For nearly 20 years now, my husband has been perfectly happy having me cut his hair. 

To date, there’s been no finger-pointing or restrained snickers that I’m aware of. But with hair salons closed for a period during COVID, was he (or rather was I) up for him cutting MY hair? I had the fact that he’s a retired engineer and perfectionist on my side. Between the two of us, no one was the wiser.

COVID has made me ponder, who are we trying to impress? I’ve never been a makeup wearer, but even if I was running late to exercise class, there was no way I was leaving the house without mascara on, believing that my eyes shrunk into my head without it. But now I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I’ve worn mascara since last spring. 

Grabbing the same pair of comfy leggings and favorite sweater two days in a row has become perfectly acceptable. Dusting the house less often is also okay, since the chance of company coming over is little to none. Reading or playing the piano are things I saved for evenings, as my brain told me days were not for lounging. No longer.

I truly believe the inventor of the term “bed head” was referring to my unruly, coarse, curly mop which needs a bugle wake-up call and serious attention each morning. Left unsupervised, I could star in “The Shaggy Dog” Disney classic. 

Especially over this winter, knowing I was going to be on and off with hats, many days I kept my unmaintained look throughout the day. I thought my dog and I were creating a new special bond during COVID because I was around more, which meant more walks for her. But, in reality, it’s probably because I occasionally look like her close relative.

Don’t get me wrong, I still shower every day since I live in close proximity to myself and my husband. But many Boomers, including myself, are relaxing a bit on caring about what other people think. Being comfortable in our own skin is all that matters.

COVID has reinforced the idea that we don’t need to impress others or get their permission to be ourselves. There is great freedom in this lesson and I hope we can all hang on to it long after COVID is history. 

Read more Boomer Beat articles here.