Eyes Without a Face: Masks the New Apparel Accessory

As we enter into day, who knows, of quarantine, an emerging new normal is face masks. With authority figures going from suggesting to ordering the wearing of them, we are slowly becoming a people who have to focus on each other's eyes. We have all heard, "the eyes are the windows of the soul". In our current world, this is more true than ever.

Eyes are probably the most important symbolic sensory organ. They can represent clairvoyance, omniscience, and a gateway into the soul. Other qualities that eyes are commonly associated with are: intelligence, light, vigilance, moral conscience and truth. The eye often means judgment and authority.

The quickest way to get someone's attention is to look at them. Eye contact is a form of body language which is important during communication. When you keep eye contact with the person you are talking to, it indicates that you are focused and attentive. It means that you are actually listening to what the person has to say.

The importance of eye contact was instilled in most of us when we were children. It was said that people who couldn't make or maintain eye contact shouldn't be trusted. In some ways this is very true. Next time you suspect someone of lying to you, look them directly in the eye and watch how their eyes respond.

Another form of sight is perception. I call it the conversation between your brain and your eyes. I have matured enough to know, there are a myriad of reasons why people can't make or keep eye contact. From social anxiety to certain types of autism, making eye contact can be almost impossible for some. We can never know what experience shapes a person's ability to communicate.

There is a quote that says, "eye contact is way more intimate than words can ever be". As we navigate this new world we are forced to pay attention to each other more. We now have to be cognizant of the location of the person standing next to us. Gone are the days of not paying attention to your surroundings because you are on the phone.

Coming into the new year, everyone said this was going to be the year of vision. I don't think anyone could have predicted what we see before us. The world is such a different place.This pandemic has forced us to slow our pace and beware of other people space. Now all I see in public, is eyes without a face.