Did you read about the lady in the USA who wore a face mask out shopping? Sensible lady? The shopkeeper asked her why she had cut out a hole for her nose and mouth. She told him that because they ‘have’ to wear them it makes breathing more easy. Sensible lady?! As my colleague said, ‘these people walk among us’.
My supermarket trip was a bit different this week. Same shop, wearing gloves, but this time I wore a face mask, too. I’d made mine out of quilting fabric. Very surreal going round a place I’d shopped at for over 12 years whilst covering part of my face with cloth containing jumping llamas and woolly sheep – if I was going to wear a DIY one, I might as well do it in style and make it cheerful.
It was funny, though. Within the space of a week, I reckon more people were wearing masks and gloves when out in public places. I saw more on my shopping trip. I wonder if that was a reflection on the lockdown restrictions easing, more people out and about, so some thought it best to up the safety ante.
I can see the point. One person’s interpretation of something can be very different to somebody else’s. For instance, the rule of doing things with ‘people from the same household’. I witnessed people shopping in a group of eight. Big family? And let us not leave Auntie Joan sat on the sofa.
One gentleman I saw wearing a face mask obviously had the same problem that the USA lady did. He wore it over his mouth whilst his nose was sitting comfortably on top getting a good dose of fresh air and possibly a suntan at high noon.
Another man I saw was kitted out quite the opposite. He had on a pair of clear, safety goggles, a suctioned-to-his-face mask, a pair of heavy duty gloves and a t-shirt. I wasn’t sure if he was going swimming, doing welding, doing a messy job, or just plain waiting for the sun to come out and play. You know what, either way, if it made that person feel safe, then good on them for doing what made them feel safe – perhaps not comfortable, literally, and he’s probably also safe from Versase calling any time soon.
If we’re going to do things, should we try and do them as right as we can, and hopefully the ‘new normality’ could be as close to the ‘old normaility’ as possible at the end of the day?
I think there is a high chance that face masks will become part of our daliy lives, whether mandatory wearing or not. Would they even help to reduce the number of annual flu suffers and other horrible bugs that lurk around, particularly in winter time?
Maybe the fashion industry will research and develop materials that will adhere to BS safety standards and may even brighten the medical professional’s day.
The budgie (can’t leave him out!) wasn’t impressed with me wearning a face mask. He was curious but maybe he knew the animals on it were bigger than him, so he didn’t push his luck and decided to watch from afar. I’ll see if I can find the material with the baby owls on it …