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Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

 Articles of Clothing: The Pandemic Mask


Nobody likes wearing a mask. I mean, seriously, there is nothing fun or classy or fashionable about a mask, though as a society we have made mask-wearing into a form of a fashion statement, as weird and twisted as that may be. It may be because I am a menopausal 53-year-old, but three minutes into wearing my mask, my mouth is wet, my upper lip is wet, and my nose is itching like a chronic allergy attack. I pull the mask down for a few seconds, and then I feel guilty for not having it on, so back on it goes only to start the sequence of events all over again. It is a sick “Groundhog Day” deja vu. But when does the uncomfortableness of the mask outweigh my responsibility to my family and friends to keep them safe? It doesn’t. There is no amount of pity to outweigh the fact that wearing a mask is more for others than for me. Going from selfish to selfless is a sign of maturity, especially for a menopausal 53-year old.


Saturday Sports and Sunday Church


It has become a sad reality in the Fall as college football gets in full swing that the wins and losses on Saturday determine the level of worship and fellowship on Sundays at church. Let’s say UNC plays Duke on Saturday, and UNC wins by a field goal. The next morning, the Carolina fans are sporting their light blue apparel, and the Duke fans are sporting a scowl akin to constipation or a toothache. Normally these friends sit together on the same pew, but not today. The once-close buddies are sitting on opposite sides of the sanctuary as if God had already divided the sheep from the goats (pun intended). The Carolina fans are singing “To God be the Glory” from the tops of their lungs while the Duke fans barely move their mouths to "God says you’re gonna make It.” Come Monday morning, all seems to be forgotten, but alas Tennessee plays Alabama next Saturday. 


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