They say that: “Opinions are like a$$holes. Everyone has one, but nobody thinks that theirs stinks.”
Let me be clear - this is NOT about politics. I am interested in other people's opinions and support their right to have them. And I am not indifferent to how people think about me. I always want to try and present myself as kind, concerned, compassionate, committed and caring, and hope that this is how people "think" of me. But when it comes to matters of my health, though I am sensitive not to upset anyone with the surprise revelation of my condition, nor play the "Cancer card" and elicit even a modicum of unnecessary sympathy, there are certain actions, decisions or practices relative to my health that I don't really care how it affects other people - because it is important or necessary for me/my family.
When you go to the grocery store or big box store or the few other "stores" that I go to - I'll be that guy wearing the mask. There are very few of us left anymore who maintain the practice. I see your stares and the looks of dismay, disbelief and some dismissiveness, but I don't really give a flying frig what you think. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for me and my immuno-compromised physiology. YOU may have a cold or flu or Covid and I'm not really interested in getting it from you - whether you sneeze into your elbow pit or not.
There are some things that I would like to participate in which involve large crowds in close proximity in a confined space (ie: concerts, movies, Broadway shows, etc.), but for the time being I'm going to defer my involvement. I could mask up for these events as well, but for now they just don't seem that necessary - and I too would like to enjoy them mask-free, but I can wait.
When given the choice between an outdoor vs an indoor event, I'm going to lean toward the outdoor soiree or shindig. Please don't be insulted that I didn't accept the invitation to your indoor entertainment; it's not you - it's me. I'm sure you can understand my trepidation, especially as the weather turns cooler and we move back indoors for the next few months. And if you care enough about me to ask me over to hang, I'm sure you care enough about my health as well to understand why I may keep saying "no, thank you" even though the Covid pandemic is over.
You get a cold, and you are inconvenienced for about a week. I get a cold, and I'm annoyed with rolling bouts of a sore throat, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, sinus infection and freakin' phlegm flow for about 6-8 weeks (I'm just at the tail end of this Fall's episode). So, it's not that I really don't care about you or your feelings (I do), but you can see why I care incrementally more about me and my feelings.
