I always thought it would be cool to be a Ninja – to have the agility, the elasticity to glide over roof tops, leap stealthily from house to house with the greatest of ease. I suppose it may have to do with my childhood fascination with the circus and the aerial performers flying through he air. Who would’ve thought there was an actual day that celebrates Ninjas?

Of course my days of that kind of adventure are long gone. I have discovered that my knees, even though they ache all the time, were x-rayed and found to be the knees of a young woman. I should by all rights be able to be a Ninja, but something in the back of my head encourages me to stay safely on the ground.

Now, with everyone masking up, the whole world has gone Ninja. Masks used to be reserved for super heroes, bandits and phantoms of the opera. Now everyone is wearing them. It’s been interesting to watch how Americans have taken the disposable mask to a whole new level. We now have masks with an extension of our own face painted on them so we don’t look like we’re wearing one. There are masks with our favorite football teams, flannel plaids, designer type masks and an assortment of creative ideas. Leave it to us to make lemonade out of lemons, but I digress.

However it isn’t really a digression. Ninjas have been around since the ancient of days. They invented masks, I think. I wonder if they would’ve had the same effect if they snuck up on someone while wearing a smiley face mask?

So today, when you put on your COVID19 protection, think of yourself as a Ninja and you will be in good company. You can even yell “Haiii Yah!” without being embarassed.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL NINJA DAY!