We Really SHOULD Be Doing This

I don’t want to be making a face mask! I don’t want to be counting the people in my circle that are “high risk!” I am kicking the dirt! I’ve been in denial and procrastinating! But, I surrender, because we really SHOULD be doing this!

I pouted while cutting out the 8½ inch squares. I fussed while ironing the pleats. I complained to the wall while sewing straight seams. Finally, I examined the finished product with the hope they would all end up in the trash! Yes, the trash! (Never have I created with the deepest hope the outcome would end up discarded.) There was (and is) a deep hope these would become unnecessary and unneeded. These will NOT be repurposed. My hope is to never feel this again. Once in a hundred years is enough! 

So here we are, doing this; fighting is the wrong word, yet I can’t think of a better one. There is no tangible enemy, no particular group, person, or thing that can be labeled (even inaccurately) as evil to hold in contempt. This is in the very air we breathe, the surfaces we touch – and there is no known treatment, no cure, no nuke to make it stop.  

Oddly enough, our frontline defenses are people who are usually overlooked because they’ve always been deep in the trenches and far behind the scenes. They have been extraordinary heroes all along; now they’ve rightfully been brought into the light and given the respect they deserve. The CEO can’t save his business or get it phase-ready for re-opening – but his janitor can. The store shelves aren’t stocked by the boardroom, but by truck drivers delivering on schedule and essential retail staff. LPNs, CNAs, and RNs are keeping hospitals open and facilitating end-of-life communication in ways that no one foresaw.

So, who am I to kick the dirt? As I reflect while sewing, the words “ungrateful, entitled, AND little bitty” come to mind. I surrender to the current circumstances and release denial and procrastination. 

Whether we follow the WHO, the CDC, or some level of government, it’s now a COVID-19 world, and the new “normal” requires a face mask. We may not like it. It may be uncomfortable and inconvenient. It may be the current bane of our existence. So, why? Why wear a mask? 

Put on a mask out of love and respect. The older Veteran down the street you have your morning coffee with – he’s high-risk due to his age and exposure to Agent Orange. Your aunt who you pick up your favorite cookies from – she’s high-risk because of cancer she’s been battling for three years. The little girl down the street you take to dance class with your daughter – she’s high-risk because she’s survived a rare blood disease through eight years of fragile life thus far. You understand, I know you do. Put on a mask, if not for your health, for the safety of those folks who have a place in your heart.

With that being said, there are a lot of versions of the face mask; and a multitude of ways to get one. You can make your own with many options – sew/no-sew, tie back/elastic straps, over the ear/behind the head, with/without HEPA filter pocket, options beyond options. Makers of all sorts have brought out sewing machines, hot glue guns, scrap fabric, and elastic strips to contribute to the cause. The internet is filled with how-to/DIY videos and patterns.

If you’re not quite feeling crafty, there are also a plethora of ways to obtain one. There’s site upon site on the internet offering them in a wide assortment of colors and styles. You may find them in many price ranges, but there are also those people out there offering them for free – for the good of our communities and as an offering of “doing their part” in the world’s fight against this unseen enemy.

How to request your free one: comment on this post, Facebook, Instagram, or BlogLovin.

As always, Thank You for spending time with us at This Lil Pig Studios!