I have been wearing a mask every time I go out in public. I’m not sure why being considerate to others for the common good is now being mocked by some who are calling it “living in fear,” but it needs to stop now.

When I wear a mask over my nose and mouth in public and in the stores, supermarkets, pharmacies and offices, I want you to know the following:

• I’m educated enough to know that I could be asymptomatic and still give you the virus.

• No, I don’t live in fear of the virus. I just want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

• I don’t feel like the “government controls me.” I feel like an adult who’s contributing to the security of our society, and I want others to do the same.

• Wearing a mask doesn’t make me weak, scared, stupid or even “controlled.” It makes me caring and responsible.

Imagine a loved one — a child, father, mother, grandparent, aunt, uncle or even a stranger — being placed on a ventilator, alone without you or any family member allowed at their bedside, and ask yourself if you could have helped them a little by wearing a mask.

— John E. Riedel, Granby