The Mask
Author: The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
June 08, 2021
As masks rapidly disappear
all over the Country, I feel it is appropriate to remember some of the unique
moments we enjoyed while wearing them. Like the times you just ate a big meal,
then burped into the mask, only to realize it didn’t smell as good as it
tasted.
Or perhaps the sneeze that came-on so quickly you
couldn’t get your mask off in time, then had to walk-around with a wet mask
(wet on the wrong side, that is!). And then there were those times you forgot
to bring a mask and couldn’t get in somewhere.
I will miss some of the really unique and creative masks
that emerged in the second half of 2020; big teeth, bloody fangs, flames, and
of course, the fantastic advertising space that developed! I enjoyed seeing so
many companies and churches with customized masks.
I rarely enjoyed wearing one, but various circumstances
required it. Especially the safety of my church family. Now the masks are
retiring to the halls of memory, we hope. Some people have said they were going
to burn theirs. I thought about hanging them from the church ceiling like they
do bras in a biker bar.
And then there was the anonymity we enjoyed while wearing
masks. We hired a new Church Office Administrator in 2020, and she always wore
a mask. When we started going with them, I didn’t recognize her!
It was impossible to see if someone was smiling, and it
was often difficult to talk through the mask. A person had to be careful what
they sounded like; sometimes our words were distorted enough to sound like
swear words!
I remember trying to read people’s emotions by looking at
their eyes. This didn’t work-out well if I told someone they looked “tired”,
only to discover the comment made them “angry”. I tried practicing smiling with
my eyes, but it just looked creepy.
I will not burn my masks. I will keep them for the next
pandemic, or just as a reminder of how weird the 2020 Pandemic was. Also, a mask might help when you are stuck in
the car with your kids for several hours on vacation; you know, “that smell”.
Although we are not hearing as much about it in the
mainstream news these days, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. is above
600,000 and still climbing. There are still vulnerable persons around us, and
we should be kind toward everyone, regardless of their choice to vaccinate,
wear a mask, or not.
Above all, be kind and, “If you can’t say nothin’ nice,
don’t say nothin’ at all.” Thumper.
Blessings and Peace to You
All,
Fr.
David+
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