Makeda Teklemichael
Viewpoints Editor
I always hear actors speak about how in romance movies you have to read their eyes, because they say eyes speak better than words. Of course, that just seemed like something too cliché to me at the time, but wouldn’t you be surprised that all we can do now is read people’s eyes?
I was walking to Lowry the other day when someone passing by squinted at me. I wasn’t sure if they were trying to figure out who I was, or if they were giving me a smile, so I squinted back, thinking that maybe she’ll take it as my smiling back. This being an interesting little scene from the other day, I wondered to myself, how did we get here?
I don’t know what’s worse — meeting someone for the second time but not recognizing them because this time they aren’t wearing a mask and you leave with the classic “Oh well, I couldn’t see you through the mask” line, or telling your grandchildren that you met your college bestie through Microsoft Teams in a breakout group. But that’s not even where it ends. That awkward smile you give people at Lowry, only to realize that you’re wearing a mask and that no one can see anything but your squinting eyes; which for me is quite the opposite since I end up squinting my eyes when I can’t see anyway, and people mistake it for a smile. So yeah, I believe we’re all in the same awkward boat of asking ourselves, “how do I make friends and maintain COVID-guidelines?”
You’re in a new environment at a time you should be socializing and making friends. Instead, you’re sitting in your history class in a mask, six feet away from a human that you could have been friends with. So how does it work? How are you going to make friends during a pandemic?
Obviously, you can’t defy all the rules and decide to make your own decisions regarding social distancing, but you can work around it. Our world is changing, but just as the scientists explain the concept of mutation, when one nucleotide is switched out, the entire frame shifts. Likewise, as the world shifts, so do we. As someone who has always struggled with making friends, I can tell you that everything being virtual doesn’t make it any easier, especially when everyone’s sitting behind their laptop screens. However, there’s always a way to work around it. It’s good to turn on your mic and say something to the class, participating in different activities even if they’re virtual and if you’re like me, just forget to take your glasses to Lowry one day and end up squinting at people with the hopes of someone squinting back.
Certainly, times like these won’t be forever. But till then, wear a mask, and make friends on Microsoft Teams.