Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Frankly, I’ve never understood why face masks were such a big deal. There’s a deadly viral disease abroad in the land; it spreads through aerosolized particles emitted when people talk, sneeze or breathe heavily, particularly in crowded, indoor spaces. It seemed only a matter of common sense and common courtesy to wear a mask at the grocery store.
I don’t like wearing socks, either. But if they protected me, the people I love and Maggie the Kroger pharmacist from intensive care or the graveyard, I’d wear two pairs at a time. What persuaded me was that in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks were still hard to find, Maggie sewed them for the whole pharmacy staff. I’d already learned to trust her judgment.