The Mask by Petra Pierre - Robertson
"Bright eyes gladden the heart..." Proverbs 15:30 On April 29, 2020, at the daily press briefing, the Chief Medical Officer officially began the operationalisation of the 'New Normal'. This he said, was the forerunner to any possibility of easing restrictions arising out of COVID-19. He introduced six aspects of the 'New Normal', one of which was the wearing of masks. Covered faces and expressionless eyes It was and still is startling to move around amid covered faces and mostly expressionless eyes. With lips now covered, eyes which in the past, some could NOT look directly into while communicating, are now the only means of communication. The act of greeting must now be communicated with the eyes rather than lips which, can twitch but not necessarily smile. A smile lights up the eyes. Lips may deceive; eyes don't. So, while the mask hides the face it reveals the personality. With the new normal, eyes expose masked feelings when they either glance, ...