Are You Ready to Take Off Your Mask?

Written by Alan Cohen and Narrated by Marie T. Russell As I was checking out of a grocery store, I asked the clerk if she was looking forward to removing her mask when our state releases its mask requirement. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it,” she replied. “I might keep wearing it even after I don’t have to.” Her response reminded me of a poignant scene in the movie The Princess Bride. Inigo Montoya is a swashbuckling swordsman who has spent his entire adult life seeking to find the man who assassinated his father. Many times each day he practices cornering the killer, pressing his sword against the man’s chest, and telling him, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Inigo eventually catches up with the assassin and does him in. As Inigo is exiting the castle, his sidekick asks him, “Now that you have avenged your father’s death, what will you do with your life?” Inigo stops in his tracks, a blank look washes over his face, and he confesses, “I have been in the revenge business so long, I don’t know what I would do without it.” Steeped In Fear, Protection, and Defense It is possible to become so steeped in fear, protection, and defense, that when we no longer need to protect ourselves, we may continue to do so out of habit and a sense of safety behind elaborate barricades. This dynamic goes far beyond Inigo Montoya and Covid masks. It applies to much of our life. We have all adapted to a threatening world with masks we lay over our natural self. Such guises often take the form of a victim identity... Continue Reading at InnerSelf.com (plus audio/mp3 version of article) Music By Caffeine Creek Band, Pixabay *subtitles added by InnerSelf ©2021 by Alan Cohen. All Rights Reserved.