My hometown is as deep blue as it comes and masking is still the norm. Most stores still require it and you STILL see people in cars alone, walking down the street, even jogging(!) wearing masks. I never wore masks outside and regularly got dirty looks from maskers while hiking or walking down the street.
I'm on vacation now to a red area and it's such a relief to be gone from that. I didn't even realize how oppressive the constant masking is. I took my kid to a playground yesterday that must have had 50-60 people (kids and adults) and not a single mask in sight. My kid was nervous at first (he's had to mask at school for 8 hours a day), and now he can't shut up about how great it is not to wear masks.
It's wonderful.
Old family friend and i mean old in the how long we've known him/actual age was in town last night and we went out to eat and god damn it felt amazing walking in there without a mask, no retarded mandate, nothing.
And then watching people sitting at tables with masks on their hands to eat
Christ, i went to grab pizza for the family the other night and put one on out of habit and noticed the booths were open and some of the employees weren't wearing them and i felt like a jackass.