Dispatches From the Fortress – Day 105

A recurring topic on this blog is the foolishness of those who argue against rules with folks who have no power to change or override them…what I call "Dead-End Complaining." You may or may not be right that the law or rule you're expected to follow is stupid but you're wasting your time, breath and indignity to argue the point here and now.

This morning on my way home from an insignificant doctor visit, I stopped off at a market for a few edible necessities. My way into said market was blocked by an argument — a lady was screeching at a store employee, insisting she couldn't legally be denied entrance even though she wasn't wearing a mask and never would. The employee was adamant that she could.

By now, I've lost track if this is a state law or a city law or just this chain's law. It may be all three but it's still No Shoes, No Shirt, No Mask, No Entrance…and in this case, No Groceries. Me, I think it's a wise law but even if it isn't, she was arguing with someone whose job was to enforce that rule, not make exceptions. The man even had a little plastic envelope of single-use disposable masks and was quite willing to provide her with one…

…but no. That would not do. "I'm not going to be on one of those sheeple," she kept saying…and I don't know about you but I've never seen that insult hurled by anyone who wasn't a sheeple (by their own definition) listening to a different shepherd. I listened to a little of the argument then politely asked if they could move it to one side so some of us masked lambs could get in before the rotisserie chickens were all gone.

She whirled towards me and said, "Don't you feel stupid wearing that mask?" I said, "No, because of it, I'm way less likely than you to get the coronavirus and way more likely to get a half-dozen russet potatoes and some parmigiano reggiano. All you're going to do is get yourself on YouTube for all eternity screaming like a maniac."

I pointed to some other shoppers who had their cell phones out shooting her and one of them said, "Smile for the camera, lady!" Then I went in and did my shopping and when I came out, she was gone.

Let me know if you see her on YouTube. She was about 5'2" with hair that looked like Professor Irwin Corey's and eyes that were so closely set together, there was ample room for a third eye on her face. Oh — and she was wearing a Trump 2020 t-shirt but you probably guessed that.