Mask-wearing Woes

Mask wearing is now a routine of daily living. Regardless of local law, mask requirements are entry policy into most public spaces these days. For many of us, including me, mask-wearing looks weird and feels strange. Recently, two friends from the medical world who regularly wear PPE, remarked to me about their mask aversion in private life but for the foreseeable future, mask-wearing is in! The bright spots in this masquerade are the American spirit of creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship in mask production and … we are all set for Halloween!!!

Early on, I experienced mask challenges. I started with a quasi-mask: a sideways-turned hairband but decided that straps around the back of my head messed up my hair. I broke down and bought the cheap blue industrial style until I had time to sew up some fun masks with my own fabric. The ear loops worked better for me except for the earring issue. Another learning curve was lipstick. I hated not putting lipstick on at all, but the creamy types rubbed off, so I switched to paint-type lipsticks that dry. For recent air travel, I splurged on a heavy-duty snug-fitting type of mask, which apparently kept me COVID-free.

My dad cheerfully sports his Pittsburgh Pirates mask.

A major fallout of mask-wearing is communication. Masks muffle clarity: it’s like you have cottonballs on your mouth, which you do!!   My husband and I have misheard conversations including medical directions and food orders. When a second language, cell phone dynamics and less-than-sharp hearing are added to the mask mix, it sends me through the roof!!!

In my last post, I discussed how God created us with five rich senses with which we amazingly engage with people. Masks, I believe, disturb yet another of our God-given, wonderful human gifts. And that is our perceptive ability to read people and their moods and emotions. We perceive through the observation of facial expressions and tone of voice. That sensory ability is greatly diminished when a mask conceals expressions and dulls voices. Eyes peer out (if they’re not also in a hat and sunglasses, making them a regular bandit) but much is lost to the observer. I am especially concerned about children having a prolonged gap in observation and practice during their developmental years, as the mask mandate persists. As a sidenote, I call on Dave and Mark, designers/inventors I know, to develop a transparent mask that meets protection protocols!

This drugstore sign made me laugh – an oxymoron, don’t you think?

To be honest, I do not have answers to the mask mess. With long practical use in the medical world, and some assuring data about at least temporary protection, we are likely going to be wearing masks for quite a while yet. I am trying to put on a happy face, along with my lipstick that you can’t see, as I wear mine.

It does not matter to God if you wear a mask or not. I am not speaking about conformity or rebellion but about how God sees us. We present a desired exterior façade of ourselves which may fool others but never fools God. Not only did He create our bodies and faces, but He sees our hearts and our intentions. The Bible says man looks on our outward appearance, but God perceives the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Psalm 139 details God’s intimate knowledge of us, to the point of knowing our words before we say them. This is scary yet assuring. God knows us completely, our best and our worst, yet He loves us wholly. He is compassionate too, fully grasping our pain, loss and fears. In the end, that we cannot disguise our true selves, is deeply reassuring.

It was a beautiful evening at a picturesque spot but my smile,                         not my mask, covers an undercurrent of discord.

So Long, FCPS

This is actually a Facebook post, but I am sharing it on my blog too:

So long, FCPS!

This is an unusual Labor Day for me. For most of my life, tomorrow was back-to-school for me as a student, parent of students, or as a teacher, but not this year. I recently retired from Fairfax County Public Schools as my husband and I prepare to move within the next year. Schools hold a special place in my heart. Education challenged, even stressed me at times, but I loved teaching. Amazing teachers and administrators, delightful students and kind parents enriched my work.

I began my elementary teaching career immediately after college, took a break from employment during our child-rearing years, and returned to public education in 2005 as an elementary ESOL teacher (English to Speakers of Other Languages). This past year, I took a one-year position as my “victory lap” only to end “limping to the finish line” as we were unexpectedly thrown into Distance Learning. It was huge and uncharted for all of us, kids and parents too, but we managed to “carry on” – a theme I had selected for myself prior to the pandemic.

So, good-bye FCPS! After 40 years around schools, I exit with fond memories and satisfaction. As I said, my colleagues were often outstanding and inspiring, and I wish all of you well. A Virginia Tech professor once called teachers, “the salt of the earth” and you are! Stay wise; you know what to do.

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3 – Yes, He did!