At the Bitcoin Conference in Miami of 2023, there was a single guest wearing a fox mask while he attended. The mask was the Keaton mask from the Legend of Zelda series, but "fox mask" is specific enough! He wore this mask as a statement to promote privacy, but also to practice that privacy in the most fun way he could.
He was a shy fellow, but he also knew the mask would draw attention. Trading solitude for privacy is a counterintuitive exchange, but he was happy to make it in return for a bit of fun.
There were many who spoke to him, and all were met with politeness. Even in cases of mistaken identity (which are understandable with a mask blocking the way) and those rare cases where he bumped into someone he couldn't see (and if any of you are reading this, sorry again!), he did his best to show kindness and insight to those who spoke to him.
The most unusual meeting was with a pair of other guests wearing anonymous masks, the kind you think of when you hear the title "V for Vendetta." At first he almost looked away completely, but thought "wait a minute..." No words were exchanged. None were needed. They stared each other down for a moment, 3 unseen smiles hidden behind unmoving masks. He waved to them. They waved back. "These guys get it," he thought. "What a nut," they thought in reply. And each one went on their way.
Some guests were able to recognize the mask for what it was from the Legend of Zelda. One cleverly approached and said "That is a Happy Mask," and he could hear the capitalization in those words! Others thought it looked like Pikachu, or a cat, or the Metamask fox. The guest didn't mind. As long as people smiled when they saw him, he had accomplished his goal.
As the conference ended, he left as mysteriously as he had appeared. No one could say for sure who he was or where he went. Would he return the next year in Nashville? Would he choose to attend other conferences with a different focus? Or perhaps he would rest for a year, and arrive again at a later time?
It could be any of these. But that is a story for another time...
