacks numerous organs. There are people with lung, brain and kidney damage. Young people who still can't breathe weeks and months after getting "better".
According to what we know now, I have a window of immunity. I can't get it or give it to someone else. But I still wear a mask when I'm going to be around people. Why? Because I'm a member of the human community! Because none of the strangers
I'm around know that I can't give it to them and seeing me without a mask may make them anxious and they have plenty to be anxious about already! Because we all have to send the message to each other that it's vital to wear a mask.
This isn't complicated. Wear a mask. If you go for a run or a hike, wear one you can pull down when no one is nearby. There are lots of cool ones on the market now! Every time you put one on before you go out, you're saving lives.
How many other opportunities are you going to get to actually save a life or ten lives? So wear that mask - at the very least it will mean you get to keep tasting French fries, smelling roses and you won't kill anyone's grandma.
