A woman came late to yesterday’s event. She crashed through several rows of attendees, deposited herself at the front, and emitted a large string of mucousy, barking coughs.

After covering the first three rows of the audience in sputum, she reached into her bag, extracted a grimy single-use mask and put it on.

This attitude was topped by that of one of the moderators who wore her mask whenever anybody else spoke but removed it every time it was her turn to speak.

People have the most unusual relationships with their masks. I’m sure they have some sort of a theory about what these masks do but I can’t figure out what that is.

6 responses to “Mask Anecdotes”

  1. cliff arroyo Avatar

    “they have some sort of a theory about what these masks do ”

    It’s like a rosary or cross (or other religious good luck charm). It’s just necessary to have it to have protection from the covid-devil….

    I wish I were joking….

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Is it like an OCD thing? Anxiety overpowering reason?

      Like

    2. methylethyl Avatar

      It’s the modern evil-eye charm jewelry.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. cliff arroyo Avatar

        “modern evil-eye charm”

        Pretty much…d
        In Greece they just seem decorative now (and a cheap but nice looking tourist souvenir/gift).
        In Turkey across the Aegean (so close you can see one from the other) they seem to take it much more… seriously…. People put them into the mortar on the walls of their houses or fences around their houses or into the sidewalk, a leading newspaper has one next to the name….

        Liked by 1 person

  2. bluebird of bitterness Avatar

    It boggles my mind that anyone still thinks those stupid masks do any good. Hasn’t that notion been debunked six ways from Sunday?

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      They do especially little good after one has already coughed freely and joyfully at an entire group of people. It looks rude, too. Here, catch my germs, but don’t try to pass on your own to me.

      Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

A conservative literary critic and college professor