“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Yoda

At last the mask mandated has been lifted for those of us who have been fully vaccinated. There is finally something to be excited about,, but wait! Masks have been a part of our culture for over a year now. They keep us from inhaling someone else’s germs – enclose our own germs behind a barrier of cloth which becomes saturated wih saliva, snot and other creepy crud – protect those most vulnerable to Corona 19 – and save grandma. In a way, I believe that masking was important, but created more fear than was necessary.

I for one have hated wearing a mask. Not because of vanity, but because of inability to breathe when wearing one. I’ve delayed going to church services because of the mandate. My trips to the grocery store to replenish supplies have been short and sweet, because the minute I don one of those crazy face coverings, I begin to cough and the whole world thinks I have Covid. In spite of it, I purchased many types of masks, trying to find the right one or one which matched most of my clothes.

I admit, I’ve enjoyed this past time of isolation. Since I’m more of an introvert than my husband, it’s been a time of reprieve for me. I’ve been able to catch up on all my favorite mystery shows. I’ve been lax in getting my housework done, because no one came to visit anyway. I’ve learned how to teach classes via Zoom. Creativity has been bubbling over because of having to be so or die of boredom.

There were advantages to wearing the mask other than the obvious ones. You only had to make up half your face. The abundance of choices grew from the familiar blue medical mask to creative offerings in bright patterns and colors. You could even get color coordinated masks. You didn’t have to brush your teeth, which would be great if you had just eaten a bowl of spinach. If you didn’t bother putting any makeup on, you could be completely unrecognizable from those you know who might be out shopping too.

On the other hand, I miss seeing people’s faces – being able to discern if they are happy or sad. There’s nothing like a smile to make you feel good – even one filled with empty spaces.So join with me today in shedding the mask – flashing your pearly whites – breathing again – and having hope again.