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I Wore a Mask for the First Time in a Year
It was weird
On Monday morning in Australia, we woke up to a mandatory mask mandate from the Queensland state government. A year of unmasked bliss, suddenly interrupted. Just when we’d forgotten about Covid, it returned.
What began as a single case in Brisbane was followed by a steady trickle of additional cases. Less than 20 cases were enough to warrant a 3 day lockdown of Greater Brisbane.
The two music festivals set to happen Easter weekend: CANCELLED. Masks, REQUIRED for entry into any indoor business in Queensland. A year after the start of the pandemic, Australians (outside of Melbourne) were finally experiencing the new reality.
It only took one day for things to completely change. Like a major vibe shift, dude. We went from dancing in the bar, screaming out karaoke, and gently blowing spittle in people’s faces, to being masked, quiet, and depressed.
As a bartender, fostering genuine connections with customers is an essential part of my job. It’s also critical for customers to understand I don’t care. Masks instantly complicate both job requirements.
Usually, I don’t have a problem looking people in the eyes but it’s much different when their eyes are the only place to look. I never appreciated just how much I liked looking at…
