As we have seemingly moved past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and are being informed that another variant has been discovered, which will require us to get another booster shot, most of the world has already abandoned wearing facemasks.
Countries like Japan, however, continue this health practice as they always have during disease outbreaks and allergy and sick seasons. And in times when diseases and allergies are not rampant, Japanese citizens, who are mildly sick, will respectfully wear their masks in public to prevent others from catching their germs.
Too bad Americans cannot be this courteous.
Even when we are sick, we are still going out in public coughing and sneezing without covering our mouths, talking three feet or less in others’ faces. As businesses reopen, some people are returning to their innate ways of practicing poor hygiene, forgetting everything they have learned during the pandemic.
Maybe I should move to Japan.
Before the pandemic invaded us, the one time I had worn a facemask in public was at the office on a day when I was recovering from an illness. I could not afford to take any more sick days, so I purchased a box of surgical masks and wore several throughout the day. They helped to block the germy air from the air ducts that was always blowing in my face and inflaming my allergies. Ironically, none of my friends asked if I was sick. Despite feeling like a freak in the building, I was able to conquer my illness and keep my friends safe.
I didn’t know why I never thought of this practice before, let alone why no one else ever does it. Facemasks can truly help us make it through a day that we cannot afford to waste, and it shows we care for the people around us. Plus, it gives me the ability to hide my emotions.
And then the pandemic hit, and everyone in the world was forced to wear masks. It was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable new way of life for many. Some were so enraged that they flocked to the streets to protest. I, for one, welcomed it. In 2020, I wore my masks feeling like a regular person and not a freak, as I at times feel when I am not wearing a mask.
The facemask has two jobs: to protect and to hide. Introverts, like myself, quietly celebrated the mask mandate inside our homes while laughing at the stubborn extroverts who felt it a burden to protect themselves and others. Finally we could go out in public without showing our faces, or at least half of our faces. It was like having our cake and eating it too.
Wearing the facemask gives introverts a sense of freedom based on its two primary functions combined. It protects us, not only from the virus but also from anxiety and judgment that are brought on by the pressures of human encounters. It hides our facial expressions and emotions, which some of us are often criticized for never displaying. Now we can frown freely and mouth unpleasant words without anyone noticing.
Don't get me wrong; wearing masks has its disadvantages. They make it difficult to communicate, which is not totally bad. But there are times when introverts need to speak up and masks can muffle our speech. Again, not a total inconvenience for non-talkers.
If you are an eyeglasses-wearer, the air coming from your nostrils can fog the lenses making being out in public a drag. Better get contacts.
If a person does not own a good quality mask, they can find it difficult to breathe when wearing it for more than five minutes. Thorough research must be done to find a comfortable, breathable mask that can block incoming and outgoing germs, and is preferably machine washable.
When the first COVID-19 vaccine was introduced and people flocked to the nearest site to get their shot, before greeting the sun again the first thing many did was throw their masks away. It was time to return to normal, back to breathing “normal” germs on others. Back to washing hands only after using the bathroom.
At the time I am writing this post—August 22, 2022—people are still catching COVID, yet America and most of the world are back to normal as if the virus never existed. To an introvert’s dismay, social distancing—or as I like to call it, physical distancing—has been abolished, but our right to wear masks is still being honored.
We can go to classrooms, restaurants, stores, movie theaters, and other crowded places wearing our masks without being judged. And it is not just the introverts that are seen in public with masks. Extroverts are also participating in the world's fight to slow the spread of COVID-19.
So whenever we go to the grocery store and see someone wearing a mask, most likely they are just trying to keep safe from the virus and are not sick.
Personally, I just like hiding most of my face.
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