Sensitive people can sometimes be a bit melodramatic, like today when I voluntarily wore a mask and felt compelled to share it with everyone.
Three years into the pandemic, “masks” have indeed cast a shadow over us. I’m not particularly concerned about whether wearing a mask is necessary; my issue is with the forced gathering of people for nucleic acid testing, and staff forming an assembly line on the streets, contrasting with the mandatory mask-wearing. This is driven not by scientific rationale or concern for health and human beings, but by power.
This power quickly seeped down to janitors, security guards, and property management, leading to an overbearing spread. When faced with such massive restrictions, you can’t help but resist. The mask becomes a shadow you want to exorcise. I always carry one in my pocket and a spare in my bag, using it as a “passport” in the city to play the daily survival game.
However, this left me in a bad mood.
Upon my arrival in Tokyo, while Beijing had lifted its mask mandate, almost everyone in Tokyo was still wearing masks. I didn’t mind because there were no restrictions on other freedoms, and no one at any checkpoint was asking, “Where’s your mask?” So, wearing a mask felt more like mutual care between people, which was reassuring.
