The “Sneetches” on the Subway
Last weekend, I took a few extended subway rides to see dear friends living in Queens and Brooklyn and was more than disappointed to see the still-mandatory mask rule being widely disregarded by a majority of younger men, in particular. Now, mind you, they may in fact be vaccinated and/or not carrying the Delta Variant in their mouths or noses, but that’s not the point.
I’ve always seen public transportation and our subway system, in particular, as the most important equalizer in New York City. It’s the fastest way to get from Hudson Yards to Flushing, Wall Street to the North and South Bronx, And the Upper West Side, where I am, to see my best friends, who live nowhere near me. I used to love getting on at 72nd and off at Flatbush in under an hour to meet my “family” there for birthdays and holidays. And vice versa. Sure, take a cab or Uber/Lyft, if the subway is too dirty for you, but it’ll take 3 times longer and cost 20 times as much. That seemed like a fair deal to me. And yes, there have been late nights when I’ve done that and regretted it, because I got stuck in some kind of traffic or construction issue. And yes, the subways are less reliable and dirtier these days. They’re also more dangerous, given all the knifings and other attacks. But when the biggest assault on or sign of respect/disrespect for your fellow New Yorkers is to cover your nose and mouth, during an on-going pandemic, that has NOT been an equalizer, you’d think following the simple law and not killing others by mucous-droplet wouldn’t be so hard to do. Especially after the 16 months we’ve all been through.
It brought to mind the Dr. Seuss classic, The Sneetches, which I hope is still being taught in schools, as that was my first introduction to the concept of complete prejudice and disrespect for others.
For those not familiar with the story, it’s a bit of a morality lesson about the dangers of privilege and disrespect. Those Sneetches with stars on their bellies completely avoided and belittled those without to the point that those without literally paid an enterprising star-belly-manufacturer to them put on. The star-bellied Sneetches then paid the same guy to remove their stars, and back and forth, until they paid the manufacturer so much, he walked away, leaving them to deal with their own mixed-up mess. Now, in the case of the story, while the manufacturer thought he’d pulled a fast one on the Sneetches, who he thought would stay stuck in their differences, they actually did in the end learn their lesson, respect each other regardless of their “star-status”, make peace, and roast marshmallows on the beaches together.
But as I look back at my fellow life-travelers, on the subway, in the streets, across the country and in Congress, itself, that lesson has not been learned. As with the stars, the unmasked face has become a political weapon (and a lethal one at that) of complete disrespect, wielded by those with the privilege to know better, but don’t bother. Especially, if they haven’t been vaccinated.
So, this week, I’d encourage you to ask yourself, how much do I respect myself and others in my own life? And take a moment to acknowledge those in your community that you may have ignored with at least a smile and a greeting. And please MASK-UP on the subway.
Holly Lynch is a 20+ year communications veteran and life-long social impact advocate and strategist who has helped individuals, educational leaders, and companies tackle the toughest challenges in their worlds.
Having survived countless life setbacks and two rounds with terminal cancer, while seeing the country-wide collapse of the systems and safety nets for the most vulnerable in and outside our communities, she is now shifting her life and career trajectories to focus on coaching those facing down fundamental shifts and transitions as they try to navigate and rebuild their lives, institutions and businesses during these unprecedented times.