“What should I do if I see someone without a mask at New Day?”
The power of a story
Happy Sunday, New Day!
Yesterday morning I woke up, and got on Facebook. Yes, I know 😱
The first thing I happened to see, in a neighborhood-based facebook group, was a photo from a restaurant’s outdoor patio, where a waiter appeared to be serving two customers while he wasn’t wearing a mask.
The post-er complained that she would never again eat at the establishment, and others commented, either chiming in with agreement, or the opposite; many denounced the woman for her “Karen”-like tactics.
Personally, I had sworn off these neighborhood Facebook groups due to the toxic complaint-based culture therein. But there’s really no avoiding seeing the posts unless we were off Facebook entirely.
And even if we are off Facebook. It’s still everywhere we look. We are constantly being exposed to this “good and evil,” “black and white” perspective on covid and mask-wearing.
It’s all around us. And it’s in us, whether we like it or not. We’re stuck, but all too often, we’re too busy blaming the people who are “ruining it for everyone” (and possibly while patting our own selves on the back) to see it.
So what about at New Day?
We sent out a video several weeks ago detailing our office safety policies, in place until further notice. Just like in every other building in Illinois, masks are required.
Be that requirement as it may, there are some non-black and white aspects to this. It does no one any good to pretend that gray doesn’t ever exist in this situation.
So what should you do if you see someone at New Day without a mask? Here are some points to consider.
- Masks are required and recommended sanitary procedures are in place at New Day, and we also have a high-end air purifier in the adjusting room.
- AND it is not possible to create a “zero-risk” environment. You are asked to be mindful of this, just like you would be in any other public place.
- Practice members are permitted to take off their masks for their adjustment if they are comfortable doing so, since they will be laying face-down on a table for 15 minutes and breathing toward no one (and breathing deeply as a response to the adjustments, hopefully!)
- Therefore, it is entirely possible that you would see someone walking to or from their table without a mask.
- Myself, Dr. Virginia, Diane, and Diana have been wearing masks all day every day at the office for months, and so it would be unrealistic to imagine that there is never a time we take our mask down or off and forget to put it back on.
- Even if you’ve been working at home for months and can’t imagine yourself not wearing a mask constantly while out of your home, you can hopefully understand that people who would need to wear masks for extended periods daily do need breaks sometimes or forget for a moment.
- Please practice extending the same courtesy of understanding that you would most likely extend to myself, Dr. Virginia, or the New Day team to your fellow practice members regarding their masking.
- I actually find it very easy to forget to wear a mask when I walk into New Day! I spent 7 years walking into New Day without a mask. New Day feels like home to me. I don’t wear a mask when I walk into my home either.
- If I see someone walk into New Day without a mask, I see it as that person either 1) simply forgetting because we’ve only been doing this for a couple months or 2) they feel so at home at New Day, like I do, that it feels unnatural sometimes unless they are reminded. And I like that people feel at home here.
- Please understand that it is scary to know that we live in culture where someone could snap a photo of you in a moment of your life, and try to ruin the entire rest of your life your life because of it.
- New Day is a sanctuary from that culture, and we are grateful to be in a relationship of trust and believing the best about each other in our New Day community.
- And so if a practice member walked into New Day without a mask, I would see it the same way; someone who forgot because they came from outside, or from their car, and/or feels very at home at New Day. That’s my story. And my story feels better and more loving, for me, than a story that the unmasked person doesn’t care about people.
- If you happen to see someone without a mask at New Day and you feel triggered, please see it as an opportunity to showcase the spirit of New Day– seeing the best and believing the best about someone. It might be challenging, at times, so have compassion for yourself!
- If someone isn’t wearing a mask, it doesn’t have to mean that the person doesn’t care, is reckless, supports Trump, or whatever your brain might want to make it mean in the moment.
- If you’ve been forgetting to wear a mask at times at New Day, for the good of our community please try to remember next time!
- If you see someone without a mask, and you want to say something, a simple, “Oh hey! Don’t forget your mask!” will likely work perfectly
- If you are not able to trust other people in their actions and choices at this time, or trust yourself to not be in a reactive state about this, it makes sense that you might need to postpone your care with us for the time being.
- “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”–Wayne Dyer <3
- Thank you for reading. We appreciate you and your engagement so much!
