After five months of attempting to stay ahead of COVID-19 with its constantly changing death numbers, infection rates, hospitalizations, testing numbers, and individual state COVID numbers, we are living a new normal. It seems as if a lot of us are becoming comfortable with having to wear a mask each time we go outside. I suppose I’m one of the exceptions since I can’t stand things on my face, especially a mask and my glasses.
Masks seem to have become a fashion trend/statement with different makes, designs, and styles made from varying fabrics. Selling masks are now a major part of everyday business as I’ve seen people on corners selling them complete with mannequins modeling them. This past week I saw an ad for a designer mask studded with diamonds for more than 1 million dollars. I’ve seen masks custom fitted for your face and cut with a (CNC) router. (A CNC router is a —computer-controlled cutting machine related to the hand-held router used for cutting various hard materials).
Phrases like, “wear a mask to slow the spread”, “Practice Social Distancing”, and “Remain 6ft apart” and others are the call to arms in the Corona Virus era of the 21st century. Of course, we cannot forget the stickers on the floor at all stores allowed to remain open placed every six feet apart to remind us to keep our distance.
As we continue this route to find our way back to something like our old normal, I ask myself, “Will we get back to our old normal, or is it gone to be replaced by our current normal?” Will we ever feel comfortable enough to go back to our old habits with all that’s happened in these past 5 months?
UPDATE
March 11, 2022
It was announced in an email to country workers that the mask mandate will be lifted on March 21. That’s for workplace mask-wearing. Other areas of society and our lives will still require mask-wearing. We are just getting close to the end of another variant related to COVID-19. Providing another breakout strain is not on its way it seems we’ll be on our way to coming out of the lockdown and things will hopefully approach our old normal. I’m sure some people will be wary of ditching the mask right away, especially since this pandemic has been going on since March of 2020.
It will be quite nice to have my face uncovered in public again.
