By Dennis Richardson, Magic Valley Publishing
We attended a funeral Sunday for a dear friend. I forgot my mask but wondered how many would be wearing them.
Some wore them. Some did not.
The masks I saw were of varied colors and shapes, but they seemed to get the job done. While it feels strange to put on a mask when I go out in public, I am gaining a better understanding day by day. It is not for my protection, per se’, but for the protection and out of respect for other people.
It seems to me that no one really knows what this virus is all about, what it will do or even the totality of the symptoms. Maybe, like the flu, there are different strands.
News reporters say death tallies are easing, citing the wearing of the masks and social distancing as the reasons.
I see some medical reports that say that the masks do not really work, that COVID-19 particles are too miniscule to block and that masks trap some harmful things inside (who knows what?).
It is still strange to me to see so many people wearing masks. This is new to us, but maybe we are getting used to it.
There are many videos on the Internet of how to make masks. Finding them for sale is almost as hard as finding a roll of toilet paper. Why is there a shortage of toilet paper? Why are people apparently hoarding it? And how long will the shortage last?
We once owned a mom and pop grocery store, and one of the pieces of advice from the former owner was to not make the mistake of stocking up on paper goods like…toilet paper, that shelf space was for other items that would sell faster.
The fact that toilet paper stores are not popping up like the smoke shacks, vape stores and fast cash outlets is that maybe people see this demand as finite whereas the others seem to be growing. That gives me a ray of hope that this will be over sometime before the football playoffs.
Masks and toilet paper. Who would have thought?
What is your opinion?
Oh … and read more newspapers.
Dennis Richardson is the CEO of Magic Valley Publishing, Inc., which owns the Chester County Independent
