Behind the walls created by wearing face masks there exists different worlds. Often the world of the lone, silent, seemingly sad, stoic, and/or perhaps bitter person. Another world, the occasional exception, coming across an upbeat, cheerful voice, vibrant eyes, on the other side of the cloth divide. It is an infrequent occurrence, and the unanticipated rendezvous is oddly alarming. This buoyant personality bursting forth from behind the veil jars me, my having banked on yet another unresponsive person or suffering what is more a grunt than the ‘howdy-do’ I so often hope for.
The politicians and medical ‘experts’ have told us we are wearing the masks as to not infect others with the COVID-19 virus, should we ourselves be unknowingly infected. I will not take exception to that rationale. The advice sounds logical, notwithstanding my lack of confidence in medical science’s understanding the vagaries of the ‘China’ plague.
So, we soldier on, most of us obeying politician’s dictates to drape our faces to protect others from ourselves. Our minds tell us we are taking part in the solution. Yet that comfort rings hollow. Why does the tale ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’ come to mind?
One man’s science is another man’s sword. I digress…
Former President Jimmy Carter once projected a ‘malaise’ having taken over our country. Fortunately, the country moved on, uncertain as to whom he was directing his comments. It is not natural for Americans to be downbeat, regardless of how browbeaten they are by politicians, pundits, scientists, anarchists and those seeking to create narratives to suit their own purposes. It is the nature of Americans to rise above, to think positively, to believe in a better tomorrow. But this mask thing is something entirely different. It is a tangible barrier to exercising our freedom of expression. Freedom to project and communicate. The physical barrier not only inhibits our breathing, but it hides us from others. Conversely, others are hidden from us. We do not have access to the full face, the face that from the beginning of our species has been the most communicative of our feelings and actions toward others. We have been deprived of a major method of interacting with our fellow man.
Yes, many feel violated; something has been stolen from us. Who but the paranoid and suffocatingly shy choose to be enslaved to face coverings? It is not natural and not empowering. If it is not empowering, then what effect does wearing a mask have on our psyche? Do we feel less in control? When initially donning a mask, do we have less confidence and by our nature, are we afraid?
The mask gives the wearer the feeling that they are not seen, not visible as an individual. Masking has made it imperative that we look into one another’s eyes, searching to visually read one another. This search has caused me to detect one message above all others, yearning.
Yearning for many things. Things that I can only guess. One of which I am quite certain, a yearning to be seen, to be noticed, to interact with others. There are of course many other messages emanating from our eyes. But I cannot help thinking about how I feel having peered deep into the eyes—the windows of our souls, souls that I would not have seen before the great ‘masking.’
By circumstance, we are now forced to look into another’s eyes. That reality reminds me of a memorable life experience. How many times prior to COVID-19 did you look past someone’s eyes instead of into them? A friend of mine once scolded me and two friends for not looking into her eyes when we were clinking glasses toasting a cabernet Sauvignon. She said that the toast was useless, and the salutation negated if those taking a sip did not look one another in their eyes. I was taken aback, embarrassed, a bit wounded and intrigued. It was so impactful that to this day I make an effort to look co-celebrants in the eyes when raising a glass. While I don’t chastise them verbally when others do not exchange glances, perhaps my eyes do. I hope so.
J.R. Strayve, Jr. is a novelist and author of First Spouse of the United States and Braxton’s Century.
For information on J.R. visit https://jrstrayvejr.com/.