Growing up, I had a super hero costume that I would wear all the time. I loved it. Lowering that flimsy plastic mask hid my true identity and I was transformed into a hero. Apparently, we all share a long history of such masquerades, as archeological records suggest that people have been disguising themselves with masks for thousands of years.
But what if during the COVID-19 pandemic masks are no longer hiding aspects of our identity, but they are actually revealing them?
This thought occurred to me during a run recently. Negotiating my route without breaking social distancing norms can be a real challenge, a real-life game of Frogger. Luckily, when the route gets congested and distances narrow, I pull up the bandana tied around my neck. Many of the people I pass do the same, but not everyone.
A recent Gallup poll found that 62% of Americans report wearing masks outside the home, which leaves 38% living like it was 2019. I started thinking about what mask-wearing was revealing, not hiding, about us all.
1. Able to Adapt
It is not the powerful or the brilliant, but the most adaptive who thrive, because we inhabit an ever-changing world. The world has thrown us a COVID curveball: how are you adapting? A year ago, wearing a mask might have seemed too big an ask. It is an understatement to say today is different, don’t you think? Every time I see a mask, I see the power to adapt and overcome.
2. Come Prepared
Setting out for a run or walk isn’t like climbing Everest when it comes to logistics, but it calls for some basic planning. Today, that planning includes what you are going to do when you run into others. A first-order solution is simply keeping a reasonable distance, but what do you do when that becomes impossible on a narrow path or in a congested area? Are you prepared? Every time I see a mask, I see forethought and preparation.
3. Take Ownership
When confronted with a problem of the commons, like a pandemic or a crowded trail, there are two responses: this is your problem or this is our problem. Quick show of hands: how many of us love hanging out with others who make everything your problem? When you are running around right now, are you making COVID-19 other people’s problem, or are you owning your part of the solution? Every time I see a mask, I see ownership of our common problem.
4. Willing to Sacrifice
Wearing a mask is uncomfortable, it is a nuisance to put on and take off, and the look: are we really going for “Old West bandit”? These are small sacrifices, really small. Right? The capacity to make small sacrifices is consistently linked to future success, perhaps no more famously than in the Marshmallow Test. Sacrifice today is an investment in a better tomorrow. Every time I see a mask, I see a small sacrifice to build a better tomorrow.
Masks have long been used to conceal our identities. But in some respects, COVID-19 has changed the nature of masks. Masks now act as billboards to aspects of the identities of those we live, or run, among. On display are those who are able to adapt, come prepared, take ownership, and are willing to sacrifice. Heroic qualities we need right now. See you out there on the trails. I’ll know you by your mask.