Conscientious Courtesy

I am seeing a lot of posts about ‘government control’, ‘mask Nazis’, ‘media fear mongers’, etc, as it pertains to the practice of wearing masks in public, on flights, etc. To me, it isn’t about any of those mechanisms or motivators. It is about courtesy. Not just the courtesy of protecting the health of others, but courtesy in kind. For me, this morning was a perfect example. I finally got an appointment at the groomer for Maggie (my dog), who has been shedding balls of wool lately. I had no notion of wearing my mask to drop her off, but when I saw the person receiving dogs wearing a mask, I put mine on as well. This is the new social grace, and, as surely as there is no mind control at play when I respond “good morning” in kind, there is no mind control at play here either. Of course, I would hate to be fined for not saying “good morning”, but the lack of a greeting in kind cannot possibly make someone sick, whereas not wearing a mask presents that risk, however small, so a different level of conscientious courtesy is required. Remember that.