I will NEVER be happy again. I'm more certain of this than ever before.

[matt1993]

Well, I had my worst birthday ever a couple of weeks ago.

It wasn't terrible, but it was still my worst birthday ever, because it still reminded me that I'm a horrible person for not liking wearing masks and wanting the mask policies to EVER end and feeling like people are too harsh to each other about the issue.

I'm not even gonna bother listing the

Comments

[wanderipity]

I don't like masks either and I want the mask policies to end.

I want to see if anyone will get triggered by my statement without knowing that I am actually a nurse and do wear masks because "I follow rules." Regardless, you feel what you want to feel and just like with any other contagious illness, you're not going around spreading them lol

[matt1993]

Well, I'm glad there's at least four people who agree with me. I just wish others agreed with me instead of acting like I'm spreading disease just by not wearing a mask 100% of the time instead only wearing it in places where I'm required to. Based on what I see on Twitter, I feel like people think I'm a bad person just for complaining about it or for finding it difficult to breathe. (I know they say it doesn't actually impair breathing, but it's so uncomfortable that sometimes it makes me FORGET to breathe and even makes me end up coughing. So I don't blame people for getting triggered by having to wear them!)

[wanderipity]

I am also wearing a mask only where I am required too. No one had dared mask shame me yet.

the mask does make breathing difficult-- and I go up the stairs to get to my subway train here in NYC and I find myself removing it afterward just to breathe.

People are too damn paranoid and think that a whiff of open air = getting the virus.

[matt1993]

Exactly!

I hate mask shaming... I feel like mask shaming has a much greater chance of making people who are already very anxious and depressed about what's happening more depressed, than it has of actually convincing people who don't like wearing masks to wear them more often. Yelling at someone or shaming them for describing the mask/distancing policies as tyranny only reinforces the idea that it's tyranny!

[glowing_dragon]

Wow.

[matt1993]

Wow what?

[glowing_dragon]

I have personally never found that masks impede my breathing, speaking only to that part of her comment.

[matt1993]

I don't like it when people get mad at others for saying that masks impair their breathing or are uncomfortable. They ARE uncomfortable and although you were able to get used to it, others might not be able to.

THIS sort of comment is why I'm so depressed right now and feel like everyone hates me. :'(

[glowing_dragon]

I don't hate YOU! I don't even hate HER! I just am irritated with that part of her comment.

[matt1993]

Well, I also recall a time that having my mask on was very uncomfortable and made me forget to breathe for long enough that I ended up coughing. Are you irritated with me for saying that?

I think a lot of people would be less depressed and less anxious right now if people (in general) didn't jump on others for saying things like this. :(

[glowing_dragon]

No, I'm not. You could always pull your mask down to breathe or drink water. It's not great mask-wearing, but at least don't do a dicknose. (totally exposing your nose)

I can't speak to that.

[matt1993]

That's why I do occasionally take my mask off when I'm at my own desk at work, or even more rarely in the hallway (but only if no one is close by). And I rarely wear my mask when I'm outside. I've got to have fresh air SOMEtimes!

And at my birthday dinner, we only wore our masks until we got inside - they're required when you come into the building, but once you sit down you get to take them off and we did.

Personally, I feel that anyone who wears their mask MOST of the time is still doing their part, and that requiring people to 100% comply with all of the policies (masks, social distancing, and face touching included) all of the time makes people very anxious and is why so many people don't care about complying at all. That's how I felt about the face touching thing (and thankfully not as many people shame each other about THAT now, but when they do it makes me even more uncomfortable than mask shaming because it's not something people can control).

Am I a bad person for any of THAT?

[glowing_dragon]

I assume you carry your mask and carry hand sanitizer at all times.

Yeah, would be kind of hard to eat with a mask on.

I personally don't mind complying with the policies. Sometimes even I forget a mask, but some places tend to hand them out at the door or let you buy one for $1 if that happens. Some people might be anxious like you, which is true. You're not a bad person for that, but wanderipity (what a weird name) certainly is because she's a fucking NURSE and should know better!

Edit: ESPECIALLY because she thinks it's "natural" to pant during running and walking. Does she weigh 500 pounds?

[matt1993]

Can you please, if nothing else, agree to disagree with wanderipity? It makes me uncomfortable that two of my friends are about to start hating each other over this, even if neither of you hate me. :(

[glowing_dragon]

It has nothing to do with you on my end. If it did, YOU WOULD KNOW! I prefer communication so everyone knows what's going on.

[matt1993]

I agree that you've missed the points of some of the things that she (and I) said.

I don't always wear a mask when I'm outside. Based on what you've said to her, you hate me for that.

I sometimes take my mask off when I'm in the hallway at work as long as no one else is around. Based on what you've said to her, you hate me for that.

I used to not wear a mask AT ALL at work except for in one room where it was required (because at that point it was only required there, and in a few others I don't go to). Based on what you've said to her, you hate me for that.