If life were a masquerade ball, today would be the point in the ball when everyone (in New Jersey) revealed their identities.
Lily pointed out to me that she had made some new friends this year and she does not even really know what they look like nor do they know what she looks like and she wondered if everyone would still like each other.
I assured her that they would--it would be silly to stop liking someone because the bottom half of their did not meet their expectations. Of course, there are other reasons we all might stop liking each other during this great unmasking.
I mean everyone has so many different opinions and theories and points of view regarding vaccination and masking and politics and the future. When we can finally see each other's mouths, will we notice the smirks more?
My friend Kate pointed out that this is a weird time.
And it is, isn't it? We are people who went through our first pandemic led by people who were also going through their first pandemic. The whole 16 months required a lot of grace (and humor) when trying to unravel first the lack of rules, then the oppressive rules and now the loosening of rules. There is not one person who ever experienced this exact or even loosely related situation before. Who knows what our future grandchildren and beyond will think of our handling of the COVID-19 pandemic? Are we rockstars or are we jackasses?
I imagine it is a bit of both.
Once I reached two weeks post-my second Pfizer vaccine dose, I began wondering what in the world I was doing with my mask on. It felt completely idiotic--because I 100-percent believe both masking and vaxxing work. Plus, I was so sick after my second dose, that it made me irate that the vaccine felt like it had no value. Why was I still masked on the sidelines of a soccer game? Why did I have to mask at all, really, since the vaccine protected me and in turn, others around me?
This release of masking requirements for the vaccinated is long overdue in my opinion.
Of course, my kids are not quite vaccinated yet--Nicholas is not eligible, the girls are half-vaxxed. But, I think we will all be there soon--and when we are there, well, I hope the world is, too. Although I think even now, people are having trouble transitioning from masked to unmasked, regardless of their vaccination status. I get it--we were on such high alert for so long.
However, if you stood behind science when you wore your mask; then you can stand behind science, again, and unmask if vaccinated.
If you don't stand behind science, well, I have no idea what to do with you. And truly, I cannot even entertain the argument.
I think this great unmasking will also unmask more than our nose and mouth--hopefully we still like each other.
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