I miss yer face

I was at Costco earlier today and noticing the fashionable variety of facemasks.  Remember the early days of COVID mask wearing?  Lots of DIY masks from old shirts or generic household items, bandanas, etc.  A few people wore N-95 masks and made us wonder how they came about owning one.

But now, I think we can safely say that a whole new fashion category has opened up.

And speaking for myself, back in the early days, it felt weird to wear a mask in the store or anywhere for that matter.  People were constantly messing with them so they didn't fall off the face or fog the glasses.

But now, it would feel strange to shop without one.

Where I live, I rarely see people wearing masks outside.  But I know that some places, more densely populated, masks are worn outside in public as well as inside.  Photos from recent protest gatherings show a majority of mask wearers.  They've become part of our daily attire.

I happen to have a variety to choose from.  My mother-in-law made masks for several family members, and for me, the purple patterned one on the top left.  I like it as it's comfortable and stays put with a pipe cleaner in the nose bridge.  I typically wear it to work at the hospital for the pattern that contrasts with my all-black work garb.  I mean, when receiving a hospital meal, who wants to have someone looking like the angel of death presenting it?

I got the black one from vida  It is also comfortable to wear for several hours and includes a carbon insert.  That's usually my go-to for the grocery store.

As shown in the lower left, I have several of these neck gaiter things in various colors and patterns.  They're quite handy and can be worn around the neck for those just-in-case-I-need-to-go-inside-a-building instances while out for a bike ride or walk.

Then there's the it'll-do-in-a-pinch bandana.

I appreciate the creativity and individual expression that have grown out of the public's compliance with mask wearing.  But I also miss seeing whole faces.  At work, it's particularly limiting to carry on a conversation and not see full expressions.  Then there's the muffled speech.  And since a good portion of my workday is spent in a commercial kitchen, throw in noise from the various fans and blowers, and there's a lot of repeating going on.  At times, my fun co-worker Hui might as well be speaking to me in her native Chinese.

As more businesses and activities open up, I think mask-wearing is going to remain for quite a while.  And even if mask requirements are loosened, I bet a lot of people will voluntarily continue to wear them.  But I look forward to a day where we look back and say, "I wonder where all those masks went"

In the meantime, assume I'm always smiling. 😃

So... what're you wearing?

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

6. Write about something you are looking forward to.