Somebody stop me’. These are the exact words which keep screaming in my head every time I put on the mask, a necessary accessory in the post-COVID time. And no, I do not do a Jim Carrey in The Mask because the impact of my face gear is more asphyxiating than exhilarating.
I have always felt both fear and fascination for masks. There is an enigma about these things and they possess a subtle power to alter one’s identity. They are dramatic and intense, both culturally and historically. But those are masks of different sorts and not the ones which we are being forced to wrap around our face. However, I must admit that these corona-special masks too possess some level of intensity of the superior types and feeble strains of a few qualities.
The muffled words trickling out from behind the mask go unheard most of the times and one skirts a long conversation with an equally muffled reply that discloses neither emotions nor weakness of faculties.
“You cannot make out whether one is smiling at you,” a gentleman complained from behind his mask. Undoubtedly, as it is to be, these masks — the N95s, the surgicals, the three-layered, the breathable cottons — alter identities by concealing basic emotions necessary to develop human connect. An animated nod, a flailing gesture or a blink is what one can resort to for greeting these days.
Mistaken identity is another hazard. Someone confessed to me the other day how terrified she was to talk to masked humans. A day before, she spent 15 minutes talking to a stranger, giving her small details of her life and an important information, address. “The lady was surprised that I changed address the second time in two years. Only then I realised that the mistake was as much hers as mine.”
Fear for the mask is not unfounded. There were several reports of ‘mask’ casualties from around the world. People died because they did not take off their masks while exercising or running or walking. But they did not have another option as going out in the public without mask is a crime in many COVID-affected countries. This is besides the point that people are over-cautious.
Why another mask
But I do not understand why we need another mask? Is not the invisible one convenient? “No, the other one is permeable. You need three-layered masks, don’t you know,” I was told.
Yes and then again, the invisible mask is equally impermeable when it comes to emotions. It is highly camouflaging and has the property to twist every word spoken. Take the example of all those world leaders who speak of humanity and their sufferings. Their words are as intense and real as if they are living the nightmare. Every word they speak come through the invisible mask, not muffled but clear and filtered. The words spoken, the countenance publicly displayed and the motley emotions are not the reflections of the speakers’ heart and mind. The eyes too are masked and there is no way of understanding what labyrinth lies beneath.
Some even use multiple masks to accentuate the minor details of dramatics. The montage of faces and expressions is phantasmagorical and destabilising and it is always advisable to avoid this species of humans.
And there is this mask of the commoners, of inferior quality, nonetheless an altering device. The mask is necessary for the common man to melt in the crowd and hide the marks of struggle. For the middle class, the mask is a must to survive in the race. It is a convenient accessory to avoid confrontation and complications. It is also helpful in concealing the weakness that often makes people vulnerable in front of superior humans with better masks on. There is no shame or subtlety in doing so as this is the norm.
I call this type sycophants. Don’t blame it on the mask.
And yet so innovative
No matter how suffocating the mask may make one feel, the thing has fast gained a fashion status thanks to some creative minds. It is not hard to spot a mother and child duo wearing matching masks or a chic woman using a piece of the cloth from her apparel to make a made-for-each-other mask.
More than a safety gear, mask has turned into a designer accessory. Now, they are available in various prints, checks, stripes, texture, colour and shapes. The basic surgical mask or N95 has lost popularity as designers around the world chip in to make mask wearing an experience. One may not afford designer clothes but designer mask can make up for it.
I would have preferred a custom-made magical mask that turned Jim Carrey into a lovable monster but I settled for a cotton one. There is no magic in it but the purpose is served.
I am amused to see that apparel shops, which have finally resumed business in the unlockdown period, are displaying masks on mannequins. I am also surprised to find out how people are innovating to create masks from foliage, gamosa, plastic bottles and even leather. In no time, we may find masks with zips and holes to allow eating and smoking without taking off the face accessory.
In some places, authorities are putting up masks on statues as an important message to the public. But statues don’t talk and cannot explain the consequences of wearing a mask.
I see the world around me hiding behind masks and I fear that someday I will not recognise it anymore. Probably, we will gradually forget the faces of people and remember them by their masks.
But I admit that no matter how much I hate wearing a mask, this is the new reality and we have to embrace it. Masks will change the way we look at the world and socialise with fellow humans. They will add another facet to the pretentious world. And I am not sure whether I am ready enough for this unending masquerade party.
~ NM