I’m with Johnny Cash
Janelle Meraz Hooper

I’m not judging all of you who are wearing colorful masks to protect yourself from Covid-19. I get it. Americans are known for their sense of humor during a crisis. We have war humor, political humor, and religious humor. We have jokes about dead cats, dogs that bite, and even deadly snakes crawling around in planes.

So, go for it. Order that mask with Van Gogh’s missing ear on it. The one with the one-fingered Trump salute across the front. The one with your business card on it. And bring out the glitter and the ones with squiggly eyes. Have fun!

But, for this crisis, I just don’t feel it. I don’t think I’ve made one crack about Covid-19 since it emerged. Remember when Johnny Cash came on stage dressed in black when the Vietnam War was at its worse? He vowed to wear nothing but black until the war was over and our boys came home.

That’s the way I feel. My mask is black. Too many people have died. We’ve all lost family members. People are hungry. A lot of us are jobless. Schools are closed. And on and on.

I already have Manolito’s black hat that he wore on High Chaparral. Maybe I’ll wear that with my black mask. And cowboy boots…I need some black ones. I think Johnny would approve.

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