Moore or Less

The sign on an Independence liquor store looks as old as the building: “No Hoodies No Masks,” and the employee who rang me up smiled over its meaning to some people today.

There’s not a lot of mask wearing in this part of the world.

First there was confusion over types and efficacy of masks in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then they were hard to find. Then masks became a political statement, a precaution only for the old and sick, as well as a badge of honor, a symbol of fear, an excuse to skip lipstick and shaving and a lot of other things unrelated to their medical purpose.

“Doctors and other medical people have said that wearing a mask is one of the best ways you can protect yourself and others,” said Leseley Simpson, who wears her mask when she leaves her house. “Because of my age, I do have to be more careful.”

Masks are said to not be protection against contracting the coronavirus so much as preventing its spread to others by unknowing, asymptomatic carriers. Still, I believe it offers self-protection simply by keeping me hyper-aware of my surroundings and people, especially strangers. The mask also makes me eager to shop efficiently, get out of a store and safely back home so that I can take the damn thing off.

“I wear a mask, to respect the health care workers, to respect you and to respect myself,” said Patti Bronson. “Besides staying home I feel it’s the one thing that’s asked of us, to slow the spread and not overwhelm the health care system.”

That’s how Douglas and I feel about masks, and we’ve now got quite the collection. We have fancy lined-and-shaped fabric models, the two-for-a-buck packages from Dollar Tree, freebies from the church entryway table and now I’m giving thought to matching my summer outfits. Yes, there are masks as fashion state

Yes, there are masks as fashion statements. A chic woman in Paris was seen on the Champs Elysees wearing a black face mask labeled Chanel. Recently on Facebook, friend Nick Schoenfeldt posted a selfie showing his black and white polka-dotted mask matching the pocket square on his suit jacket. It is also on Facebook

It is also on Facebook where folks may obtain a mask, often free of charge, simply by posting their need. Judy Crismas recently gave away 360 of them and numerous people are swapping fabric scraps and elastic and sharing sewing instructions.

In Independence, masks can be purchased at such diverse businesses as Scrub Works, Independence Pharmacy, Hibbetts, Hugo’s Industrial Supply and Walgreens. They can also be found at Walmart, but are kept behind the pharmacy counter because of theft. Unlike the urban landscapes of Seat

Unlike the urban landscapes of Seattle, Wash., and New York City, we Kansans in a state that feels relatively unscathed have enjoyed the freedom and options of personal decision making regarding masks. Montgomery County went some 35 days from May into June with a case count of just 20, many of them now recovered.

But on June 8, the spell was broken and between that date and June 15, cases here rose to 25, and another death was added to the two recorded earlier. Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Rick Whitson noted there are five active cases.

Nearby Oklahoma is experiencing a sharp spike in cases, and friend Lea Shepard told me that masks have become much more evident lately in Bartlesville.

So there you have it, a warning. A “heads up.” Masks up?

[Liz Moore is from Independence, growing up, moving away and returning after years in Texas and Washington, D.C. She and her husband, Douglas Marshall, divide their time between Independence and Philadelphia, Pa. Email is lizsmithmoore@aol.com]