The CDC now says vaccinated people in the U.S. can go maskless indoors or out. States and retailers are still determining how that plays out on a local level, but it comes down to this. You don’t know who’s vaccinated and who’s not, so what we have here is the honor system.
Good luck with that.
Mostly everything I know is wrong, but if I’ve learned anything over the past few years it’s this. A big chunk of my fellow Americans, perhaps as many as 70 million of them, are delusional. I do not have confidence people will do the right thing.
In the words of the dB’s, “You better wake up, wake up, wake up. That time is gone.”
How to process? On one hand, I am fully vaccinated and well-protected against getting sick or dying from the virus. However, I am more risk averse than some. We still haven’t been out to eat. But let’s assume I’m reasonably safe and can go anywhere, do anything.
The vaccine works, so I should be good. If unvaccinated people want to cheat the system and go maskless, what’s it to me? Let them mingle and infect each other. Darwinism at work.
But part of me thinks, OK, if enough of them get sick, that gives the virus more time to grow and prosper. More opportunities for variants to emerge. Possibly less protection for the rest of us and probably more time in the pandemic zone.
One has to assume the CDC has thought through all this and is willing to take a chance. Maybe this is the “one big thing” it will take to get more people vaccinated. Or it’s a ruse so we can pretend this is over and party like it’s 1999. And here’s a crazy thought: What if this really is the science, and we just have to believe?
Dale and I will stay the course, wearing masks to shop indoors but loosening up on other activities, because, after all, that vaccine counts for something. Life goes on. We made a pact we will go out to eat this week, but we’ll dine outside. We’re thinking about a road trip.
As a 22-year ovarian cancer survivor and six-year breast cancer survivor, I take illness and death seriously. But I also recognize you can’t allow yourself to wallow in the unknown, which we all understand you can’t control anyway.
Enjoying life – and enjoying retirement – means we have to accept risk and reality and find our safe and happy place somewhere in the middle.
That seems doable.
We’re with you! Feel exactly the same.
Ditto!
Thanks for the ditto!
Great minds think alike.
Yup, that’s how we feel. Just got back from a trip to Arcata. I feel fine in hotels (masked in halls, etc.) and we only did takeout or grocery store. We’ll continue wearing masks in stores. The thing that I’m dreading is when our YMCA will stop doing Zoom yoga classes since our city no longer has a mask mandate as of yesterday. I’m hesitant to go back to the small, rather airless rooms for my favorite classes.
I belong to a fitness center, but I only use the outdoor pool. I’m just inside for a few seconds as I head for the pool, and I am always amazed at how many people are in there without a mask. I hope you get to keep your Zoom yoga.
Well said!!
Thank you. Sometimes just saying it out loud gets you moving in the right direction.
Most Canadian provinces are still under huge COVID-related restrictions. May we all be wise and keep each other safe!
Excellent advice! Thank you.
Am with you! We are still a bit cautious, but, we are vaccinated.If Darwin theory selects out those who go without masks and are NOTvaccinated , and they sick, who am I to choose their fate??
That said, we have only eaten out in a restaurant ONCE— it was expensive, the menu of our fave place had been seriously reduced, prices had gone up , and I do not feel we will repeat this again soon,.I was not comfortable.
I am still wearing my mask in the grocery stores. But we are planning travel to an airbnb we like in Sedona. We will mostly do our own meals or get take out..just gong slowly.
hiking: no masks!
We still haven’t gone to a restaurant, even though we made a pact that we would. I read in the NY Times not to push yourself too hard to make up for lost time. As you said, go slow. That was helpful to hear. When we feel the need to go, we’ll go. We’re with you on the masks in grocery stores. I hope that continues.
In the UK, regulations are relaxing, but mask wearing indoors is still mandatory unless you are eating/drinking. We’ve not indulged in either. We’re both fully vaccinated but there’s a nasty new variant running about, so we’re keeping things quiet. Not that we were exactly social butterflies, but still. I suspect I may wear masks in grocery stores for long after it’s required as I’ve not had a single cold or cough since COVID restrictions started.
We feel pretty much the same way. I don’t mind the masks at all! While we have been wine tasting outdoors, we still haven’t been out to eat. But then we both love to cook, so it’s no big deal.