Time for a haircut?

May 12, 2020 by Pat Omidian

So! It’s been a couple of months since I got to walk into my favorite hair salon and get a cut from one of the few people on the planet capable of giving my thick and straight as a board hair the cut that works. With any other person, I end up with hair that sticks up in odd directions or has a lopsided look about it. 

What’s a body to do? Even if the hair salons are open, I would not have the courage to sit that close to someone for an hour. This time of physical distancing has made me more aware of space, raised my level of anxiety about disease and illness and brought me vivid reminders of my work in West Africa during the Ebola outbreak. Something in me is actually scared to get that close to anyone any more. And something else in me wonders if that will ever return to “what it was before”. After Ebola, I never liked shaking hands. That habit never returned. So what will have changed this time?

Back to the hair, though, since I am writing about haircuts in the time of pandemic.  

Is it possible to get a virtual haircut? Could we do a webinar on haircutting? Or do i just shave it all off since we are in this for a while? After all, who will see it? 

I decided to go for it and cut it myself. If I messed it up I could always add a cap. A friend of mine let her 8 year old daughter cut hers and ended up wearing a hat. 

I took my mirror, a comb, scissors and clippers out to the apple tree. I did it under the tree since that gave me a place to set up the mirror and I thought the birds might like some nesting materials. And I started. Once started there was no way to stop. A little bit here and a little bit there. A bit more off the top. And after a half hour I called it done. 

Success. 

Another personal triumph! I can see my eyebrows again. And, I think my hairdresser will get her job back when this is all over.  

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