I still wear an N95 mask indoors and in large groups of people. This makes me somewhat conspicuous, which in turn makes me somewhat self-conscious. I live in a pretty red part of a purple state (as we say in American politics) in which such choices are regularly taken up in partisan politics. Thus, most trips outside the house feel ripe for confrontation, which probably makes me a little more sharp-elbowed even when nothing is afoot.

Recently, I went to our local farmers’ market on a Thursday afternoon.