June 30th, 2021. My first outing without a mask since March 15, 2020. While dressing to go pick up our prescriptions,
I applied makeup for the first time in 15 months,
stepped into my zebra striped leggins 1st time in 15 months
pushed the earrings through the holes that were nearly closed, after 15 months of not wearing them
Drove to Publix where I always park at the back of the lot so that I have more steps to take
Striding across the parking lot in the brilliant sun, staring at the blue and white sky,
earrings swinging,
FACE exposed,
staring at other EXPOSED faces,
I felt sheer joy!
I practically floated on a cloud of joy, smiling and speaking to all I saw.
I felt as though I had been set free from a cage.
I had no idea,, removing a tiny piece of fabric, leaving my face free of covering,
could give me so much
JOY!
I felt joy as I chatted with the deli guy, the RX guy, the Cashier Gal and I
talked and TALKED!
JOY! still remained as I came home and created the above photo using 4 photos to remind me of that joy I felt and to show it to you.
We still wear a mask in some places, like doctors offices and close up contact places.
Have any of you gone naked face yet?
How did you feel?
20 comments:
Horray, I am so happy for you! Cool photo, as well. Will you go maskless when you grocery shop? We have gone maskless in a very few places, but not in any stores yet..
Fantastic news - and may it continue.
Here in NZ we have been maskless in public for many months. The only restriction is public transport, air flights - it's mandatory although not truly enforced.
However, we have at times gone into mini lockdowns when covid has invaded the community.
Travellers who come here, have to do the minimum 14 days MIQ gov't managed isolation/quarantine - and there are a whole set of rules around that, inc regular testing.
Go well...
I have for weeks now, and at first, while I was maskless & seeing so many others also maskless, it was scary...not freedom for me. I still stay as far away from others as I can and I DO keep my mouth shut.
I've been maskless since June 17 when I got my second shot. Before that at work we were kind of semi maskless. We didn't wear them while working but would put them on to go out into the store or wait on a customer. There are a few places around here where you still have to wear them, hospitals, doctors offices and the physical therapy place I went to is still requiring them.
Mask wearing was not universally observed here and exempted for runners and cyclists so I went out a lot without one and before the restrictions lifted occasionally forgot one when i should be wearing it (always came back for it). What i don't miss is the mask sticking to my sweaty face. My daft boss wants us back in the office next week - wearing masks sitting at our desks! 🙄 F
Hello Sandra,
I like your edited photo. Yes, we have gone bare faced, it does feel good to leave off the mask. We have eaten inside a restaurant a few times now. I think most doctors offices still require a mask. Happy 4th of July weekend!
Congrats to you and your maskless face, Sandra, although we have seen you that way in blogland. We wore masks in require places until after being fully vaccinated in mid March. Before that we didn’t wear them while outside or in our car. Now we are mask free everywhere except medical offices.
I love your edited photo! I still only go without a mask outdoors. I guess I'm the big chicken, I still wear my mask in the grocery store.
Soooo neat, your edit! So happy you found JOY in the little things.
I'm smiling large -- on account I treated myself to a Publix trip yesterday. And, since Tom stayed home I parked at the far end of the lot -- same as you for the same reason. (He always circles and circles, to get a handicapped spot near the door.)
Like Martha said, I'm still a little leary of going mask-less. It's about 50/50 here.
We haven't had to wear masks on our hikes so we've had that all along. But no masks shopping for awhile now. But then again...we don't shop much. We still pick up our groceries at Walmart, we don't go inside. I wear earrings every day. It's part of getting dressed for me. But yes you are right...it's all very feel good and freeing! YAY! Happy weekend!
Hari OM
Personally, I shall be always erring on the side of caution - here in the UK mask-wearing in enclosed spaces is still mandatory and by choice in other situations. Given the rapid rise in further cases from the Delta variant here, to ignore an easy precaution would be rash. Particularly in light of this week's report from Cambridge. Whilst that speaks about a particular sort of mask for health workers, the key point is that mask-wearing as such is the single most effective barrier (even when vaccinated). YAM xx
I love this Sandra and I know exactly what you mean.
Thursday was the first time we have been in Panera w/o a mask. The lady who always checks us out was w/o too. We all said now I need to learn to recognize your face.
Hugs cecilia
Who is that Masked Woman? C'est moi. Still have to wear masks in doctors' and dentists' offices. I also choose to wear mine in the grocery store and I'm not completely alone in that. No longer wear one when taking a walk.
My face has been so happy too.
I can breath again. Still have to wear it at the post office and Dr. office but grocery store...yay....
To actually see people's smiles and I find I do a lot of lip reading so now I can finally understand what some people are saying.
Have to admit I felt a bit guilty at first but now it's FREEDOM...
Sue
We have been lucky and have been going bare faced for awhile now. It does feel so good!
You describe the feeling well :) I can only imagine the full extent of it, though, as we've only had to wear masks in certain situations here and I've never had to use one outdoors. The only places it's been officially required has been like in waiting rooms and on public transport. I've got used to wearing one in the supermarket though and might continue to be careful like that for a while yet. Numbers are going down here (and more and more people vaccinated) but at the same time some restrictions are being lifted.
I still haven't put make-up on but have always done my eyebrows, eyes and mascara. I still will not go into a store without a mask and that won't be changing anytime soon for me.
i'm so happy for you! as for me, although i'm fully vaccinated i keep wearing my mask outside. there are many people here who haven't gotten a covid vaccine yet.
i love your edited photo.
Yeah for you. i am fully vaccinated , but we are still encouraged to wear masks, because too many people are refusing the vaccine.
I felt so much better without the mask. At first, I was frightened I would have to put it back on. Some out here are very against not wearing them and they can be scary, yelling that the maskless are bad and trying to hurt them by not masking. But July 1 we were free of masks and everything could open back up. And like you, I smiled and smiled, and I saw the faces of my coworkers and some neighbors for the FIRST TIME EVER!
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