Today, I drove out to our beautifully-maintained Loudon county park as I do virtually every day for a few laps around the track. When I arrived at the entrance to the park, however, there were cars everywhere. The park was packed to the max with people who I quickly learned were there attending a belated Loudon County High School graduation ceremony. As it turned out, the graduation exercise was just concluding as I arrived, so as I carefully navigated my vehicle along the narrow pavement looking rather hopelessly for a place to park, I watched the stream of exiting people walking toward their cars. I could easily see the smiles etched on their faces as they chatted merrily with one another, probably enormously proud of their own child or another student who had earned a Diploma. And do you know WHY I could see all the smiles? Because hardly anyone in the huge crowd had on a MASK.

Oh no, this isn't one of those no mask-wearing condemnation posts. Not at all. This is one of effusive praise. I'm here to give kudos to the sage sensible people of Loudon County, Tenneesee, who clearly aren't buying all the mandatory strap- a -mask -to -your -mug bushwa every time you step out the door. This is a post to toast independent thinking. This is pure admiration. When I realized what I was looking at I felt like stopping the car right in the middle of the road and start giving every person near me an enthusiastic high five, but there were lots of policemen around and I didn't want them to think a lunatic was in their midst so I just sat there nodding in approval and saying to myself, "YES!". This is exactly how I feel, too, about these masks! Suddenly, all the good people of Loudon had graduated with top honors in my book today.

Yes, I realize that some of you aren't going to agree with my outward elation regarding the no mask- wearing throng today. That's already evident by the little online "discussions" I had earlier in the week with some county dwellers who were unabashedly pro mask and who felt that I was an irresponsible schmuck for thinking that masks aren't all they are cracked up to be when it comes to keeping us safe from the virus. I'm sure that won't change today. But, I DO have a little idea that might serve a useful purpose when we discuss the issue of masks in the future. What with the noticeable paucity of masks in the large graduation crowds today, it would seem reasonable that there would be a bump in Covid-19 cases in the county at some point during this week or next. I propose that we see how the absence of masks in the large gathered crowds (two graduations on Saturday in Loudon at the park) affects the statistical data for confirmed Coronavirus cases. If the absence of masks produces a predictable result as claimed by most stauch advocates of the mask, then we should definitely see a rise in the number of cases. Will we? Highly unlikely but I'm willing to wait for hard evidence before I say I told you so.

David Hopkins