Wait. . .I Think Something Important Just Happened

It was an odd week.

Singing in church was different.

I frequent a business regularly. But today was. . .different. In fact, the employees didn’t recognize me.

Recently I watched a video of a comedy show. The show was interrupted because one woman handed another woman a bandaid and an alcohol swab. The comedian interrupted the show.

What just happened here?

She needed a bandaid.

How convenient she sat next to a nurse! (The crowd laughed)

Actually, I am a nurse.

Really?

Yeah. I have a mask in my purse. (The crowd laughed again.)

The show was from 2018. The mask joke was funny then. I mean, who carries a mask in their purse?

I have a mask in my coat pocket.

And the center console in my car.

And the glove box.

And, of course, a bunch of them in my house.

I mean, who doesn’t have a mask?

If you don’t have one, just about every store has them. You can pick them up on your way in.

Except not today. And not Sunday.

We quit using them this week.

I love to sing. Have you ever tried to sing with a mask on? It takes some getting used to. It’s not the singing out, it’s the breathing in. But, you get used to it.

Until it’s gone. Sunday was the first Sunday without a mask in years. That’s strange to think of, let alone say. It took me a minute to figure out what sounded different. Turns out it was me, hearing my own voice.

And the shop I go to every week? They literally didn’t recognize me without a mask.

Is the pandemic really over? The news media has already moved on to covering the war.

For now, I’m getting used to not wearing a mask. And not expecting others to.

Stay safe

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren. Order Miscellany II, an anthology including his latest short story, “The Mercy System” here

Follow him on
Twitter (@rodneymbliss)
Facebook (www.facebook.com/rbliss)
LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com/in/rbliss)
or email him at rbliss at msn dot com

(c) 2022 Rodney M Bliss, all rights reserved