To mask, or not to mask

S
hakespeare posed the question “To be or not to be” long ago, and in 2020 that question has evolved into “to mask or not to mask.” 
I get that wearing a mask is not the most comfortable thing in the world, however in the grand scheme of things, it’s also not that much of an imposition.
Here’s the thing: your right to be mask-free ends where my right not to contract a virus begins. In other words, we wear masks to protect others from ourselves, not to protect ourselves from others. 
As we get ready to start the school year, there continues to be a great deal of debate and contention across the nation over the subject of students being required to wear masks. I know that some of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health requirements about mask wearing seem a bit contradictory. For example, we can play sports without masks, but can’t stand on the sidelines without them. 
We read on social media diverse “scientific” information supporting mask wearing as well as discounting it as ineffective.
Some people have health issues that preclude them from wearing a mask, and as such, they are exempt from the requirement, and rightly so.
But at the same time, some people have underlying health issues that make a virus that has proven to be very easily recoverable, suddenly much more serious. 
I personally fall into that category, and while I am pretty confident that I’m healthy enough to handle testing positive for COVID-19, there is a much higher likelihood that I may suffer from it more severely than the average person.
Students heading back to school in a couple of weeks are not “required” to wear masks, but are “encouraged” to do so when social distancing of six feet is not possible. The reality is that classrooms being what they are, it may be difficult to maintain that distance.
I know I will do my best to set my classroom up in such a way as to limit close proximity, but there may be times when I will ask students to mask-up in order to protect myself. It seems that kids are less likely to suffer from COVID, but they are still capable of spreading it, and my personal health may be at risk.
If I can maintain an appropriate distance, I have no issues with students, or anyone for that matter, not wearing a face covering, but if I’m working in close proximity to others, I would ask them to respect my right to remain healthy.
And I don’t think that is too much
to ask.
There are the cries from those who say being required to wear a mask is unconstitutional — my question is where in the Constitution does it say that the government cannot impose requirements such as this? In what amendment do we see this? 
To be completely honest, I just don’t understand why some people are so opposed to doing this simple thing to do what they can to stop the spread of COVID-19. Is it 100% effective? Obviously not, but undoubtedly doing so will stop the wearer from unrestrictedly spewing out bodily fluids that may contain the virus. It seems to be a pretty simple concept. 
So I guess my answer to the question is that I will mask when the situation warrants it, and I will take off that mask when it is safe to do so. 
I’m hoping that we will be successful in keeping everyone healthy so that we can remain face to face this school year, because that is the best case scenario for kids, and if that means we may need to wear a mask from time to time, I think it’s a no-brainer.