Journaling the Coronavirus (COVID19) Pandemic, Reflection #39
April 20, 2020
The gloves and the masks.
I have masks now. I am trying to get used to wearing one whenever I go out. I also have surgical gloves now, something I’ve never worn in my life. There seems to be little information about the actual wearing of masks or these gloves. Nobody talks about how hot the masks are to wear. The heat builds up until your lower face is in a bit of an oven. Not intolerable but certainly not pleasant.
I wear glasses. Good luck with that affliction. The glasses fog up at every breath, so I am constantly adjusting the mask, ergo touching my face, or holding my breath while I’m looking at something. The gloves are another issue. They are hard to put on. It takes minutes to get them on properly and then, things like typing on this computer become impossible. I suppose, with practice and time, I could get along doing small motor tasks that elude me now with these on. The gloves are also hot, and they make my hands sweat inside them. Plus, since the outsides of the gloves might have contracted something, I have to be careful not to touch myself with the gloves on, just like when they were off. When I strip them off with difficulty I must then wash my hands, again, like before I put them on.
The time to do all this is the real gift since with the shutdown there is so much less to do. So much vital stuff that must simply wait, go away, die or whatever because so much cannot be done from home. The really great news here is the release and momentary euphoria. Yes, it feels so wonderful to get in the car after being in the store and strip off the mask. Relief. I have to wait to get home to do the gloves, but I am prepared for that mild euphoria too. The steering wheel has to be sanitized before I get out of the car and the groceries have to be wiped down.
See, there is plenty to do in this new world order, where a sort of near video game series of moves and time has been substituted for what used to be real life. I have become Super Mario while looking like a bad imitation of batman or Spiderman.
How are you coping with these new “habits”?
Comment Below
Good morning Lt Strauss, I’m visually challenged too, besides my other foibles. I haven’t tried it yet, but I read that washing your glasses with shaving cream, keeps them from fogging up. Just thought I’d pass that on after reading your post.
Thanks Tom. I just hold my breath when I’m looking at something and then stay away from
most places where I have to wear a mask or gloves. I abandon my fellow humans and am abandoned by them,
and it makes no sense not to indicate that that is exactly what is going on. Whom would ever thought that
the walking dead television series would be a harbinger of what we were all to become….
Semper fi
Jim
i had cataract fixed thanks to the VA several years ago, so i can see well enough without my glasses to shop. tried to do as you with glasses and it aint happening. i have given up on the dang gloves. seems pretty senseless to me. anyway, doing fine in okc. gas is cheap, i mean CHEAP! but with nowhere to go other than food stores or pickup take out occasionally it dont get used up very fast. getting two weeks to the gallon (99 cents a gallon at our costco)
Yes, 89 cents in some places here and headed down they say. I sympathize, of course, and share you angst and frustration.
Be careful about the gloves. Some of this hazmat stuff we wear and use so as not to be alienated even more from the people
around us. A guy passed me and my news crew the other day and mention in passing that we were not keeping the necessary
social distance. I did not reply, just watched him walk away. If he knew what I was thinking about him then he might have
felt so righteous…but these are high emotion times. Be careful how you engage out there.
Semper fi,
Jim
I work everyday. I work at a paper mill which manufactures medical/surgical, pharmaceutical, and food grade paper. The Blue paper gowns, those folded up disclaimers in your proscription packages. Almost all fast food sandwich wrapping paper… what I make. Life hasn’t changed much, I work 10 – 16 hours a day.
You have what is called ‘good fortune’ these days Carl. That you work and get paid, are allowed to work and get paid,
is becoming a huge boon out here…and something that will eventually be disliked if this goes on. Careful out there…
Semper fi,
Jim