People. Who Needs People?

I’m really getting tired of people.

Tired, annoyed, frustrated and every other synonym I can think of. Even angry.

Perhaps someone can explain to me why it is necessary for others to be in someone else’s business? Or up in their face?

I recently went to buy some groceries. Here in LA County, the mandatory mask restrictions were lifted on indoor shopping, though masks are still highly encouraged. I still wear one when shopping indoors. In the store, the majority of customers and clerks were wearing one with a few of each going without. In the store, all was calm. Yet, upon leaving, I was harassed in the parking lot. “Nice job wearing a mask!” or some such utterance by a guy who was maskless.

My knee-jerk reaction was simply “Thank you.”

Yet, once home and groceries put away, I ruminated on why did the little f**ker have to say anything at all? What damn business of his was it anyway why I still chose to wear my mask?

Since then, I have even envisioned a few scenarios where I approach him (or the next one) and ask in the most congenial tone possible, “How does my wearing a mask affect you personally?”

I imagine the rest of the conversation going something like this:

Harasser: “You don’t have to wear your mask.”

Me: “I know. And how are you affected by my choosing to do so?”

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H: “I just wanted to tell you that you don’t need to.”

Me: “I repeat. I know I don’t have to. Now answer my question. How are you personally affected by my wearing a mask? Why does it bother you that I do?”

Whether the harasser ever realizes that they are not personally affected by my wearing a mask, I have yet to figure out. This fantasy confrontation never seems to get that far. Yet, should I ever feel brave enough to ask them, I can only hope to plant a little seed in their little pea brain. Because, in the first place it only affects them by preventing them from getting ill should someone else be sick with any respiratory ailment; cold, flu, or gods forbid, the dreaded COVID.

And in the second place, it's my business.

I am a person who, once I've made up my mind about something, it is MY business and no one else's and I'm not likely to be swayed. This applies to all my choices from my spirituality, my political decisions, my choice of romantic partners and whether I choose to have one or not, my choice of diet, whether I choose to boycott certain businesses or not. I've done my research, made my decision and the case is now closed. Period. Full stop. End of story. And I don't want to hear your story.

My overall point is why do they need to be in other people’s faces anyway? The number of people confronting others over their continued mask use is staggering. On airplanes, in shopping centers, and even in schools.

My friend's middle school age son was harassed-bullied, rather-by some students for wearing his mask. Mask shaming begins young, evidently.

And lately, it’s not just about masks.

A recent news article, or video posted to social media, I can’t recall where I saw it, showed a woman shouting homophobic slurs at a gay couple on an airplane. In 2022? She claimed that Elon Musk, an avowed free-speech absolutist who’s trying to buy Twitter and will allegedly allow all manner of speech-including verified disinformation-has given her the right to speak her mind whenever, wherever and to whomever she chooses.  

Or what about those protesters who stand in front of an abortion clinic, harassing the women who are entering the building. Why is it their business what those women choose to do with their body? I mean they have a right to peacefully protest, yet they don’t have a right to harass someone who’s making a very painful decision. In my opinion, the decision lies with the woman and her doctor. I do feel the father should have some say in it, but I can recognize that some women might not feel that way.

And one further question for those pro-life protestors? Are they prepared to adopt the surrendered babies or just leave them to the state and then complain about the cost of their care in the system?

I could always ask myself, prior to engagement, is "Is this individual intellectually, mentally and emotionally competent to comprehend my point of view?" Probably not.

Credit: Quotemaster.org

The best overall approach for me, as I said in a prior post, is non-attachment, non-confrontational. When I’m harassed, the best approach is a non-engagement, a don't-feed-their-ego approach. This should be very easy for me as I didn't engage or react when I was bullied at school by being called "queer", "faggot", or "gay boy". So why is now different?

Maybe I'm just tired of it from all those years ago and am being triggered. Again.

I guess I should let it all go once at home.

It's not very easy.

Credit to ramblingsoftheclaury.com