Wearing Masks is Weird

We’re certainly living in an odd time in our history. Going out in public generally leads to seeing people walking around with half of their faces covered up, and you can’t see what they actually look like or what they’re saying with your mouth (sorry to the deaf lip readers out there). Going in a store or other location is simply an odd experience these days, even if we’ve somewhat gotten used to it. Wearing masks all the time is just weird.

Just because wearing masks is weird, doesn’t mean it’s bad. In this case, it simply means that wearing masks makes for a very odd reality that we live in. You don’t see other people’s faces when you’re out and about. You can’t tell what someone may be saying to you if you’re having trouble actually hearing them. And having to yell at the grocery store or other places is not really a lot of fun.

Thinking about kids, you start to realize that school is such a weird experience for them. There are many kids that are doing school at home - hurray for no masks. Of course, that means that you have to be home with them and make sure they’re doing work or attending classes. They get to see the faces of the other kids in their class, but no real interaction with those kids at least in the sense as if they were at school. They can talk to kids, but those random interactions from school don’t happen.

For kids that are actually in school in person, they’re wearing masks all day long. You wear your mask in class, outside, and all day. You don’t really see other kids smiling or laughing because it’s all hidden behind the mask. You don’t see how to say a letter because it’s behind a teacher’s mask. And you miss out on learning and seeing many of the expressions that you’d normally get if you didn’t wear a mask.

Not being able to see those smiles and expressions of other people around you is one of the sad parts about wearing masks. It’s always a joy to see other people happy and laughing about something. Maybe you’re trying to make them laugh or smile. You no longer get to see that. Hopefully we are able to come out of this as generally happy people. While the pandemic has certainly shifted our world in some unknown ways, we can still come out of it positive on the other side, even if it feels like we’re not there right now.

Next time you put your mask on, look in a mirror. What and who do you see there? Are you still the same person as you were before? Are you significantly different? Your mask doesn’t change you as a person in any meaningful way. You may look a little different, but you're still the same person inside. A mask doesn’t define who you are as a person other than it says that I’m a person who cares about my health, and the health of those around me. Wear that mask with pride, and even if others can’t see it, keep a smile on your face.

Seeing everyone in masks is weird. Seeing yourself in a mask may seem weird. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad - it’s just different. At some point, we’re not going to have the need to always wear masks. Until then, make the most of life, even while wearing that weird mask.