WHEN I put on my mask the other day, I was convinced I’d bought a dud.
There was a strange odour that wouldn’t come with a new garment of any description. Straight from the packet. Do not pay $200. Do not pass go. No interference, but a weird little smell.
Then I realised. Lesson number one was a hygiene issue.
I’d not long brushed my teeth and quite remarkably they’re still all mine. But it would have seemed from the first veiled inhale that I hadn’t gone hard enough with the floss.
So after another brush and re-floss, I gave it another go, re-masked and yes, it was a much more pleasant experience.
But it wasn’t the only lesson from my time as – well, I was going to say Zorro, but that would be the wrong type of mask.
Lesson two: Was it just me, but I’ve become convinced 90% of people are more attractive while wearing masks. Men, women, all ages, the lot.
Why is this? Is it my imagination running wild, assuming the best like a scene in that movie Shallow Hal when Anthony Robbins makes Jack Black see the inner-beauty in people?
Or is it that all our ugly bits are around our nose and mouth?
Lesson three: Have you noticed how much we rely on a simple smile to satisfy a response?
On a number of occasions, I’m sure I felt disappointed with human interaction, unable to determine whether the person was bothering to share a happy vibe from beneath the mask.
Personally, I felt myself more inclined to offer a thumbs up.
Yet, I confess – there were times I felt I could save energy by not bothering to smile in return when the interaction quite frankly wasn’t worth the effort.
Lesson four: People really are creatures of habit.
Time and again, someone ran into a shopping centre without a mask, only to let loose an expletive, shake their head, mutter “mask!” audible enough for those around to realise why they’d just acted like a pork chop, spin on their heel, arms flayed, and retreat to the car.
Humourous, yes. Until you do it yourself.
Lesson five: I really do need to get myself a lighter mask. It gets a little warm in there, and there’s no respite when the floss starts to wear off.
