A person is NOT the virus

Sari, one of the main characters in my new novel, Changing Skies, learns that when she confidently smiles and is kind to people she meets, she gets acceptance and kindness in return. The idea seems pretty logical.  Smile and, most of the time, receive a smile in return.

I went to the grocery a few days ago. It was my first trip to the store in a couple of weeks. Here’s what I noticed: all the employees were wearing masks and probably half of the customers were. Because I personally was happy to be out and about, I made it a point to greet people and smile as I shopped.  Interestingly, people not wearing masks greeted me back, smiled back at me. They seemed to reflect my own joy at doing something ‘normal’ for a change.

Those wearing masks, however, were a different story.  If I got a response at all, it was terse, the eyes above the masks did not hint at a smile beneath. The cashier who tallied my purchases barely answered my initial greeting then never said another word, not even ‘thank you’. I’ve spent a lot of time pondering this.  Certainly, maybe what I was encountering was a kind of shunning – no-mask shaming perhaps, since I wasn’t wearing a mask myself.  But I don’t think so. 

I think the problem is deeper and more insidious.  We have been told by our government and the ‘officials’ that lead us to be suspicious and afraid of others.  For weeks now, we have listened to media telling us that contact with others is equal to contact with the enemy. We’ve been conditioned to see people as carriers, as dirty, as threats. 

I think, as we slowly begin to reclaim our lives from the fear we’ve been fed, that we will all recover faster if we intentionally and conscientiously remind ourselves that the people we meet are not the virus.  I absolutely respect anyone who decides to wear a mask, anyone who is continuing to isolate.  I am responsibly adhering to social distancing, washing my hands, being vigilant with cleanliness. I understand that living in Wyoming means we have very few cases of Covid-19 in comparison to other places.  I understand wearing a mask is more vital in other places.  I get that and I respect it. But I refuse, I refuse to regard another human being as some sort of enemy. I refuse to see VIRUS instead of PERSON.  And, the next time I’m out, I’m going to be even more intentional in smiling and greeting others.