The Intimacy of Wearing a Respirator
I wear mask for many reasons, some personal, and other for disability justice reasons. No matter the reason, I've spent a long amount of time in a mask, and Alice Wong's Disability Intimacy inspired me to pen about the personal relationship I have with wearing one. This is what I wrote down:
"My lips pressed against the warmed soft fibers--the ones that tickle my cheek and chin at the end of their life. The way my mask carries my breath for me, from my lungs, and then filtered out into the world. It knows first if something or someone catches my breath. It hears my words before anyone else does, and muffles them a bit, keeping some of their power as my own. There's way the tape slightly melds with my skin, desiring to be a part of me. When I take it off, the redness on the bridge of my nose shows I am forever changed. The way it keeps my body safe and eases my soul."
