Day 9: The Oddity of Normalcy

We got an email today from my kid’s district basically saying that they will no longer be sending letters, providing masks, and the dashboard will be removed. Our school district, like most, is making masks optional, with a little over half of the students choosing to go maskless. I agree that it is time for this. We have been so restricted for so long, that it is so nice to be free again. I at least love that people now have the choice. My son who is in second grade doesn’t understand school when it was “normal.” COVID has affected him since his first year in kindergarten. I am excited for my own children, and my own students, to finally have that choice. I am excited that I actually get to see the faces of my students, and the smiles of some of my co-workers.

This week I decided to go without a mask as well. I still carry it around with me so if I am in close contact with a student, I can put it on. While it feels so free to be able to just be normal again, and breath again, it also feels so odd. I feel like I am doing something wrong not having my mask on. There have been so many times where my students come back from specials or recess I reach to put it back on, only to remember that I don’t have to. Wearing masks has become so normal, that not wearing one now feels strange.

It is also odd that you have to start thinking about stuff that we haven’t had to in a couple years. We need to go back to paying attention to whether or not we have something in our teeth. We need to wonder if we have a bat in the cave (booger). We need to worry about our breath being not so fresh again. Earlier this year a friend and I ordered lunch like we do every Friday. We both love gyros so we both went with that for lunch. We ate it and it was delicious. I was even thinking that it is pretty awesome that I don’t have to worry about people smelling my gyro breath. What I didn’t think about was the fact that this extra potent gyro breath would now be trapped in my mask for only me to suffer with for three hours!! It was misery. Proceed with caution again while ordering gyros for lunch.

While I absolutely love that I have the choice on whether or not to wear my mask, it is an odd feeling to have it off. I may have something wedged between my teeth, or something hanging from my nose, but at least I can breath freely again. I am even happier that I get to see so many smiles again.