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.
I always at least tried to avoid it. I wasn't willing most times to be an ass about it to some kid working at a grocery store, and sometimes didn't want the hassle, so I would wear one.
I haven't even thought about it since their CDC dropped it. The crazies won't say shit about it. If they do I'm fully prepared to ask them why they are a science denier. After all, the religion of science says to get vaccinated and take off the mask, so why aren't they following their god?
It must really be awful in a deep blue place though. In mixed-politics part of Texas surburbia I haven't seen a kid at a playground with a mask since about May 2020. Excluding the school recess of course where they have to, I mean their voluntary fun time. Particularly outside, no one around here ever gave a shit. My neighborhood is pretty active with kids playing, adults walking dogs, bicycles, etc., and at the absolute highest point I'd say it was about 10% mask compliance when doing stuff outside.
My neighbors haven't let their kids play with any other kids in the neighborhood since the beginning. Another down the street only let their middle and highschool aged kids out once they were vaccinated last month.
The vast majority have let the kids run wild over the last year, thankfully.