We, the masked
Isn't it weird that when someone wears a mask on a TV show as a bank robber that no one knows who it is but now in these weird times that we all instantly recognize friends and acquaintances and people in your building that you only know on sight?
There is a guy in the building who cannot bring himself to wear a mask but is okay with a closely wrapped bandana. His wife wears masks but I've seen him enough times to know that he just can't do it. They're a lovely couple, looks and personality, and they look like an Old West central casting couple. He could be the bank robber with a heart of gold; she is the indigenous woman who made him walk away from his bad ways and do only good things now like farm the land and be happy she let him into her life as she could do much better.
There is a the chain smoker who goes out to the garage to have a smoke several times an evening, never smoking in her own home. Her job made her go to work in the office throughout the pandemic and the restaurants she frequented all closed down, she doesn't care for cooking as much as she does smoking, and would not dream of buying groceries. She's about my not-young age and has always been thin. I saw her three days ago and the woman is a bone. "Did you lose weight?" I asked. "Yes, probably too much." I guessed that she was down to 95 pounds -- she is about 5'3" -- and she said, no, she weighed 92. I offered that either of my legs weighed more. I have never seen her smile nor laugh nor have a different expression than that which she always has which is a "Lord I need a cigarette" scowl, now covered with a mask.
A fellow who was going to go to the Philippines right before I was due to go to Japan in March also cancelled his trip due to COVID-19. "Aren't you glad you didn't go?" he asked me. "No," I replied. "I really wanted to go on that trip and I am sorry that I had to cancel." When we see each other we are happy to see each other because we get on. When I worked in the office I'd see him maybe twice a week, running out to get his cab unlike most of us who took the bus. Now that I work from home I seem him about once a month. We wear masks and there is no doubt who the other is.
In all my mask wearing, no one has ever said to me that they didn't know it was me because of the mask. Even when I wrapped the elastic bandage around my head, everyone knew it was me.
My masks are quite varied. I have three my sister made for me which tie. I have a few with elastics to loop over the ears. I have one I acquired from a company that had terrible ties that I swapped out for twill tape and sewed on snaps to improve the fit. A few times a week I go onto the internet and look at masks that are offered for sale. I look at videos on how to make different masks on YouTube. I find links to patterns and cut them out, holding them over my face for size. My head is large and narrow like a horse's head and hope that when my sewing machine returns from its tune-up that some of these patterns may fit.
In my job I've talked to all sorts of people who mostly work in other service industries. They all say the same, that they will wear a mask every day for the rest of their lives. Young people, older people, they're going to be sporting masks. No one likes it but it has to be done.
Mine are all cotton and all of them make me hot when I wear them. I love them and I hate them. I admire and despise them. I wash them and I hang them to dry. I put them on and am glad and I take them off in my car or at home and I am glad. I never go out of my own apartment without wearing one.
They're here. Nut up, wear the freaking mask, and pretend you're an adult who wants to live to see your kids have kids and see those kids grow up and have kids of their own. And while you're wearing that mask, shut the hell up about it. If the Central Casting couple can get them on and keep them on, then you can, too.
There is a guy in the building who cannot bring himself to wear a mask but is okay with a closely wrapped bandana. His wife wears masks but I've seen him enough times to know that he just can't do it. They're a lovely couple, looks and personality, and they look like an Old West central casting couple. He could be the bank robber with a heart of gold; she is the indigenous woman who made him walk away from his bad ways and do only good things now like farm the land and be happy she let him into her life as she could do much better.
There is a the chain smoker who goes out to the garage to have a smoke several times an evening, never smoking in her own home. Her job made her go to work in the office throughout the pandemic and the restaurants she frequented all closed down, she doesn't care for cooking as much as she does smoking, and would not dream of buying groceries. She's about my not-young age and has always been thin. I saw her three days ago and the woman is a bone. "Did you lose weight?" I asked. "Yes, probably too much." I guessed that she was down to 95 pounds -- she is about 5'3" -- and she said, no, she weighed 92. I offered that either of my legs weighed more. I have never seen her smile nor laugh nor have a different expression than that which she always has which is a "Lord I need a cigarette" scowl, now covered with a mask.
A fellow who was going to go to the Philippines right before I was due to go to Japan in March also cancelled his trip due to COVID-19. "Aren't you glad you didn't go?" he asked me. "No," I replied. "I really wanted to go on that trip and I am sorry that I had to cancel." When we see each other we are happy to see each other because we get on. When I worked in the office I'd see him maybe twice a week, running out to get his cab unlike most of us who took the bus. Now that I work from home I seem him about once a month. We wear masks and there is no doubt who the other is.
In all my mask wearing, no one has ever said to me that they didn't know it was me because of the mask. Even when I wrapped the elastic bandage around my head, everyone knew it was me.
My masks are quite varied. I have three my sister made for me which tie. I have a few with elastics to loop over the ears. I have one I acquired from a company that had terrible ties that I swapped out for twill tape and sewed on snaps to improve the fit. A few times a week I go onto the internet and look at masks that are offered for sale. I look at videos on how to make different masks on YouTube. I find links to patterns and cut them out, holding them over my face for size. My head is large and narrow like a horse's head and hope that when my sewing machine returns from its tune-up that some of these patterns may fit.
In my job I've talked to all sorts of people who mostly work in other service industries. They all say the same, that they will wear a mask every day for the rest of their lives. Young people, older people, they're going to be sporting masks. No one likes it but it has to be done.
Mine are all cotton and all of them make me hot when I wear them. I love them and I hate them. I admire and despise them. I wash them and I hang them to dry. I put them on and am glad and I take them off in my car or at home and I am glad. I never go out of my own apartment without wearing one.
They're here. Nut up, wear the freaking mask, and pretend you're an adult who wants to live to see your kids have kids and see those kids grow up and have kids of their own. And while you're wearing that mask, shut the hell up about it. If the Central Casting couple can get them on and keep them on, then you can, too.
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