I had so much fun leading my friend with questions (and telling you all about it), I decided to try my technique on a stranger.

This morning I ran a few errands (I am self-employed and enjoy this freedom). Anyway, one errand was to pick up some things for dinner at the grocery store... a regional chain called Russ's, not Walmart. I mention the store because it is far more personable than shopping at Walmart.

I am in front of a woman in her early 60's, I'm guessing. She's smartly dresed. Like maybe she's a professional at a local business. She is not wearing a mask, but the sales person is. As I am putting my items up for scanning, I see her reaching into her purse and digging out a mask.

I simply say in a calm voice, "Please... don't. There" s no need."

She looks up at me sort of stunned, and I could tell by her expression that she was trapped in the moment. Then she started to mumble as she pointed to the sales clerk, "But, but..."

"I know," I said, "it's tough when you want to look like you're going along with what is accepted, isn't it?"

Our eyes were locked and I wanted to look away, but I didn't. Instead, I took a breath, calmed myself and simply asked, "If we cannot do what we know is right when we feel a little peer pressure, how could we possibly stand up against something like, let's say, our local government if they tried to make us do something agianst our will?"

She didn't reply. I asked a further question, "Are you just going to rely on others to do the standing for you, against the government or whatever?"

I kept putting my items up to be scanned. She was still listening and slowly lowering her hand back to her purse. I added, "And what if the others don't stand up? Will you blame them, or blame yourself? And, what if the others were scared and waiting for you to stand up?"

"Listen," I gently continued, smiling, "I know you know the mask isn't needed. If you can't live that truth, then the truth dies with you."

I turned away and finished my purchase. As I left I looked back: she was not wearing her mask. We made eye contact and we smiled. It was human. It was real.

Try it, Frens. Questions that imply a point that cannot be refuted works, and I am going to have fun with it! I will write again after I do it again.

And, obviously I am creatively writing about this occurrence, but it was real and nearly exactly how I wrote it.