During the pandemic I often wore a mask even if it was not required and some times I wore it even if I knew that mask wouldn’t protect me at all (since it wasn’t a FFP2).

Why wear it at all?

I thought a lot about it and thought how our body send messages to other people with the small nuances in our face in the way we move and so on.

The reasoning for my choice was to send a message: I care.

To me it was never about the rules, it was mostly about people.

I knew that my actions and my carelessness might impact other people lives so I choose to send a message. That I value protecting others.

I’m sure that some people might not agree with this stance but I can say this: While I was walking some people put on their masks. My action reminded them in some ways of the times we were living in a subtle and hopefully kind manner.

I never asked anyone to wear it, but always led with my personal choice and example and the goal to me was never to protect myself since I’m also in an age where there are less downsides than usual but instead to protect others and show them that I cared for them.

After the first year of the pandemic we saw society split as a whole on the topic of masks, vaccines and so on. We thought that the divisive element was related to the vaccines but now, with a world conflict in Ukraine we can see this was not the case.

Every time I read some comments on the topic we are always splitted and I constantly see hatred on both sides.

It’s the medium and our prejudices that create the split in the society. It’s the fact that we are not spending enough time understanding different perspectives and keeping an open mind, it’s about less hatred and more caring.

Looking back at my actions I’m sure some might’ve hated my choice, but I do hope some will see them as a way of caring even though they’re on a difference stance then me.