My dad went from being the most difficult person to buy presents for, to the easiest, when I discovered he absolutely loves it when I buy him liquor as a gift.

It’s great because Christmas, his birthday, and Father’s Day are spaced apart so perfectly, that by the time he’s about to finish one bottle, it’s time for another 👍

So I made sure I had my trusty mask and hand-sanitizer, and ventured out to the ABC Store.

*For my friends who don’t know, ABC stores or Alcoholic Beverage Control stores, are state-run and the only places you can buy liquor in NC.

Masks are very controversial these days. From what I’ve seen, it’s split right down the middle with no-mask/mask wearers.

I don’t get it. Besides all the reasons I’ve already heard of why people wear masks, I have my own reasons:

1. The one my mommy made me is so pretty that I feel like it jazzes up my typical uniform of black t-shirt, black sweat shorts, and flip-flops.

2. I don’t care how bad my face looks because it’s hidden by my glamorous mask. This would have been a welcome addition when I had my nasty recurring face rash!

3. I love seeing men trying to figure out if I’m hot or not. Oh yeah big boys, I see you checking me out in my sweat shorts.

4. When I wear my mask and sunglasses at the same time, I feel like I’m going on a covert mission in disguise.

5. It makes me feel better about society. Before I was all, “Ugh I can’t stand people” about everyone. Now I only reserve that judgement for non-mask wearers.

Before all you non-mask wearers hate me for saying that, let me explain.

It might just be me, but there’s a palpable tension in the air between the haves and the have-nots.

There’s an instant camaraderie between us mask-wearers. A visual hi-five of sorts when you lock eyes with another hidden face; like you just earned a gold star from your elementary school teacher for being earnest and doing the right thing.

I found myself standing a little straighter and prouder and then instantly feeling like a giant nerd and telling myself to stop it and get over myself.

But then I really got checked by a non-mask wearer who was obviously eye-rolling me and calling me a dumb sheep in her head.

* I do realize this is a made-up scenario in my mind and there’s absolutely no way I can say for sure that that’s what this woman was thinking. However, from the people I know who do not wear masks, that’s the general consensus – if you choose to wear a mask, you are not a free thinker, you are only a follower or a “sheep”.

That’s what it’s come down to. A scenario of the holier than thou mask-wearers, and the radical, free-thinking non-mask wearers.

The thing is, I wear my mask for other people. If there’s even a slight chance that my actions might protect that elderly woman who is forced to go to work at the ABC Store to put food on her table, that’s what I’m going to do 🤷🏻‍♀️ Plus, being in a covert disguise and pretending you’re on a secret mission is really fun too.