The One ‘Childish’ Reason Why I Don’t Mind Wearing A Face Mask [OPINION]

Wearing a face mask for me during the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't really been a big deal. As a kid, I wore face masks all the time... for fun!

Like most young boys, especially that grew up in the era of cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and G.I. Joe, and also video games like Ninja Gaiden, it's no surprise I often could be found rocking some form of super hero facial covering. To be frank, I wanted to be a ninja. What could be cooler to an adolescent male?

I'll take it a step further, I'm such a fan of ninja culture, I even studied Japanese martial arts while I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan in the mid 1990s. Furthermore, I have the famous Arashikage Clan ninja tattoo on my right arm, just like Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow, which are the two main ninjas from the G.I. Joe lore.

In case you are not familiar with the G.I. Joe ninjas, check out the video below. The clip is incorrectly labeled. It's actually a scene from the 2013 film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The 4-minute video shows while even as an adult, my nerd-love of ninjas is shared by many others.

While I don't have to wear my face masks all the time at work, I try to keep one on when I'm out and about around town. Wearing one for an hour here or there is a slight inconvenience at worst. At best, it's a chance to get my individuality on with my many different masks.

I say to you, find a way to enjoy the masks. After all, this won't last forever.