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Friday, May 1, 2020

Friday's Fact: It's May! It's May! BUT The "Merry Month of May" is less merry due to COVID-19! (Maybe my masks can help?)

THIS PHOTO IS FEATURED IN A NOVEMBER 2O19 FB POST

Today is May first causing me to think of a song from Camelot, where some of the lyrics say,:

"...Tra la, it's May, the lusty Month of May
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear
It's May, It's May, that gorgeous holiday..."

But this year the onset of May does not seem so merry due to the world wide-spread  COVID-19 pandemic causing people to be required to wear face-masks to prevent its spread.

And to  think it was a little under eight months ago (on October 31 2019, which was Halloween), that I encountered a woman on the UES of NYC wearing an adorable Panda bear mask (she can be seen in the first image atop this entry).

Her face-mask certainly lifted my spirits and from what I observed, caused others to smile too.

Now it seems nearly everyone is (or should be) wearing masks that look to be like those worn by surgeons and other healthcare professionals in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The reason for this is CDC (The Center for Disease Control) an organization who continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States has announced we now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC now stresses the urgency of wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC’s mask-wearing “recommendation” has now become a rule in many places, and since in addition to being essential, it is becoming mandatory to wear one, I’ve begun to think about what it must be like to be a toddler or a very young child to be looking up into the faces of grown persons all wearing a “standard” looking mask that is surgical in appearance and how frightening (or perhaps even boring) that might be.

Instead of looking at someone's mask and chucking or feeling light hearted and amused, most people upon seeing these "standard masks"

I’ve also begun to think about what it must be like to be a nursing home resident who is allowed no visitors to be surrounded by persons all wearing a “standard” looking mask that is surgical in appearance and how frightening (or perhaps even boring) that might be.

This made me wonder what if an individual were able to look at something else besides a standard looking mask and when Fine Art America (FAA) proposed they had partnered with a manufacturer and could put some of my photographic images on a mask I took them up on the idea.

I now have (as of this announcement) created four varieties of masks and they can be seen in the next set of images which are available via Fine Art America.

AVAILABLE VIA FINE ART AMERICA
AVAILABLE VIA FINE ART AMERICA
AVAILABLE VIA FINE ART AMERICA
AVAILABLE VIA FINE ART AMERICA


These masks are based on images I have on Fine Art America  within my  my Black and White Photo Collection, as well as my Dragonfly Collection, and my Kaleidoscopic collection and also of an image from one of my bird imge collections).

Dear reader, imagine a child looking at someone wearing a mask that has a dragonfly or birds on it. How exciting that might be, especially if it’s been a while or will be a while since they’ve spent much time enjoying the outdoors!

The same is true for someone confined to a facility or even for the average person, venturing out to get essentials, perhaps he/she does so with great fear and seeing so many faces covered with medical-looking masks heightens any anxiousness, but being able to see a mask with a black and white photo imprinted on it, or one with a kaleidoscopic design imprinted on it, or ones with aspects of nature that were becoming a mere memory because of him/her not being able to be outdoors to delight in the beauty of nature....

Not only would the wearer of the mask be protecting him/herself but he/she would likely cause social-distance on lookers to be able to distract for a moment and reflect on something pleasant.

On another note, a week from this coming Sunday, will be Mother's Day. These masks make a nice gift for anyone who is a mother and who wants to protect her child from the pandemic by wearing a mask, yet offer their children reassurance and hope as the same time.

Meanwhile as for tonight's #ClapBecauseWeCare session (which I've been attending since 3/29/2020), due to heavy rains, I have less photo-ops than usual (which can be seen below).

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant
JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE 
GIUSEPPE AND TERESA
(He has taken a video of a session from his window.)

The images may be dark images in tone but the spirit and fervor of participants shines through as we thank our first responders, healthcare professionals and essential workers who are putting their lives at risk night and day to help us!

The very least we can do is shelter in place as much as possible, wear a mask when we do go out, and to participate in #ClapBecauseWeCareSessions.

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