Masks have proven quite effective when worn properly, dimbulb. You even admit that in your first paragraph where you point out that the US has low compliance with wearing them.
Masks limit presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers' ability to spread the virus.https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/do-face-masks-decrease-the-risk-of-covid-19-transmission/
That "6 foot leash" is called physics. The droplets from human talking/breathing/coughing/sneezing that can carry the virus settle out of the air before they can go beyond six feet.https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-covid-19-transmitted-by-airborne-aerosols/
And for the thousandth time, personal anecdotes aren't data. The pandemic is quite real, and has a higher mortality rate than the flu.