In the Daily Masquerade of the Workplace There Is Often Found a Healthy Cover-Up

To a degree, we all wear masks at work--it’s just that some are more obvious than others.

But rather than conceal, all masks tell a story.

The stucco-splattered safety masks of Jesus Martinez and Alfredo Avila at the Century Theater, under construction on Ventura’s Main Street, are testament to the two workers’ arduous labors.

Football helmets cannot mask the determination in the eyes of Ventura High School teammates Trevor Marks and Mark Martinez during practice.

The otherworldly air mask of 18-year-old Ventura Lopez symbolizes the potential hazards of applying insecticide to a citrus orchard in the Santa Clara Valley.

The gas masks of Simi Valley Special Weapons And Tactics team members at a recent inter-Police Department competition hint at the inherent dangers of their jobs.

And the glint in the eye behind the mask worn by dentist Greg Wolfe of Ventura appears to match that of his ominous-looking instruments.

Wearing a filtration mask for most of the workday has its advantages--and its drawbacks, Wolfe said.

“I find I don’t catch a lot of colds,” he said, adding that he does have to make sure he brushes his teeth after lunch for his benefit, as well as his patients’.

“You just have to watch out when you go to lunch, so that with the salsa and onions and garlic and stuff you don’t offend yourself.”