Freewrite Day 367 Face Mask

I had to get used to seeing people in face masks when I got to SE Asia. It is such a normal thing here.

Before I got here, a fb friend posted a video of a walk in his Thai neighborhood and walked past a whole gang of scary looking guys in big masks and with hats on. I later realized those were motorcycle taxi drivers on a break.

The hats are to protect their heads and keep their helmets clean. They are all somebody’s dad or boyfriend and not scary at all. If you have any trouble in Thailand, they are a good place to ask for help since they know more English than most people.

In my mostly American Arthritis groups the question of wearing masks comes up often. Many of us have suppressed immune systems due to the drugs we take. The pain and swelling comes from our bodies' fighting something unknown. The drugs make our bodies' not fight. So we catch every little cold and cough and virus we encounter and do not fight it off and recover. This is why I was always on death’s door when I took those drugs.

So I see post after post like this:

“I need to get to a place where I will be around a lot of people/children and I might get sick. Should I wear a mask? It’s so embarrassing, and I feel like a freak.”

Here in SE Asia – no one would ever ask that question. They would just wear the mask and no one would care.

Sometimes a store clerk will have a mask on or any random person on the street. You stop noticing them after a while.

In places of high pollution or on bad smog days, the masks come out for many more people that usual and no one cares. They only thing is that someone might tell you, “You should wear a mask today” just because they are worried about your health.

My post is for the #freewrite daily challenge by @mariannewest. Freewrite is a great way to post on steemit when you do not think you have the time, or talent, or anything to say. I know you can do this too! Here is Marianne’s freewrite prompt post for today. Give it a try and surprise yourself.