The Hat: Forgot my "Face Covering"

OK.

Yes. I will often just go unmasked just to make a point, and make sure any mask Nazis that confront me get an earful. It's my right, and if Phil Murphy and Joe Biden don't like it, well they can get a room at the Hilton and play Jim McGreevey games all night long for all I care.

But sometimes I will go along to get along. Sometimes I just want my eggs.

Yesterday was one of those days. I will not divulge the name or location of the store so as to protect it and its people from Murphy's Law, but I will give you this great story.

I just wanted my eggs. I went into the store with a shopping cart, finding it curiously without what I call "herding signs" ("Enter this way or that way, exit the other way, and stay 6 feet apart or else!"). It was a store I had never shopped in before, so I had to spend some time working my way to the cooler where the eggs were chilled. Everyone in the store had something on his or her face, many with masks pulled down below the nose for easier breathing, and some even with it pulled down below the chin. None of this mattered to me, of course. If people see some benefit in wearing a diaper over their face, that is their decision, and I have no more right to force them to act or see things my way than they have to do so to me.

A nice lady stopped to offer me the opportunity to enter the aisle ahead of her, and I stepped back and let her go ahead of me (gentleman that I am). She had a huge mask that covered so much of her face I would never recognize her if I ever saw her without it. She accepted my offer to go ahead with an enthusiastic "Thank you!", and I told her to have an excellent day. A brief conversation about excellent days followed, during which I collected up my eggs and we parted with more pleasant niceties.

I opted for self-checkout, but wished the attendant there an excellent day as well on my way out, and her response was just as friendly and positive as the shopper I had encountered at the egg aisle.

What made all this particularly interesting was what happened after I had given my cart to another shopper in the parking lot and placed my eggs in their special spot in the back seat ...

As I got into the driver's seat and started the car, I noticed on the passenger seat .... my I DO NOT CONSENT face covering. I had had this entire experience with absolutely NO incident of any kind from ANY employee or fellow shopper at this store. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I WILL be going back to this store, and if it weren't located in an area under fascist rule (New Jersey), I would gladly divulge the details of its location so as to encourage others in the area to support it. Sadly, I am doing more to support it by keeping the details to myself. This is what has become of our allegedly "free" country.

Wear a mask if you wish, but leave those of us who choose otherwise to our devices. Those in this store were able to do so - and do so with a smile and friendly greeting. Shame on you that don't.

The Hat