1/
On the airplane
The flight attendant told you two separate times before we took off. Please pull up your mask. And both times you pulled it up. But then, as soon as they walked away, you slid it back down.
Yup.
On the airplane
The flight attendant told you two separate times before we took off. Please pull up your mask. And both times you pulled it up. But then, as soon as they walked away, you slid it back down.
Yup.
2/
And real talk? This wouldn’t have been so disconcerting if you hadn’t been sitting on the window seat of my same row.
You reached down and pulled out some headphones. After sliding them over your ears, you gave a tiny cough.
Mask still off your face.
Uggh.
And real talk? This wouldn’t have been so disconcerting if you hadn’t been sitting on the window seat of my same row.
You reached down and pulled out some headphones. After sliding them over your ears, you gave a tiny cough.
Mask still off your face.
Uggh.
3/
I quickly ran this through my head. Wondered if you seemed like someone who might snap or maybe even cause our entire flight to be interrupted because you refused to wear a mask.
Hmmm.
You cleared your throat. Or coughed. Honestly? I couldn’t tell. But it was something.
I quickly ran this through my head. Wondered if you seemed like someone who might snap or maybe even cause our entire flight to be interrupted because you refused to wear a mask.
Hmmm.
You cleared your throat. Or coughed. Honestly? I couldn’t tell. But it was something.
4/
The attendant came by again and you slid it up a little. Dropped your chin and turned toward the window, blocking part of your youngish face with your sandy colored hair.
After they passed, it went back under your chin.
And that was that.
The attendant came by again and you slid it up a little. Dropped your chin and turned toward the window, blocking part of your youngish face with your sandy colored hair.
After they passed, it went back under your chin.
And that was that.
5/
I sifted through my schedule. All the stuff I had to do and wanted to do this month. I thought about Omicron and how annoyed I’d be if you—with your convertible mask—gave me a breakthrough infection for Christmas.
*aaht*
Another mini cough-slash-throat clearing.
Damn.
I sifted through my schedule. All the stuff I had to do and wanted to do this month. I thought about Omicron and how annoyed I’d be if you—with your convertible mask—gave me a breakthrough infection for Christmas.
*aaht*
Another mini cough-slash-throat clearing.
Damn.
6/
Just then I made up my mind to say something.
Me: “Excuse me.”
You: *staring at screen*
Me: “Excuse me.”
You didn’t hear me. But you did rub your nose with your hand.
Which was easy to reach seeing as your mask wasn’t blocking it.
I reached out to tap your arm.
Just then I made up my mind to say something.
Me: “Excuse me.”
You: *staring at screen*
Me: “Excuse me.”
You didn’t hear me. But you did rub your nose with your hand.
Which was easy to reach seeing as your mask wasn’t blocking it.
I reached out to tap your arm.
7/
You pulled back one earphone and looked at me. (In a very pleasant way, I might add.)
Me: “Hey there.”
You: *looking puzzled*
Me: “Umm listen. I know these masks get annoying but can you please pull yours up since we’re sitting so closely?”
You immediately pull it up.
You pulled back one earphone and looked at me. (In a very pleasant way, I might add.)
Me: “Hey there.”
You: *looking puzzled*
Me: “Umm listen. I know these masks get annoying but can you please pull yours up since we’re sitting so closely?”
You immediately pull it up.
8/
You: “It makes me feel claustrophobic. Plus my nose runs under it.”
Me: “I hear you. Mine makes me super hot and causes my nose to run, too.”
*silence*
You: “Just so you know, I’m fully vaccinated.”
Me: “Good stuff.”
You gave your mask an exaggerated jostle.
You: “It makes me feel claustrophobic. Plus my nose runs under it.”
Me: “I hear you. Mine makes me super hot and causes my nose to run, too.”
*silence*
You: “Just so you know, I’m fully vaccinated.”
Me: “Good stuff.”
You gave your mask an exaggerated jostle.
9/
Me: “I’m vaccinated, too.”
*silence*
You: “Do you have kids?”
Me: “Me? I do, actually.”
You: *chuckles* “I bet you’re a stern mom.”
*laughter*
Me: “What makes you say that?”
You: “Ummm the way you told me to put on my mask!”
I raised my eyebrows.
Me: “I’m vaccinated, too.”
*silence*
You: “Do you have kids?”
Me: “Me? I do, actually.”
You: *chuckles* “I bet you’re a stern mom.”
*laughter*
Me: “What makes you say that?”
You: “Ummm the way you told me to put on my mask!”
I raised my eyebrows.
10/
Me: “Nah. We just in tight quarters. And I got too much to do to be so polite that I let you give me #COVID with them little baby coughs you keep letting out.”
You: *eyes widen* “Oh! That’s allergies!”
Me: “Mmm hmmm. So you say.”
*laughter*
Me: “Nah. We just in tight quarters. And I got too much to do to be so polite that I let you give me #COVID with them little baby coughs you keep letting out.”
You: *eyes widen* “Oh! That’s allergies!”
Me: “Mmm hmmm. So you say.”
*laughter*
11/
You: “Hell, you’ve got on 5 masks so I don’t know why you’re worried.”
I gave my N-95 + surgical mask combo a tap and nodded.
Me: “You got to come prepared in case somebody come coughing on your row with a mask under their chin.”
*laughter*
You: “Hell, you’ve got on 5 masks so I don’t know why you’re worried.”
I gave my N-95 + surgical mask combo a tap and nodded.
Me: “You got to come prepared in case somebody come coughing on your row with a mask under their chin.”
*laughter*
12/
The rest of the flight was cool. We chatted briefly about me being a doctor and my thoughts on COVID. And you planning to do fun stuff on your break. But mostly, we minded our own business.
Yup.
And, fortunately, all was well.
The rest of the flight was cool. We chatted briefly about me being a doctor and my thoughts on COVID. And you planning to do fun stuff on your break. But mostly, we minded our own business.
Yup.
And, fortunately, all was well.
13/
When we reached our destination you gave me a nod.
You: “Be safe, doc.”
Me: “Hey—you, too. And thanks.”
You: “It’s cool. Now let me go make sure I made my bed for you come get me.”
*laughter*
Me: “Nah. Just wearing a mask for now is all I need, fam.”
When we reached our destination you gave me a nod.
You: “Be safe, doc.”
Me: “Hey—you, too. And thanks.”
You: “It’s cool. Now let me go make sure I made my bed for you come get me.”
*laughter*
Me: “Nah. Just wearing a mask for now is all I need, fam.”
14/
The line started moving. I stepped over to let you out of the window seat and into the aisle.
Me: “Happy Holidays.”
You: “You, too, mom.”
*laughter*
We gave each other an elbow bump.
And that was that.
The line started moving. I stepped over to let you out of the window seat and into the aisle.
Me: “Happy Holidays.”
You: “You, too, mom.”
*laughter*
We gave each other an elbow bump.
And that was that.
15/
Of course we can’t always predict how these exchanges will go. But the optimist in me believes that how we start the game often dictates how we finish it.
Hopefully, it was allergies. I’ll test myself to be sure, though.
Fingers crossed that you will, too.
Yeah.
💛
Of course we can’t always predict how these exchanges will go. But the optimist in me believes that how we start the game often dictates how we finish it.
Hopefully, it was allergies. I’ll test myself to be sure, though.
Fingers crossed that you will, too.
Yeah.
💛
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