“Hello and Welcome!
Let’s be kind to those workers that are here every day, trying to keep things open and running! ”

One week into office and President Biden is prioritizing beating back COVID-19. As part of his program, he is asking all Americans to mask-up for 100 days—a request that seems perfectly reasonable for all of us sharing public space in the world of retail. But I worry that it’s not going to be that simple. I struggle to believe that the simple act of wearing a mask—which science has shown to be our most effective tool fighting the virus—can be so divisive. The issue has virtually put us at war with one another. I have always registered as an Independent voter and thought myself a good listener to all political sides. But now it seems we so easily lose friends and family over our opinions on masks, which makes me crazy. This simply is not fair to our retailers. I have seen our retailers get spit on, yelled at, and spoken to with sharp tongues by an ungrateful handful of nasty, hateful human beings who feel entitled, and for some reason feel they are special and don’t need to worry about anyone but themselves when sharing public space. The mask wearing retailer is FOLLOWING SCIENCE to protect themselves and all of us who enter their stores.

This political divide seems particularly regretful since our over-worked frontline workers and our mom-and-pop hourly workers are among the lowest paid members in the workforce. Most of our retailers are just struggling to stay open and are simply doing what they are told. All of us rely on the millions of retail workers to stock shelves, deliver goods, keep stores sanitized and provide services we take for granted. None of them deserves to be spit on or spoken to in a nasty tone. In my mind, if you don’t want to follow a simple mask rule, then stay home and order products online.

I am thrilled that the Greater Sacramento Area recently opened again for outdoor dining. I see how hard wait staff work and how grateful restaurant owners are to see us line up to enjoy a brief hour or two of normal. I know I have determined to be a better tipper and to become kinder to each of my waiters and waitresses. I will also remind my friends and family to purchase gift cards from these establishments and to help them get back to normal. We should all smile behind our masks and thank them for remaining open.

No matter what side of the political fence you are on, we all need to get on the retailer side of the fence. If we can all do this simple task of masking-up, maybe this time California will remain open. We can lick our wounds and be patient with our friends and family and find a way to find peace again. We can find relief that we are open for business and are able to order a drink at a bar and enjoy a meal that is served on something besides a plastic container. The simple things in life bring pure peace and joy. Let’s do this for a few more months and continue our diligence so that our retailers and restaurants remain open—something we all want, and we all need in order to Make California Great Again!

“Just be a good person. Be respectful! Be mindful! Be patient! Please wear your mask! Thank you!”