Hello Neighbor!

I’m looking a bit shaggy these days. It’s been seven months since going to the hairdresser and I’m making a decision about returning.

A friend called last week. Her hair is in the same scraggly shape as mine. She was concerned about being overly cautious in postponing a hair salon visit since most of her friends made the opposite decision. She trusts her friends and is also trying to support local businesses.  What’s the right thing to do?

Until now, her husband has assumed the role of barber in their house. I’m not assigning that job to my husband! If his foray into hairdressing turns out resembling one long-ago nightmare haircut, I’m preemptively choosing shaggy. I’ve given myself a haircut that, while shorter, it’s not signaling a career re-direction.

My friend was looking for reassurance that it was okay to buck the friend trend while simultaneously wishing to override her fears and join the crowd. I get it. Not easy.
Seems like I’m required to think for myself on this as well as other larger, more important topics. It takes courage to stand on my own, no matter the subject.

This reminds me of a quote: “In a world full of people walking backward, someone walking forward appears to be going in the wrong direction.” I don’t know if I’m going backward or forward. I’m trusting myself to decide whether to go in the direction of respected friends or not.

Maybe this lockdown experience has a silver lining. I’m hearing my own voice more loudly from the inside because there’s so little going on outside. I feel empowered, more centered and in control. I’m gaining confidence in my own decisions. No arguments with friends. I respect their decisions. I’m recognizing that we’re all on our own these days. Maybe we always were.

Listening to myself,
Jane