La Voz de Galicia – May 21, 2021 →
It is uncomfortable, but I have already gotten used to it. I forget it sometimes, and when I get to the doorway I have to turn and go back up the five flights of stairs in my building to get it, but not even for a moment does it cross my mind to not wear it in public places. It is curious to think that something as simple as a mask can make one feel more safe. And it is also curious to think that, suddenly, in days or weeks (depending on where one finds oneself), it will no longer be mandatory to wear it when we are outdoors.
It is impossible for me to imagine how I will feel about it when that moment comes. It may be that I stop wearing the mask when it is no longer mandatory without giving it much thought, or it may be just the contrary and that I will wear it often, or that it will be like in those times during my yearly tours in China, when if I saw a person wearing one, I would wear one too.
The fact is that this year many things have changed. Myself included. And those habits that we had by default were radically altered. Today, it is no longer so uncomfortable not to get so close to the person I am talking to, or not greet someone with a hug, a kiss, or a handshake; nor does it seem difficult to get together with anyone but my family, and I suppose that these new habits will continue changing as we go on. But we cannot predict what we will do, and it is likely that each one of us will have their own opinion according to their experiences this year.
Perhaps the most important thing will be adapting little by little to the new, unknown stage without forgetting that what happened over a little more than a year ago is still there, quite present, in the memory of all of those who lost so much during this pandemic.
