by Mary Reiman
I wasn’t going to write about this. I was just going to keep it to myself because so many others are talking and writing about it every day. Today it was on the front page of The Lincoln Journal Star. But it’s the topic that keeps creeping into my head and I think it won’t let go until I address it. The importance of wearing masks.
Who would have thought wearing a mask to help protect each other would become a political statement. It is almost more than I can comprehend. How inhumane have we become as a nation? To not care about each other enough to not wear a mask to prevent the spread of a pandemic. That is a political statement? Really? Who have we become?
Who would have thought wearing a mask to help protect each other would become a political statement. It is almost more than I can comprehend. How inhumane have we become as a nation? To not care about each other enough to not wear a mask to prevent the spread of a pandemic. That is a political statement? Really? Who have we become?
This week I went to my Iowa hometown to see my mom and I was one of few wearing a mask. I probably should have worn a shirt that said, ‘Yes, I am a martian!’ since I received such questioning looks (because you can see those scrunched up faces and furrowed brows more easily when they are not wearing masks).
My first introduction to masks was watching Zorro on our black and white television. He was the good guy, the guy who rode in and saved others, not because he knew them, but because he knew the difference between right and wrong and he was willing to stand up for those in need.
If you don’t know anything about Zorro, a short Google search will give you some background. “Zorro (Spanish for 'Fox') is a fictional character first created in 1919. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and indigenous peoples of California against corrupt and tyrannical officials and other villains.” Did you notice that the character was created in 1919, the time of the last pandemic? Yes, interesting.
Much has been written about the political statement made by the creation of Zorro. Throughout the years, movies and television shows about his heroics have given us reason to cheer. And although I would like to believe there is someone in the world who could swoop in and protect us, I am well aware Zorro is a fictional character. Instead, this is the time for all of us to look within ourselves to find our version of Zorro, without a sword, with a mask.
May we all become Zorro.
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