I’ve noticed since the beginning of the lock down back in March 2020 that I have more cuticle skin and my skin is tougher on my hands. Not rough just thicker around my nail bed. It’s doing what it was made to do. It’s protecting my body. When the scare started I was using rubbing alcohol spray. I stopped that because it was excessive. I’m a hand-washer and continue to hand-wash regularly, especially when I come inside my home after my excursions. It’s the first thing I do, and I always did. It was a habit I picked up when I lived in Toronto after taking the subway. Wherever I was going, I would wash my hands, first thing, once I arrived. But I know too well (and love) that we live in diversity. I understand that some people have been raised with the perception that life is a controlled environment, a petri dish, or even that good hygiene is/was not important, or access to resources for those who are marginalized are scarce, and that some are defiant or willfully in denial; I certainly remember my 20s of invincibility! For those of us who live in a ‘privilege’ environment, be mindful of how you are treating your neighbour. Our humanity is our greatest gift. Be mindful of how you judge others by objectifying them to justify righteous means and feed your fears. It is the time of the Shadow. It is the time of turning and facing our Shadow rather than pointing fingers at our neighbours or thinking some outdated system has our best interest at heart, knows what’s best for us, and will protect us and save us from the ravages of Mother Nature. What difference does it make whether someone else, ‘the other,’ is wearing a mask, if you are wearing a mask? As cautioned by the WHO long ago, the homemade masks and those non-N95 surgical masks we are wearing have created a false sense of security as they don’t give us the protection we have now convinced ourselves they provide, and are now justifying enforcement towards and for a greater good. OCTranspo in Ottawa will be enforcing mask wearing with possible fines without even considering those on fixed incomes who are faced with increased costs and perhaps can’t afford masks. People with medical conditions will be taken at face value. Will people with medical conditions be required to carry or display like tags their medical notes in order to avoid fines from the OCTranspo “Mask Police”? What next? Will the “Mask Police” be checking whether the masks are fresh or cleaned???? Ridership is way, way down in Ottawa as numerous people are working from home. But it was announced that there will be “Mask Police” checking everybody for masks on public transit. So now they don’t care or check whether you paid your fare? I ride public transit when the need arises and 99% of people are wearing masks, each and every time. I’d much rather see the “Mask Police” assigned to washing the buses and rail cars on an hourly or even a half-hour basis, 7-days a week, if the City is looking for preventative measures. But the Union, I’m sure, won’t allow it! Our humanity is at state. Choose wisely!