N95 is not an Interstate
By Charles E. Kraus
I’m not much impressed by truckers, and bikers, and noisy outraged senators who claim masking up is a dangerous travesty; perhaps treasonous. I think of it as a minor nuisance. In many cases it seems to have improved appearances.
I’ve acquired quite a collection of masks — packages of what I hope are authentic N95s, K95s, off brands, name brands, masks that received excellent reviews from Amazon customers and from consumer publications. Freebees from grocery stores, and complimentary masks available in the lobbies when I arrive for medical appointments.
Mostly, I’ve settled on using a very comfortable N95 model that seems to keep my glasses from fogging, and has genuine head straps rather than those ear loops that get tangled in my glasses and hearing aids. The New York Times consumer people gave their blessings to this product, but did admit the design makes users look like a duck. So, OK, I look like a responsible duck.
Having been around a long time, lived in numerous places, lived what upon reflection would seem to be a series of counter intuitive lives all stacked into one earthly tour, I’ve made some tentative decisions regarding what is important and what is superfluous.
Whether or not I wear a mask turns out to be immaterial to the quality of my life. Or, no, that’s incorrect. If masks do as advertised, then perhaps they’ve saved my life; maybe the lives of others. And if they’ve failed to perform assigned functions, they also haven’t done much damage.
Some say children are harmed by the requirement that they need to spend large portions of their days in masks. It is my very closeup observation, and I am both a very devoted grandfather and have worked professionally with kids for over 50 years, that our youth have incorporated masks into what they assume to be normal daily happenstance. They put on their clothes, brush their teeth, don masks and go about the business of being young. Not a big deal unless parents make it one.
And that thing about not seeing people smile? Want to read the sentiments of others? Don’t look at the mouth. Look into the eyes. Eye contact is about a million times more powerful, and a whole lot more revealing and reliable than trying to interpret the contours of lips. Smiles can be contrived. Eyes are unalterably authentic.
Suppose the theoretical protection offered from masks is complete hogwash, and my wearing them has been an unnecessary nuisance. Oh my gosh. Boy am I angry! Boy am I upset! Or not. Not, really. I’m not upset. I’ve just been acting maturely based on the best available evidence. Besides, I’ve gotten so used to wearing them, doing so has become second nature. Seem to warm my face during the cold weather. Removing a mask when I get into the house has become part of my ritual, like taking off my hat, kicking off my shoes and washing my hands.
To me, the upset about using masks feels like a reach. Making a mountain out of a molehill. Unserious. Misguided. Underwhelming. Contrived.
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Charles E. Kraus is the author of several books, among them, Baffled Again .. and Again.
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