My parents and my friends from Asia despaired at how I could possibly go outside the flat without a mask.
My husband and I have had many a discussion about how we feel about wearing one. When he went to a shop recently, he was asked to wear one. In the next shop, no one was wearing one, so he removed it. Whilst I am not here to discuss the science behind whether or not we should wear one, our need to belong in society plays a big part. We tend to look at what others around us are doing, to see what we should do. It’s an old survival mechanism.
In some parts of the world, it would be frowned upon to not wear a mask and people would be asking why you are not doing your part. There have been a lot of conflicting messages around this which hasn’t helped matters. Months ago, it may have been strange to wear a mask in Europe but now they are more commonplace.
Initially, it felt uncomfortable when I was the only one wearing one but since the lockdown has eased, more and more people do. For me, I choose to wear one when I am going into a busy public space like the main station and especially on public transport where space is confined. I don’t think it’s necessary when I am going for a walk and can easily stay away from people.
And you – do you choose to wear or not to wear?