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Being Masked

Interesting Kickstarter project that does a number of different things to improve the life of a cyclist. Blowing purified air into their face, warming them if they are cold and also a light to make them visible.

It's hard to say how effective this setup really is, since the clean air will obviously mix at least a little with the surrounding "dirty" air before being breathed in. That said, buyers can opt for a respirator-like mask attachment that seals the system off.

The idea of sealing the person off from the surroundings to create a bubble of safety is becoming increasingly relevant these days. With the cloth masks that most of us wear when we are out, the efficacy as far as keeping us from catching the virus is questionable but the number of people wearing masks seems to be increasing over time. A month ago, in my town only a small minority wore masks. Today, it would feel awkward and even wrong to show up to a grocery store without one. There is a social expectation for us to comply even though there is no mandate from the government. 

In my own experience of wearing a mask has been instructive. At first, it helped me feel more comfortable being around people who were for the most part wearing them. I did not stick out in the crowd. Over time, I realized it went a bit further than that. I have started to appreciate the comfort of anonymity that the mask affords. It serves as an invisibility cloak. 

Within a few weeks, I started to see that feeling was similar to what I experienced when I first starting working from home. Not having to get dressed for work and still have meetings with customers was hugely liberating. I could cook dinner between these meetings and not miss a beat - it was too good to be true. Even after a decade, I value the freedom as much as I did in those early days. 

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