MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK


MASKED FEAR

Thursday, July 23, 2020
 
 
 
We’ve all heard of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
 
We’ve shuddered to think of the germ-o-phobia obsessed with hand washing, not touching anything not clean, and hoarding disinfectants.
 
We’ve laughed at their characters in movies, and given sideways glances at people acting weird on street corners or talking to themselves in coffee shops.
 
We all need to be a bit more like that, don’t we?
 
We look both ways in supermarket aisles, adjust our masks – or adapt our routes to avoid the people wearing masks, gloves, hats, and nervous stares.
 
If, as some experts have said recently, “These are early days,” we’ll get more OCD than anyone might have ever bargained for. No doubt, many will deny, avoid, and deflect.
 
Most days, most of us will be in-between relaxed and OCD, in-between safe and unsafe, in-between sanity and crazy-makers, our faces masked along with our fears. Early days indeed.
 
The age of COVID is not temporary, but we are instant gratification addicts – we want what we want,  want to be safe, and want it now. It makes OCD seem almost rational.
 
 

 
Reader feedback:
ROOTS AND GRASS
As you say Mark, some of our new life will be the same. Political “leaders” will be inept, or worse, as they are now. LH, Lethbridge, AB
IF A FROG HAD WINGS
Absolutely lovely :) , AG, Cancun, Mex.




Find this and other articles by Mark Kolke at Medium



sign up to get Musings free daily



 
Read more of my writing by Mark Kolke at Medium

sign up to get Musings free daily

 


 
 


sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021