The Shakespearian Dilemma
To mask or not to mask, that is the question. Over the last year we can all identify with the depressive Hamlet as we have questioned the outcome of our choices during the pandemic, most of which could ultimately lead to our demise. Leaving our homes for work and shopping were decisions fraught with worry. We became fearful of everyone, including our own families.
Oh yeah, that’s right…Shakespeare lived during the bubonic plague that killed a quarter of the people in his hometown. Theaters were closed. Family members died, including the Bard’s only son. But during the plague years, Shakespeare wrote many of his iconic works including King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra. Despite theaters being closed for nearly seven years, he still managed ply his craft.
Seven years. Can you imagine how society would react today if a pandemic put life on hold for that long? We almost lost our collective biscuit over a year of limited restaurant service, cancelled concerts and standing in line to enter the farmers market.
Last Sunday marked the first day patrons and vendors were allowed to enter the market unmasked. The CDC and Montgomery Health Department gave their blessing for those who are fully vaccinated to mingle outdoors while maskless. At first it was a bit shocking to see everyone’s faces again. I had to keep reminding myself it’s ok as my initial reaction said otherwise.
It was the topic du jour between customers and vendors, the favorite question being, “Do you recognize me?” If anything, we’ve gotten to know our customers much better over the last year through pre-orders and curbside. We’ve learned your names where many of us only knew you by sight.
While many flung aside their facial coverings in public, there are others (including myself) who have decided to hold out for a while longer. As a farmer, I’m intimately tied to disease cycles. While family members, friends and neighbors chose to gauge this modern plague by politicians, I’ve kept myself firmly planted in the science department. Trust me, the only thing that feels better than taking off my mask after I get in my van to leave on Sunday is taking off my bra when I get home. I also know that people are much more comfortable around me when I am wearing both items in public.
In the coming weeks, months and maybe even years, masks are going to become a part of our everyday life. Consider that in densely populated parts of the planet the air pollution and dust storms make masks a necessity. I haven’t had a single cold this past year and my allergies don’t seem quite so severe. Maybe the mask has other benefits other than thwarting Covid 19.
I suspect that as time passes we’re going to see more of what this pandemic has precipitated and some of it we’ll choose to keep. One of my customers shared how they took their entire workforce virtual at the start of the pandemic. It worked out so well they ditched the expensive offices and funneled that money into raises and benefits for their employees.
One of the biggest changes for most people was food. With restaurants limited to take-out or closing all-together, people began cooking at home. Sourdough mania ensued to pass the time, but as the months turned into a year I noticed how shoppers were going for ingredients more fitting for a 3-star Michelin joint than their own kitchen and they were loving it. It’s comforting to see the optimism and relief in the faces of customers and fellow vendors, but at the same time many of us are erring on the side of caution until vaccination rates increase and infection rates decrease. However, I suspect our lives may not be much different than that of plague years during Shakespeare’s time, ebbing and flowing with occasional outbreaks that send us back into social distancing and shutdowns. Let’s start looking for all the great things to come out of this last year and be grateful for technology, science and vaccines that will allow more of us to reveal our smiles once again.