Greetings. “Coronavirus, Masks and Joe Biden’s Eyes,” by Gabriel C Banda, is from our vaults of writing, done October 2020.
Please read and share.
Thank You.
GCB, Lusaka.
Coronavirus, Masks and Joe Biden’s Eyes
By
Gabriel C Banda
SOME weeks ago, in September 2020, I realised that if you looked into Joe Biden’s eyes, you found goodwill and sincerity in there. His appears a spirit seeking the path of righteousness.
This year, because of the face-masks-on to prevent Coronavirus-2019 infection, we have been enabled to have more contact with the eyes of others. From the eyes, and through the eyes, the soul reaches out.
Various Reasons
Masks are worn by a wide range of persons for various reasons. Some masks cover more than others do. Masks of various proportions can limit the viewer or observer from fully knowing the face and expressions of the wearer.
Persons from the criminal fraternity have masks so that they are not identified by victims and the police.
In performing arts, clowns use masks. Dancers and artists in many parts of the world use masks so they are not personally identifiable. Full masks of the dancer prevent the identity of the dancer being known, thus giving freedom to the dancer to do much. In some cases, where they need to speak or sing, the dancer in Africa will also mask their voice so that they are not identifiable.
The welder uses some mask to protect their eyes from harm from excessive light of a particular kind. In the medical and health field, masks are used to prevent infection.
And face masks are worn by medical staff and a few other persons that have entered risky areas. But the Coronavirus-2019, being a pandemic, hugely threatens all our areas worldwide and compels us to use face masks.
Sincerity
In Joe Biden’s eyes, we reach some sincerity. He seems to believe in what he says and says what is in line with ideal principles. Observers can say Joe Biden is overall aligned towards honesty, honour, and goodwill. His eyes are gentle and friendly.
You can feel at home, relaxed, with his presence. You are not on guard thinking he might insult you or attack you in other ways. He seems a person of honour. Biden’s eyes do not exhibit the fire and fury of some persons’.
Even now, we can note from video of decades ago how a younger Senator Joe Biden spoke very passionately, and with sincerity and humanity, against the racist Apartheid South Africa regime.
And above her courage, assertiveness, and perhaps sometimes some toughness on public issues, in the eyes of Senator Kamala Harris we find some sparkle of delight of a soul. In her eyes is found friendliness. Kamala Harris is a spirit reaching out in gladness and union with others.
Spirits on Fire
Now, there are persons in politics, business, and various fields of life whose eyes appear to be on the alert and sizing down those persons they meet.
They have fire in their bodies. They are spirits on fire. What they touch, they try to burn.
When No Mask
When some persons have no masks, it helps them. It helps to reduce the focus on their eyes. The observer is seeing a large part of the face. There are many features that the observer will pay attention to.
The person may even have some make-up, which is some form of masking, and the observer will be made to focus on those, not the eyes.
But when they have some face mask on, their eyes are in focus. The state of their spirits is easier to see. The fire in their spirit is more easily seen through the eyes.
Because of this, it is also understandable why some persons do not want to have face masks on against Coronavirus-2019. Face masks reveal their eyes and spirits. Yet, there are still others that avoid face masks because the persons already have many masks to shield the person’s real character.
Some persons have on them some fake fronts to shield themselves from their real selves. These fronts are some form of masks. Some persons may have one or two masks within them while others have many masks.
Masks Within Mask—–
Wearing a medical face mask will increase the masks they are wearing. For that reason, as the masks may be too many, some persons will avoid wearing the anti-Coronavirus-2019 mask.
Also, the persons may not want some medical mask on because the masks within them do not want to be blocked by other masks on the body. The furious masks within want to be the dominant mask and not that of the medical system.
They feel suffocated by the one anti-Covid mask. The anti-Covid mask may feel like an extra mask. Besides that, the anti-Covid mask on the face of their body makes observers focus on their eyes, which they want to avoid. For in those eyes may be fire and hatred coming from their restless spirits.
So folks, some persons already have some vicious masks within them. Some persons may struggle with having masks on because the persons wear make-up, which to some extent may be some form of masking the self.
Not Limited to Eyes
Of course, expressions of the spirit are not limited to eyes. For one aspect, in persons that have challenges with their eyes, such as in disability through blindness and other limitations, there are still expressions we have not learnt to detect and understand.
Many who have visual disability have other expressions that reach out to other persons. They become very sensitive in using other aspects of sensing that others with better sight may not be using much.
In the lips of one with visual disability can be found one way the soul reaches out and communes with others.
Consider the joy that comes from singer and music artist Stevie Wonder’s smile as he speaks, sings, or is listening. Stevie Wonder’s soul reaches others through his smile, words, and singing.
Ray Charles was similarly pleasing and uplifting. In Zambia, we had joyful music stars P K Chishala, Spokes Chola, and Lazarus Tembo. You still encounter others performing in the street, with joy Many persons with visual limitations come to others through such and other ways.
Air Force One stair rails
*Masks show us a lot through eyes and the state of the spirit within a person. Joe Biden has shown sincerity in acting against Coronavirus-2019 by having a face mask on and encouraging followers and the public to practically act against Coronavirus-2019 and its dangers.
I am just concerned that sometimes, like other persons, my Big Man Joe Biden has not worn the mask securely fitting. He ends up touching it to make it align.
We will encourage that he must be careful with his hands, which will need sanitising, because touching the mask may expose the hands to virus the mask has blocked.
At other times, Joe Biden and persons like Donald Trump need to be careful about touching the rails of the stairs of aircraft, Air Force One for Trump, they are boarding. From where I am in Lusaka, Zambia, I sometimes observe Donald Trump touch the stair rails as support and pillar when going up to board the aircraft. That endangers him and others around him. I want him to train himself and avoid doing that. Just as we can train ourselves not to insult others, we can train ourselves to be careful on Coronavirus-2019.
And I understand that in recent months, Dr Chris Annear, our brother who is an anthropologist teaching in the United States, featured in Time Magazine with other academics commenting on some other aspects of Coronavirus-2019 and masks.
But, for now, the anti-Coronavirus face mask helps us to further appreciate the sincerity and dignity held in Joe Biden’s eyes.
* * *
GCB, October 2020, LUSAKA.