Face Masks and Discrimination

I had an experience that brought to mind Rosa Parks and the bus. And other things…

November 29, 2020 -

I walked to the library this weekend to pick up some holds. Masks have not been required there.

You can’t go inside. All business is done while the patron stands outside. You ring a doorbell then stand outside near social distancing markers. The librarian comes wearing a mask, asks for your name and library card number, then pulls your items, places them on a table that’s blocking the front door and backs away as you step forward to pick them up.

“He refused to serve me.”

But that was then.

This is now.

Now there’s a new plexiglass divider on top of the table that blocks the front door and a sign that says, “MASKS REQUIRED.”

Well, I didn’t bring a mask with me because I didn’t know the requirements had changed. I saw the “Mask Required” sign when I arrived but figured, “Well, I already walked here. Maybe they’ll help me anyway.” And I made sure to stand a good bit away from the social distancing marker, well beyond the six feet.

The library guy came to the inner glass doors, looked at me and didn’t open them. Instead, he gestured to his face with motions that said, “put on a mask.”

I smiled and held both hands up in yet another gesture that said, “Sorry, dude. I don’t have one.” It looked a lot like this 🤷🏻‍♀️ except I was smiling.

He refused to serve me.

I nodded and left.

Diagram of the masked librarian, table, glass doors, social distancing marker and me.

I understand. He was completely in the right to do that.

Part of me immediately wished I’d put up my raincoat hoodie and pulled the zipper all the way up over my nose and mouth. I’m sure he would’ve served me then.

My nose and mouth would’ve been covered (✔️) and I guarantee you the Gore-Tex from my raincoat offers more protection than the Old Navy Masks I usually wear that gain me instant access to all mask-wearing establishments.🙄

Me and my Gore-Tex “mask” of a rain jacket.

“I’m so over this stupid mask thing.

I hate this madness we live in.

I hate the inconsistency of it all.

I hate EVERYBODY!”

My indignant SELF rose up. That old, familiar, unhappy fizzing began to fester within.

“I’m so over this stupid mask thing.”

“I hate this madness we live in.”

“I hate the inconsistency of it all.”

“I hate EVERYBODY!”

(Okay, not that last one. But I do have a story where my mind spiraled down similar thoughts and ended with me hating everyone. But that’s for another day.)

But, thankfully, my objective side rose up and said, “Hey listen. ‘No shirt. No shoes. No service.’ How long have you lived with that sign? Decades. It’s a thing. People are used to it. Maybe the masks will be around for decades and then we’ll get used to it and it won’t bother us so much anymore. ‘No Mask. No Service.’ Easy as that. The way things are.”

These thoughts ran through my mind.

And then there were more:

“I’m outside, for crying out loud! I’m even standing BEYOND the required six feet! AND YOU STILL REFUSE TO PROVIDE SERVICE.”

“I’m outside, for crying out loud! I’m even standing BEYOND the required six feet! AND YOU STILL REFUSE TO PROVIDE SERVICE.”

Since I was outside and beyond six feet from anyone, I wasn’t breaking any government mandates. But the library had set its rules and if they wanted to refuse service, I suppose it was completely in their right to do so.

Fortunately, it’s a short walk home from the library. So I came home, put on my mask and went back for my library holds.

I’m getting to Rosa Parks. Don’t worry. We’ll be there soon. It’s a short story, after all.

Why was I so miffed at this experience? I thought about it some more:

It upset me because it was inconsistent and didn’t make sense.

It upset me because he could’ve just opened up the inner glass door and stood way back there to help me instead of coming up to the table like he would’ve if I’d worn a mask. Helloooo! There are ways around this. He could’ve still helped me.

Maybe he was just trying to make a point. Maybe he thought I was being disrespectful. Maybe he’s truly scared of contracting Covid-19…even though he’s more than ten feet away from me, wearing a mask and I’m outside. I dunno.

I’m upset because…well, I’m a selfish human being who desires to be served like anyone else.

“I’m upset because…I’m a selfish human being who desires to be served like anyone else...I’m also upset because what I did wasn’t good enough.”

A person arrived shortly after I turned to go and they were served because they had a mask on and did everything right.

So maybe I’m also upset because what I did wasn’t good enough.

Actually, now that I think of it, that IS part of why this experience irked me.

I’m a perfectly good human being and yet I’m not good enough to be served. I haven’t jumped through the necessary hoops to gain access. I haven’t done my duty as a law-abiding citizen to wear a mask and look out for the health and well-being of others in this pandemic we’re living in. Therefore, I cannot gain access to the things I want or need.

***

This may seem like a detour in the story, but hang with me and it’ll all make sense soon.

We’ve been on Thanksgiving break for the past week. It’s a time of the year when a lot of us focus on gratitude and thankfulness.

There’s a verse that came to mind about giving thanks in all circumstances.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Give thanks in all circumstances...
Like allll??? What do you mean “all circumstances,” God?”

Like allll??? What do you mean “all circumstances,” God?

So I tried it:

Thanks for this pandemic.

Thanks for the constant mask wearing.

Thanks for the library guy who refused me service. That sure was fun. I hope I experience the lack of service again.

“Thanks for the library guy who refused me service. That sure was fun. I hope I experience the lack of service again.”

Then Rosa Parks came to mind.

My mind went a different direction. I thought, “you know…this must be what black lives have experienced for too many years. What many experience even now.”

The bus driver told Parks to give up her seat in the colored section to make room for a white person. Talk about the indignation she must’ve felt. The injustice.

“How many times has a person of color gone up to a door and been refused service? There was no hoop they could jump through and no mask they could put on to gain instant access; instant service.”

How many times has a person of color gone up to a door and been refused service? There was no hoop they could jump through and no mask they could put on to gain instant access; instant service.

How many times have they been made to feel like what they bring and who they are isn’t good enough?

How many times have they been refused in any number of circumstances and then had to live with the indignation, the injustice and the hatred of it all?

“My heart softened and I changed my tune:

Lord, thank you for this experience because it teaches me what so many others experience all too frequently.”

My heart softened and I changed my tune:

Lord, thank you for this experience because it teaches me what so many others experience all too frequently.

Thanks for the pandemic and the constant mask wearing because it teaches me to look out for others. It teaches me to care about someone else besides me and the library holds I expect to get.

Thanks for the library guy who refused me service because it gives me insight into how others have felt for hundreds of years.

Thank you for what many are experiencing because, hopefully, they’ll learn something valuable, too.

Open our eyes to what we need to see, learn, experience.

- 🙏

💛

If you enjoyed this story or it gave you good food for thought, consider adding a comment to let me know how it impacted you, big or small.