Masks: A Saving Grace

Given the knock of another Corona-wave, masks have made an entry back into our lives. For the good or the worse, effective or ineffective, it sure acts as a saving grace in some of the daily-life situations. I couldn't help but enumerate those incidents when I was grateful that I had a mask on. 

Once I was sitting in the middle of an argument between two people. Since it was in the beginning years, everyone felt vulnerable on getting their masks even a little bit lower. Both of them shared a good bond but were in a superior-subordinate relationship. So, this superior person was conveying his objections on the work of the rest of us. Those objections were outright pointless. But who would bell the cat?

 However, that immediate subordinate found himself in a position where he could show signs of disappointment on such behaviour of the superior. I saw "C'mon. Now you will point out such petty things," written all over his face. I was smiling ear-to-ear with no need to suppress it. Not that I'm a sadist. But his expressions made me laugh. The rest of us have all been there, bearing the unreasonable attitude for years, whereas he used to like his company a lot, always agreeing with him but he was in the opposite court now.

Later on, I reiterated the incident to others and how I didn't even have to control my expressions. I was told that one's eyes say it all. But I guess they are too subtle to be noticed with a peripheral vision.

So, it certainly saves one from an embarrassing situation when one laughs in an inappropriate situation. Especially, when you are so used to talking smilingly, even with those people with whom you shouldn't be being a girl, masks come to your rescue.

Of late, an intense cold wave is going on. It's actually pouring outside. I have become so used to masks whenever out. I mean they are like a blessing in winters, when you want all of your body to be covered. Masks offer a solution to the uncovered mouth and look less stupid than a monkey cap at the same time. A thought just passed by: Imagine a completely opposite hot weather. Sun shining brightly on your face. How unfair it would be if you get sun-tanned on just half of your face?

Another person at my office had his face covered with a mask around the days when everyone had stopped wearing them. It raised suspicion amongst all of us if he is 'feeling unwell' or if knows about someone else at the office who is 'unwell'. It made me double-check with him and ask whether we should be wearing masks as well, given the risky air-borne pandemic situation. It came out that he had a skin allergy on his nose and he was wearing it to hide the spot.

Fun fact, which is not much fun: At my new workplace, I got to see the complete faces of so many of my colleagues after months and even a year. Identification and recognition of people seriously become an issue. You have to look deeply into their eyes, wantingly or unwantingly.

Although being someone, who's not very fond of the curve of my smile, it makes me feel good about my other facial features. Apparently, my selfies come out better when I'm wearing a mask. At least for me. 

PS Reflecting back onto my post, I realise I have been too involved in my office and that I come across as a person with zilch personal life incidences.