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Yooper smiles can be seen behind the mask

Karen Wils photo It’s not just Yoopers who smile on sunny U.P. days.

ESCANABA — From Lake Michigan to Lake Superior, Upper Michigan has a lot of beauty to offer.

It’s a land naturally “nice,” filled with waterfalls, sand dunes, forested ridges, islands and inlets. Even with all of these lovely contenders, the most beautiful things found in the U.P. are the smiles on the faces of the Yoopers.

A smiling face lights up the wilderness like a sunrise over a mist shrouded river. From Pictured Rocks to the Porcupine Mountains, there is so much to smile about even in these “troubled times.”

There is an old saying that a smile is worth a thousand words.

Anyone who has ever aimed a camera at someone knows the value and the beauty of a sincere smile.

With COVID-19, we all know the importance of wearing a face mask or face covering. As for me right now, a person dealing with a compromised immune system, I am cautious. If I can spare one other person from being sick one day, then wearing a mask is worth it.

COVID-19 has changed many things these days. It may be able to conceal our Yooper smiles, but it sure cannot contain them.

Even with our face masks on, we have learned how to smile with our eyes.

Sparkling, twinkling and winking eyes have been ignited by the smiles hidden below.

The coronavirus has changed life to a “new normal,” as the experts say. Even though we must respect life and keep people safe out there, it is sad to see how COVID-19 has robotized the human race.

Everything is online, or by phone, or via Zoom or Skype. The personal touch, the handshake and the hug are gone for now.

Face-to-face has been replaced by out-of-sync computer screen images of everybody from the newscasters, doctors and co-workers to new born babies and grandparents.

For most of us our way of communicating and socializing is done with the aid of a smart phone, computer or social media. Verbalizing, speaking in a full sentence and making eye contact has all but been replaced by an emoji.

For now, we walk down the street with our faces half-covered and our eyes averted staring at our devices. Ear buds often erase the sounds of singing birds and other human voices. For now, we are little C-3POs and R2-D2s going about our daily business.

It is nice to have these modern convinces to help us get through these troubled times.

The pandemic has put a damper on our “friendly” Yooper style of life. We may be rural folks, but we are famous for having a good time. Canceling events so dear to us like fish fries, field trials, the U.P. State Fair, music festivals and art shows have caused us much pain.

I have always been the kind of Yooper who could go for four or five days out into the woods by myself and not see a single other person and be totally happy. After COVID-19 struck, I learned that I DO have a great need to be with other folks.

Being unable to gather for holidays, family functions and even my dad’s funeral has brought sadness and silence. Not being able to safely plan schedules and events ahead of time is very difficult for me. “Let go, and let God” is much easier said than done.

COVID-19 times are crazy times, but I know we will get through this together. COVID-19 might be making us cover our smiles but it can’t take them away from us.

There are a lot of awesome “smile” quotes like, “All people smile in the same language,” “A smile is a powerful weapon, you can even break ice with it,” “Wear a smile -one size fits all,” and “Smile, it increases your face value.”

Yes, I can tell Yoopers are smiling even behind their masks. Better days are coming.

——

Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.

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