Looking around my classroom and waiting for a teacher to tell a student to put on their mask or to wear it properly became something so natural. It was something so normal to me that when I look around now and see my peers without a mask, it feels wrong. 

Going mask-free is no longer something that’s “wrong,” yet it’s still looked down upon by many, evidenced by whispers in the hallways. But why? How is it that something as simple as a face covering could become this socially crucial and so widely embraced in only a matter of two years? 

The truth is, within a couple of years the definition of “normal” changed. Before all this, if you asked me what normal was, I wouldn’t think twice; I’d describe a world without masks and a world that knew nothing about a virus. 

Wearing a mask isn’t normal, but somehow it feels necessary in today’s world, for many reasons. In the same way, choosing not to wear a mask is perfectly normal, and yet it feels like it’s not. 

By no means do I think that people should be forced to do one or another, but we as a society should not scrutinize those who choose to wear masks and those who choose not to with comments or looks of disgust. It’s just hard to realize that choosing for or against masking is one-way society is failing to adjust back to pre-COVID life, and how hard the transition really is.