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Making Eye-Contact

Today as I walked through my grocery store ( my  new recreational sport) I studied the masks of folks. I purchased one with rhinestones and it is getting a LOT of attention. Honestly, I do not care about the attention. I bought it because I AM going to wear a mask in public for a long time( my opinion), so it may as well be aesthetically pleasing if only to me.

Masks are a new fashion statement. What started out as a mandatory piece for health/life’s sake has slowly evolved into our culture in another way. The brands are offering their individual logos, there is a mask for every personality. We had better get on board. Be safe and look good!

However, what is now missing is an essential part of our lives, full faces. Who is hiding behind the pieces of cloth or paper? We are anonymous. That is very sad. We were already heading in the direction of being social misfits, but this is hurling us at top speed to that  unfortunate destination.

I have chosen to go in another direction, my masks need to be bright, attention grabbers and full of personality. I find my face is tight from exaggerating smiles, smiles that no one can see. I feel ridiculous as I become aware of how big my smile is under the mask, and furthermore that no one can see that smile. They/ we can however see eyes; our eyes, the windows of our souls. What do our souls now say to the strangers we see in the stores or on the streets in many cases.

The brows and the actual eyes are the only areas we have to show expression.  One now has to make use of our limited resources. In silence or with muffled/ distorted sounds we have to greet, question, challenge, and flirt. Talk about mixed messages. The emoji industry will probably birth a new set of expressions that we can use as a guideline. For now though ladies get out your mascara, liner, shadow and GoForIt! Guys, you all are stuck, use your imaginations. I guess we had all better practice our “smeyezing“(smiling with ones eyes).