@GoldenOmber
That may have changed in tier zero, in that congregational singing is now allowed with masks
Yes, congregational singing but with masks. Choir can be unmasked and anyone leading the congregation from the front can be unmasked, all others must do their best to belt out Bread Of Heaven through two layers of Etsy's best Winnie-the-Pooh print fabric mask.
I'm annoyed that one of the Tory MSPs actually asked Nicola 'what has to happen for you to remove the mask requirement' and she didn't even answer except to say that masks weren't really all that much of a bother and people don't mind them so why does it even matter if they're a legal requirement. "Under what conditions will you stop requiring this" is a perfectly reasonable question, given she's told us for ages now that she won't keep measures in place for a moment longer than absolutely necessary.
It's the whole arrogance of "oh, no one minds wearing them, so we'll just continue" that annoys me. And even questioning that narrative becomes framed as an uncaring, whining thing to do, not even worthy of response.
Regardless of anyone's opinions on masks, that doesn't seem like a very democratic or progressive approach.
It is frustrating that I don't feel like I have any say in something that is quite off-putting to me. So I'm just not going to many places that need them, that I would otherwise like to go to. Which may be fine for NS, who considers us all to be potential disease vectors and would rather we stayed at home and didn't go anywhere anyway (and I obviously don't want to go there very much if I can't even wear a mask to do it...) - but it kind of matters to me. I know some will say "just don't wear them - no one cares" but if it is law, I'm just not sure I'm up to refusing and marking myself out, to people I know and like and want to continue a relationship with in the future. I'm not uncaring, or selfish or anything... I just don't think that my mask is preventing me infecting anyone - and I'm not sure that any tiny impact it may have outweighs the discomfort of wearing it, to me.
It actually makes me really sad in that it is substantially limiting my life - and I know that's pathetic... It's just a bit of cloth that I CAN wear, so I'm not exempt. But I find it very unpleasant and I hate being told I have to wear it to do perfectly safe, legal things that would benefit me, and benefit society generally. Blearghhhh.