'Flaming June'
At last, I went to meet a friend without wearing a mask.
Mind you we sat at a table for our coffee outside, so I felt safe, and we
talked face to real face for hours. It was all quite a landmark for me although
I know a lot of you will not find this as remarkable as I did. But there was a
disappointment in this triumph.
You see, I have just realised that I look better wearing a
mask than I do without one. My eyes show a few laughter lines but if my wear my
mask then I have presented as respectable. But when I remove my mask, I look a
lot older. Things have dropped, on my face I mean, below my eyes. Gravity has
taken its toll. Features like my chin and jowls have sagged and my cheeks have
creased. I might stick to the mask for a bit longer. No one would think it
strange just that I am more vulnerable and being careful!
Mr T and I went for a café lunch yesterday. The first time
in over two years. I was so excited by this new experience that I had two
coffees at the beginning. Ham sandwiches have never tasted so good. No one else
was wearing a mask and of course I took mine off to eat. Then thinking of my chins,
I put it back on. I have just had a thought though, I probably looked like this
before the pandemic. I never scrutinised my face that much. In any case, on the
scale of disasters in the world today, my face is not that important.
Because I have missed out on meetings with friends, we
decided to have a party at our house. They would bring the food. It was going
to be easy. I would provide the drinks. The windows could be left open and we
could sit in the sun room with the patio doors ajar. A list of what we would
all supply was compiled on email. It was so simple. Then things started to go
wrong.
The weather forecast was not good and at 11pm the night
before when I was in bed, I got a text to say that Anne could not come as she
had COVID symptoms. The test was negative, but she didn’t want to take the
risk. At midnight I realised that Anne was bringing the pudding. We would have
not trifle. Frantic texts followed.
In the event there were delicious meringues and although we
were cold, we kept our coats on and looked out on bright orange garden flowers
and a red sunset in ‘flaming’ June.
(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)
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