I'll look out for you if you look out for me

To the editor:

I’m going to ask you to do some things for me, and I’ll do the same for you in return.

I’m going to ask you to be stone cold sober behind the wheel, to protect my family and me. And I’ll do the same for you.

I’m going to ask you to not drive 70 miles per hour down my residential street, to protect my kids and neighbors. I’ll do the same for you.

And I’m going to ask you to take just one little step back from me in that grocery store line, and to wear a mask, too. And I will absolutely do the same for you.

I’m strong. I will climb mountains and run trails and paddle rivers and I will keep up with the best of you.

But I have a weakness. All of us do. Mine happens to be my immune system — it just doesn’t work right, never has. And unfortunately, I’ve passed that along to my kiddo.

So when you see us wearing our masks in public, please don’t assume we’re making a political statement. Instead, consider that you don’t know my weakness any more than I know yours, and just show some kindness. Maybe even some respect.

I get it. I don’t like rules either. I prefer personal responsibility. But when persons aren’t responsible, then we need a few ground rules between friends.

Honoring our obligations to one another doesn’t make us communist China. It just makes us decent neighbors. I’ll do that for you.

Michael Jamison

Whitefish