When I was a kid watching TV, it always seemed kind of silly when people couldn't recognize the Lone Ranger say, or Zorro, or Robin, or even Batman, just because he was wearing a mask that covered part of his face. The same was true for all sorts of burglars and bank robbers on every sitcom from The Flintstones to I Love Lucy. On those shows, secret identities were always safe; that suspension of disbelief was just part of the price for those 30 minutes of diversion.
These days, everyone is wearing a mask (at least around here). It's required in all inside public places, and it's becoming a lot more common for folks to wear them outside, too. I was wearing my mask this morning in line at the farmers market, when a fellow shopper called my name. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"Pretty good!" I said, but just then the vendor called me forward, and we waved good-bye. As I ordered my produce, I wondered who I had just been talking to. I think it was an English teacher from another middle school in our district, someone I have known slightly for many years, both because we're in the same discipline, but also because we have a mutual friend. I'm not a hundred percent it was her, though, and I'm impressed she recognized me.
Later, we were out for a walk with the dog, unmasked, when a couple of women with face coverings hailed us from down the block. We waved back, a little uncertainly. As they neared us, and began talking, we saw realized that it was a former neighbor and her daughter. We know them pretty well, but we haven't seen them in at least a year, probably two, and it took a few awkward seconds to figure out who they were.
I have a feeling experiences like those two are going to become ever more common in the months ahead, but I also think we're all going to develop a new skill set to more quickly recognize people with only a partial view of their faces. And when that happens?
Super heros and bad guys alike are going to have to rethink their disguises!
These days, everyone is wearing a mask (at least around here). It's required in all inside public places, and it's becoming a lot more common for folks to wear them outside, too. I was wearing my mask this morning in line at the farmers market, when a fellow shopper called my name. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"Pretty good!" I said, but just then the vendor called me forward, and we waved good-bye. As I ordered my produce, I wondered who I had just been talking to. I think it was an English teacher from another middle school in our district, someone I have known slightly for many years, both because we're in the same discipline, but also because we have a mutual friend. I'm not a hundred percent it was her, though, and I'm impressed she recognized me.
Later, we were out for a walk with the dog, unmasked, when a couple of women with face coverings hailed us from down the block. We waved back, a little uncertainly. As they neared us, and began talking, we saw realized that it was a former neighbor and her daughter. We know them pretty well, but we haven't seen them in at least a year, probably two, and it took a few awkward seconds to figure out who they were.
I have a feeling experiences like those two are going to become ever more common in the months ahead, but I also think we're all going to develop a new skill set to more quickly recognize people with only a partial view of their faces. And when that happens?
Super heros and bad guys alike are going to have to rethink their disguises!
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