Mask-wearing continues to be personal choice, mostly

     

The basket of masks is located near the back door. 
You can't miss it!

    I ran errands a couple of weeks ago and encountered confusing face mask-wearing signs at two businesses.

    One, at Green Thumbers, a flower vendor, said that masks not necessary inside the store. The second, at the Menard's store in north Davenport, said that unvaccinated persons should wear masks, others need not.

    I put on my mask when indoors at both places.

    I don't know about you, but I'm still cautious when shopping indoors. 

    We Bakers have been fully vaccinated since May, and both of us are quite healthy, thankfully. But this "in-between" time of wearing, not-wearing masks, is problematic.

    A smart friend suggested I simply social distance from others, indoors. That's very difficult at a place such as HyVee, the grocery store. I wore a mask when shopping there on Monday because there's literally no way to keep a proper social distance. Some shoppers had one on but most did not.

    I also wore a mask when shopping one day at Walmart and got the "evil eye" from a clerk who directed me to a self-check-out. That was odd, of course, but a reality these days. Mask-wearing is a political football which plays out at the highest levels of government.

    Our family is mostly vaccinated but not totally. I am comfortable around the kids, of course, and grandkids. I also appreciated a recent restaurant outing with girlfriends, when we ate indoors.

    It's places where I don't know anyone that make me the most concerned.

    Still, the virus news is getting much better. The Quad-City Times (qctimes.com) today reports new virus cases are near zero and the Davenport COVID-19 testing facility is to close next month.

    My own evolution to No-Mask Land continues at a cautious pace.