COVID Conversations - Breaking Points

Yesterday I had to go get my prescription at my grocery store. It was day two of a mandatory King County order to wear masks in retail spaces, and there was about a 75% compliance. No big deal, not everyone has gotten the memo and I get that. But as I walked about, I noted a particular couple who seemed both conspicuously unmasked and also completely ignoring social distancing and the one-way aisles. And scowling at everyone who was complying. I kept running into them coming the wrong way up the aisles. These aisles are easily readable signs and floor stickers--big red stop signs and big green arrows on the floor and hanging from the ceilings--so there is no excuse for ignoring these markers. These people were making intentional choices to completely ignore attempts to keep people at safe distances in public spaces.

Checking out with my few essential items, I saw them again. I saw her--what I describe to you as oldrednecksmokerlady--without a mask, up close and sticking her crotchety finger in a masked manager's face, barking about bad attitudes, then returned to her similarly oldrednecksmokerman husband in line. Just perfectly themselves, not giving a shit about anyone or anything but themselves, yelling about bad attitudes, while everyone else around them were starkly contrasting with silence and selfless mask wearing. Who exactly was rude? I don't know what precipitated it, but it didn't matter to me. I could imagine these people came in itching for a confrontation, and they made it happen.

I made a point to walk past the manager and said, "Hang in there, okay?"; and as she turned to "smile" and say "Have a good day," I realized that without the ability to actually smile, it was only her eyes that I could see--brimming a little with tears she was fighting back from the rude encounter. I tried to smile back with empathy, but realized she couldn't see mine either. I hurried out the door myself before my masked face and only-eyes-brimming-with-tears could be seen by anyone else.