Earlier this week, an Ogle Mole pointed me to a Facebook group called "Brave Shop – Edmond." Before I clicked, I figured it was another one of those Facebook groups where people applaud local businesses that require masks, and shame the ones that don't, so consumers can make informed choices on where to shop and where to avoid.
It turns out I was right...kind of. Check out the group's description:
Tired of being the only unmasked shopper in an entire store? This group was created for folks to consolidate shopping trips to certain days/times, making more of us visible at once. Let's get together and storm the castles! No one needs to feel like a weirdo for shopping without a mask.
Awesome! I think I speak for all the sane people living amongst us when I say that non-mask wearers coordinating shop crawls is a great idea. It will let us know where to not shop, and also help build some much-needed herd immunity. They just need to make sure to use the hashtag #BraveShopEdmond. Well, if it's not copyrighted.
That being said, I hate to break it to the tin-foil hat wearers that put this page together, but whether you're alone in the produce section, or mouth-breathing on 20 other non-mask wearers in the bread aisle, you're still going to look like a weirdo when you're not wearing a facemask during a global pandemic.
Also, I know I'm not a paranoid Edmonite who doesn't have the cognitive ability to comprehend the science of why everyone wears masks, but if you don't want to "feel like a weirdo for shopping without a mask," maybe you should just – I don't know – wear a fucking mask? Seems pretty easy to me! Not only will it save you the public shame and embarrassment of having everyone look at you because you are a weirdo, but then nobody will actually know you are a weirdo. They'll just think you're a normal, courteous person taking one small step to help slow this deadly virus.
Here are the rules for the group:
All the usual rules and guidelines apply in this group (be kind, no cussing, don't be a jerk, etc.--follow these rules or get kicked out, yo), and ESPECIALLY when you patronize local shops. Let's ensure that businesses know we aren't the enemy, and that we should be heartily welcomed into their establishments. I encourage you to form your own group if you're shopping outside of the Edmond, OK area. Happy shopping!
Yep, please follow the rules of our forum, otherwise you'll get booted. But following public health guidelines and mandates to help slow the spread of a novel coronavirus that's killed more Oklahomans than every tornado since the 1950s??? Let's storm the castle, bitches!
