Social Muscle

How do we re-enter the world right now without judging ourselves? Are we gearing up for a euphoric release and fresh start? 

Cities, states, and provinces across North America have lifted mask mandates and are rolling back the Covid restrictions. We are at a turning point in how we think about and respond to the pandemic— on its way to endemic. The shifting politics throughout have been exhausting, but the real question here is: how will we receive the lower half of people’s faces? 

Masks and mask-wearing have been messing with our brains. As highly social animals, the ability to quickly and easily identify each other by sight is our thing —face recognition is an essential element of social interaction. The eyes and mouth play a leading role in emotional expression, and covering our mouths limits our ability to map out people’s faces. Some of the sexiest pieces of information we use to identify people have been camouflaged for the past few years.

I want to see the corners of people’s mouths raise: show me you’re happy, pleased, or if my witty joke made the cut. It’s time to embrace all the lips, smiles, and teeth! Hone in on the face stubble, shiny white chompers, and dimples you’d die for. Smirking and flirting with the bearded hipster barista is back.

GREETINGS

Why are the veins in my face responding to EVERYTHING lately? If blushing is how humans show their self-flagellation for bad social form (I’ve been stumbling over my words and echoing awkwardness at cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants with HUMANS), then it may explain why my cheeks turn pink and run hot, and why I’m blushing like I did when the teacher would call my name in kindergarten.

How are we greeting each other these days? Hugging? Shaking hands? Awkwardly air waving like the queen? Shall we lean in—place a kiss on one cheek, and plant a peck on the other–now that we have LIPS again?

With years of social distancing in place, do we just go back to normal?

HEY YOU, HIDING IN THE BACK

I’ve missed our voices. They resonate differently behind our masks, and I’ve been yearning for the nuances, depth, and timbre—the voices steeped in smoke, the low, breathy voices, the different tones. I’ve missed the loud talkers and watching mouths form shapes around words when people are expressing themselves. Our voices may have atrophied during this time, so here’s to snapping our vocal cords back into shape.

Currently seeking a CrossFit workout-rehabilitation I can do for…the social muscle —our ability to plunk ourselves back into public spaces, to be social, to flex our vocal cords and spit out something that makes sense.  I’ll hide in the back and focus on building myself back up until the big reveal when I can seamlessly insert my one-liners with confidence in conversations with lifeforms that have lips. 

It’s become second nature during the pandemic to use masks, and, with the rise of going maskless in public, it is natural that transitioning back to normal could make you feel out of place. We need to promote self-acceptance as we find our way back to socializing, as we ease back into physical contact and evolve from elbow bumps to connecting with hugs again.

Let’s feel encouraged by human’s innate social resilience and slide back into social situations with ease at our own pace and comfort levels–without judgement. As we move about more freely into the world, start living with 100% face again. Express yourself with ALL the face parts, and smile wider than you have in years to passers-by.