BLACK MASKS LOOK SCARY & UNCLEAN

The little black dress is still the epitome of fashion in sophisticated circles. Is that why black masks have become popular during this pandemic? Mike Pence and Joe Biden both wear them. Black seems to be the “in” color for politicians’ masks in Washington DC. But I think they’re making a mistake. Black masks actually look scary and unclean.

Black cloth masks look scary & unclean. You can't tell if they've been washed, and they seem sinister. — Black masks look scary and unclean. But politicians seem to prefer them.

Scary? You bet. There’s something ominous and frightening about black masks. They remind me of Muslim Women who are forced to wear hijabs and cover their faces. The most common monastic color is black. It symbolizes repentance and simplicity. By wearing black, monks and nuns are trying to suppress the calls of the flesh. Sounds a little dreary and sexless, to me.

Black has also been a sign of mourning ever since the middle ages. Over the centuries, its been associated with death, evil, and violence. Maybe that’s why it’s the popular color for masks during the covid-19 crisis. But it’s also sinister and pessimistic. Why not a brightly colored or flowered mask, to suggest optimism, and perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel?

On the other hand color psychologist say that a preference for the color black indicates prestige and power; someone who wears black takes themselves seriously. I suppose they think black masks are simply more dignified.

There’s a reason why hospital employees and health care workers wear light colored scrubs and masks. It’s because they look clean. If a black cloth mask is soiled, you can’t tell by looking. If doesn’t really matter if a mask is dirty, because it still keeps the wearer’s infectious coughs and sneezes from spreading through the air. On the other hand, it could infect the owner, or anyone in his household. A child who picks up a dirty mask to play with could be at risk for catching a disease.

Maybe men prefer black because they think it looks more masculine. But to me, black masks look scary and unsanitary.

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020

BEWARE OF CHAOS AT UPS

Why didn’t I realize UPS would be a zoo? Because of the pandemic, everyone’s buying all their stuff online, then returning half of it. In this case, my finger slipped on the keypad when ordering a jigsaw puzzle. Or maybe it was Amazon’s mistake. At any rate, we received two of the same puzzle. Since we couldn’t think of anyone who would want it, returning it seemed like the best move. I printed out a return label and drove to the store. It is usually a very quiet, uncrowded place, but not now. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

The only store in our city is five miles away. It’s an extremely small office, dark, with low ceilings. Remember, we’re supposed to avoid small, crowded, enclosed places now, right? Anyway, I drove into the parking lot and stopped to put on my mask and gloves. Looking in the window, I could see two people with stacks of packages to be processed by one clerk. I guess these were “pick up” items. I didn’t know about scheduling a pick up, but I do now. There were several people standing in line for the other clerk. It looked like I was in for a long wait.

Many customers not wearing masks at UPS store. Beware of chaos. — UPS clerks wear masks, but many customers don’t. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

I picked up the puzzle and Amazon return paperwork, and stood outside the door, thinking it would be safer to wait in the fresh air. I’d no sooner got there, when two younger people got out of their cars and proceeded to open the door. “I’m waiting in a line, here,” I said. Neither of them were masked. They glanced at me briefly, brushed past . and went on in.

Okay, I was mad. I took a few deep breaths to control my rage, but it wasn’t having the desired effect. Two things seemed very wrong here. #1 They weren’t wearing masks. Inside, both clerks were masked. Did these people not respect the health and safety of the UPS employees? #2 They had pushed ahead of me, taking advantage of the fact that I was social distancing. Now, it was even more crowded inside.

At that point, another woman got out of her car. She looked at me and said, ‘I forgot my mask.” Went back to her car, returned, and stood at a safe distance behind me to wait her turn. Well, at least there are some decent people in the world.

As the two offenders left the store after completing their business, I went into crabby old lady mode. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” I said. But they weren’t. Not in the least.

What goes through the mind of the unmasked during this coronavirus pandemic? Do they think they’re immune because they are younger? If so, they should look at the demographics on the department of health website. The majority of cases in our state of Indiana are with people age 20 to 60. Worse yet, do they not care that they could be infecting their fellow human beings? Don’t they have any respect for the store clerks who are risking their own health to serve them every day?

Beware of chaos at the UPS store.

February 26, 2020February 26, 2020

SCARED SHOPPERS WEARING FACE MASKS

We aren’t accustomed to seeing people wearing face masks in the grocery store. Here in the USA, they’re mostly worn in hospitals. Anyone seen with one in a public place raises questions. Is the masked person sick, afraid of getting sick, or about to commit a robbery? We used to see them occasionally in Mexico and other foreign places like Asia. But now, the coronavirus has brought out our worst fears. Scared shoppers here in my Indiana hometown are wearing face masks in public places.

Most hospitals and doctor’s office provide surgical masks at the door. You’re asked to wear them if you have a cold or the flu. Their purpose is to prevent you from spreading infectious diseases and contaminating the air of those around you. Therefore, if someone nearby coughs or sneezes, you are still at risk of catching whatever it is they have. Infectious disease specialists say that the masks are too thin and loose fitting to completely prevent the inhalation of unfiltered air.

Scared shoppers wear face masks so they won't catch the coronavirus — Scared shoppers are wearing face masks, but they don’t offer much protection against the coronavirus.

And yet, this past week, I’ve seen one or two people wearing a face mask every time I go out to shop. But Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University has said that regular surgical face masks will not protect you from the coronavirus.

Consequently, respirators are the only thing that will protect you from the coronavirus. They are heavy duty, and form fitted to your face. The CDC says they filter out about 95% of airborne particles, including viruses and bacteria. But there are drawbacks. Respirators aren’t comfortable, and many people have trouble breathing while wearing them.

Meanwhile, I took comfort from a news report last night about the coronavirus. Apparently, 85% of all cases are mild, 12% are severe, and only 3% are fatal. Which seems pretty much like the seasonal flu we experience every year.