A little story. Three weeks ago, on April Fools Day, missed a step and went down, boom. I was wearing sandals. Left foot extremely painful to walk on, swelling, lots of bruising, etc. Kept thinking, just tissue, ligament damage, will heal, etc.
Finally decided to do a telephone consultation with the advice nurse who strongly advised me to get an x-ray. I figured this is what she would say.
For folks that believe that wearing masks protects themselves and others, I suppose the discomfort of breathing one's own carbon dioxide can be mentally and emotionally overcome. For one who believes that, at least for the vast majority of us, this is totally unnecessary, does much more harm than good, and is about compliance, obedience and control, the psychological ramifications are anxiety, anger and claustrophobia.
But, I sucked it up and went to the clinic to see a doc yesterday. I hobbled in wearing my bandana pulled up, and the entry-guard person informed me that I needed to wear a proper mask and handed me a flimsy disposable one. I was checked in and told to go to the waiting area. By now, I am literally feeling like I am suffocating, so I pull the mask down and begin reading my book on my kindle. No one chastised me.
Not long after, a very pleasant masked nurse calls my name. I walk into the exam room and ask her if she feels I am jeopardizing her safety if I pull the mask down. She laughed and said, no, and no problem, adding, I can't wait until we don't have to wear these things anymore. She takes my vitals, etc., and says that the doctor will be in soon. She even brought me a bottled water -- (so it would be acceptable for my mask to be down when the doc arrived?) Before long, he shows up, masked, but says nothing about my mask being under my chin, even shook my hand.
He examined my foot and arranged for the x-ray, a relatively short hobble to another area of the clinic. The x-ray technician didn't care that I had my mask down, either, although again, I did inquire. She pretty much said the same thing as the nurse, more like, I hate these things.
Turns out, I do have a busted big toe and it's now taped and will require wearing a boot for three weeks.
But the main reason I am writing this is that everyone I encountered and worked with for 2.5 hours (except for the entry door guard person) had absolutely no problem with my wearing the mask under my chin, treated me wonderfully and respectfully. There was laughing and joking about need for pedicures and having "covid-toenails".
The clear impression is that all of these medical professionals that worked with me yesterday believe the mask-wearing to be absolutely ridiculous, and reluctantly wear them because it is mandated for their jobs. The sad part is they think this will end!