So to set this up I live in a pretty conservative county in Texas directly adjacent to a deep blue county. My church is mostly conservative but people are sheep and observe strict mask protocol for the most part.

As for me, I don't wear a mask anywhere I go and if they demand I put one on, I leave. Why? Well because I'm healthy, and if I feel bad I stay home.

Last night my church was putting on a date night where you drop your kids off and parents go home and bump uglies and maybe get a bite to eat. Well when I went into the church everyone had a mask on except me and my kids. I dropped my kids off at their classrooms and was headed out when a masked security guard (an officer from the local sheriff's office) approaches me.

Now I'll be honest, I had spoken to this man a few times in the past. He knows my face. I know his. But don't ask either of us what the other's name is.

He stops me and says "hey, I need you to come with me real quick." At this point I'm thinking, is this really happening? Is he going to take me aside and dress me down for not wearing a mask? Yup that is what is happening. But I don't want to make a scene, I'm at my church and I know these people. So I follow the officer as he requested. He leads me to the kitchen in the church and flips the light on. Immediately after I enter the kitchen I turn and face him and Im about to start defending myself and my rights.

Before I get a word out he rips off his mask and says "I am so sick of this thing! I hope you don't mind I just needed a break from all this and talk to someone who still seems to have a level head with all this." I immediately laughed and told him how I thought he was going to lay into me. He apologized and we talked for about 5 minutes.

During this time he told me one thing that really stuck we me. He said he is a grandpa and apparently "at risk", and all these measures are intended to give elderly more time on earth, but you can't go out to eat, you can't go do anything fun, you can't even see your grandchildren smile. That's not life.

I asked him why he wears his mask and he said he used to not wear it but he had people confront him to the point of making a scene in multiple occasions and he found he preferred to not be the one "causing" confrontations. I did my best to encourage him and remind him he is not the cause of the confrontation when they start the verbal provocations.

When I came back to pick up my kids last night he had his mask off and waved at me. I still believe a majority of folks have basic common sense enough to come to the same realizations, but unfortunately it seems that our "being polite" by not voicing our opinions is giving the minority the upper hand in destroying our lives.