The title may be wishful thinking, but I want to make a case for it! Boundaries are about protection, and in boundaries terms, wearing a face mask is about protecting other people. I want to dig into this today, and talk about wearing a mask as an act of compassion, courage, honor, strength, and patriotism.

Biggest Takeaways From Episode #92:

• Two factors, among many, that contribute to our COVID-19 death rate in the US are our failed healthcare system and our rugged individualistic mindset. In the US, we have under 5% of the world's population, but almost a third of the worldwide deaths from COVID.
• We also have a collective denial around the toxic legacy of slavery in the US, and how that legacy has contributed to health and healthcare disparities by race. The coronavirus mortality rate for Black Americans is 2.4 times higher than for white Americans.
• Instead of coming together to fight the virus, we're engaged in a mask war. Imagine how differently things might have gone, and how many lives might have been saved, if US citizens had been inspired to view wearing masks and physical distancing as patriotic and honorable actions.
• Wearing a face mask is an act of accountability. It's an honest and humble admission that you're not sure if you can infect someone, and a choice to do what you can to protect others.

Highlights from Episode #92:

• Welcome to episode 92! Vicki starts off with a story about her time with Thich Nhat Hanh in the 1990s. [00:39]
• Vicki talks about the current pandemic numbers, which are staggering when it comes to the number of deaths in the US. [05:48]
• We're now engaged in a mask war, Vicki points out. She then explains the role of masks in boundaries terms. [09:08]
• Vicki invites listeners to imagine what it might have been like if the country had been inspired to wear masks and practice physical distancing as patriotic actions. [13:00]
• We hear about accountability, as well as a powerfully disarming question you can ask when you need to make amends. [16:13]

Links and Resources:

• Vicki Tidwell Palmer
• Moving Beyond Betrayal by Vicki Tidwell Palmer
• 5-Step Boundary Solution Clarifier
• Vicki Tidwell Palmer on Instagram
• Thich Nhat Hanh
• Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak, The New York Times, May 28, 2020
• The Color of Coronavirus: COVID-19 Deaths by Race and Ethnicity in the U.S., APM Research Labs, May 27, 2020
• U.S. Defense Spending Compared to Other Countries, Peter G. Peterson Foundation, May 13, 2020