James Newcomb

In 3.5 years, I've never asked a masked person why they do it, maybe because it seems rude. Finally I did at the LAX airport. It was of a 20-something guy otherwise normal. "I'm so sorry but can you tell me why you are wearing a mask." "Habit I guess. I'll take it off now." "Nice to see the human face, but did you take it off because you are sitting down at this bar but left it on standing up for a reason?" "Oh just a habit." "Because this is what they have told you to do for three years?" "I guess." "And you have done this for three years?" "Yes." "Are you scared of Covid?" "Oh I don't want to get it again." "And you think the mask stops that?" "Maybe. Can't be too sure." "And you know about natural immunity, that having had Covid that your immune system is upgraded so that you have protection against severity even if you get the new mutation?" "Oh yes, I know about that." I figured that this was enough of my questions. And then we sat there uncomfortably until I coughed slightly as my coffee went down a bit quickly. He recoiled and sat back in his chair to avoid my breathing. If he could have sat 6 feet away, I'm sure that he would have. I was suddenly the unclean and otherized that he was clean. What to conclude? I don't really know but I'm guessing that Covid avoidance gave his life meaning. He cannot really adapt to the fact that everyone got it anyway and that this whole thing was rather stupid. He just cannot admit it to himself, so the mask itself is a kind of security blanket or pacifier that kids use, a kind of infantilization. It's all quite sad, even heartbreaking.