A Window Into My World: Debating What is Essential
Every day my hair gets just a little more unmanageable as I try and do my magic in the morning. Even though we are living a groundhog day kind of existence, I stay newly committed to feeling fresh… crisp … ready to take on my indoor world.
I roll out of bed, get a quick glimpse of myself, and say to my husband, “I am looking so old… so unkempt. My hair is so long.”
“I’ve been wanting your hair to grow long for years. It looks great,” he replies. I have two thoughts on this:
- It really only matters what I think and
- He is just dead wrong. My hair looks awful.
So I have a “think outside the box” kind of moment, and decide to text my hairdresser to see if she would be willing to come to my house and cut my hair outside, fully gloved and masked. Within minutes I get my response. “Of course. Any time. Let’s pick a good day weather-wise.”
This makes me so happy that I immediately call my daughter to see if she wants to hop onto the opportunity for a home-outdoors-haircut.
My enthusiasm is immediately squelched when I hear back from my daughter, “Mom, this makes me very uncomfortable. We are not even at peak time yet.” I push back that we will be outdoors, fully masked and gloved, and taking all the necessary precautions. Then I hear this:
Daughter: “Do you know if she is doing this for other clients as well?”
Me: “No, but we will be outside, so how much does that really matter?”
Daughter: “A lot. My friends and I don’t understand why our parents aren’t getting this. This is one case where the millennials are being more responsible.”
Quiet on the phone… who will break the silence? She will.
Daughter: “Does the haircut really matter that much to you? Can’t you let it go for just a while? I just saw you. You look fine.”
Me: “I feel scraggly, old, messy… my spirits are low. I need a cut.”
Daughter: “Can you please then hold out for one more week when we should be past peak?”
And so it becomes resolved. I text my hairdresser and tell her that I need to move the date back by one week.
At this point, my son comes into the picture. I share the episode. He reminds me that we are only open for “essential services” and a haircut doesn’t make it into that category. He is 26 but acting much older for this one simple moment.
Son: “This is really an opportunity for you Mom. You have a convenient excuse for reduced social interaction with those you don’t want to interact with.”
Me: “But I wanted this interaction!”
Son: “And you are going to have it… just a week later. In the meantime, use this new reality to your advantage.”
This whole episode has me wondering who really is the parent?
I am happy that they care; surprised by their wisdom; unhappy that for one more week I will look as shaggy as my dogs.