Letters

Herrick Hardware in Southampton Village has introduced some valuable safety measures but so far does not have plastic shields around the cash registers. However, there’s no accounting for the behavior of shoppers at Herrick’s.

The other day, after buying some essential cleaning products, and wearing a homemade mask while waiting for the arrival, or non-arrival, of the masks I ordered and paid for on the internet, I was ready to leave through the front door, accompanied by one of Herrick’s helpful (and masked) salesmen.

Just inside that narrow entrance leading to the front door stood a middle-aged local man, without a mask — and when I waved him back to let me pass, he stood firm. The Herrick salesman’s wave was partially effective, and the man reluctantly retreated about 3 or 4 feet, just past the step to that narrow corridor.

As I went out, after thanking Herrick’s masked salesman, I heard that man mutter a curse at me!

Most people I have encountered on my rare but essential shopping trips, or once a week to the dump, have maintained their courteous behavior. Some act as if they risked contagion if they smiled or said a friendly word. I often mention that “I’m not unfriendly, but I am 91 and cautious!”

I also continue to pass along my newspapers and magazines to neighbors, to offer to shop for them, and to stay connected to my many friends, old and new, on the internet. I do watch the news and the information from doctors, which the White House reluctantly releases to us after mangling the message.

And I have yet to hear that civility and personal connections (without physical closeness) makes us more prone to being infected by the virus.

Could you encourage people to remember not only the doctors’ essential messages but also their humanity?

Evelyn Konrad

Attorney at law

Southampton Village