science

I was told over and over again that wearing a mask is the most tiny, unnoticeable thing in the world. Literally the easiest thing you can do

Well, did you?

The sacrifice would be tiny if the general population made that same tiny sacrifice. Instead they don't bother to ever wear a mask, exponentially increasing the chances they'll spread it to someone else.

I have a family member that relies on me for help as well as a friend that I see weekly. Both are very high risk for COVID complications - family has almost no immune system and friend has a rare clotting disorder. I don't think I would be able to forgive myself if they caught COVID from me.

I also don't want to end up like two other friends of mine with long COVID. They were healthy and extremely active, now they are riddled with problems and had to abandon the activities they used to enjoy (and that I'd really prefer to continue to enjoy myself).

So, yes, avoiding everyone who takes no precautions has become quite a sacrifice. If I was confident that I'd be surrounded by people who were vaccinated and (regularly) wearing N95s I'd feel safer at restaurants, shops, gyms, public transit, parties, maybe even a concert. Instead I do take out or occasionally outdoor dining, minimize my time in most places, and avoid gatherings of any significant size.

Being extremely careful because nobody else is willing to be even a little careful really shrinks your world and it fucking sucks. Alternatively, I could join my dumbass aunt and make fun of people masking at the grocery store immediately after complaining about suddenly, mysteriously being diabetic following her third COVID infection.

The sacrifice isn’t really wearing a mask. It’s avoiding the get togethers and in person events and having people forget about you and move on with their lives while you’re still cautious. You could argue that these are small things too, but it’s a pretty big change for most people, and while they claimed this was a “big sacrifice” that’s just a figure of speech… They didn’t claim it was something they couldn’t do or weren’t willing to do, just that it sucks… Which it does.

There is a difference between you doing it when everyone is and you doing it when almost no one is.