Settling back into a work routine has been amazingly easy. It's like riding a bike. After ten months out of work you'd think it would take some adjustment but the work systems I had in place prior to my lay-off have returned seamlessly. I've only been back three weeks and already those months off seem like a long lost dream. The one thing I didn't take into consideration as I prepared to return to the workplace was the grooming- day in, day out- you gotta look good! Well, at least clean and appropriate.
Women have it so much harder then men. Not in all cases, but most. Definitely in mine. Craig doesn't even have hair. When we travel, he needs a razor, deodorant and toothpaste. I have an arsenal of product I can't seem to live without. It's ridiculous- this quest to look good. And... it gets harder the older you get.
So now I am back at work and I have to groom EVERY DAY. For some this might not be an issue, but I am truly a closet slob. When I come home at the end of the day (and this was even in office environments where jeans were acceptable), I change into my favorite, softest, oldest clothes. In the summer this attire includes stretched out, faded t-shirts and drawstring shorts and in the winter faded almost to gray, black sweats and layers of long sleeved t- shirts and fleece. All of which are so old I can't recall when they were purchased and many of which have some kind of permanent stain.
While they are clean, they are not meant for viewing by anyone but my closest family. It took me awhile to even feel comfortable being seen in my "home attire" by my son-in-law. Yeah, it's that bad. Sadly, I began to feel so comfortable in these clothes that when I was living in the alternate universe of the unemployed, I did sometimes run a quick errand in said apparel. I'd think, "I'll be in and out, why change?" The entire time I'd pray I wouldn't run into anyone I know. I never did. I guess they were all working. You can get away with a lot during traditional work hours.
Interestingly, I do like fashion. Always have. In my teen years, I always wanted to be the first to wear the latest thing. This continued into my adult life. I like to look stylish. So, you would think dressing up would be a treat. And, it is occasionally, but this every day stuff is already getting old.
I'm anal about work clothes prep. I lay my clothes out the night before. I do this at the end of the day as I am changing into my home clothes. Not only do I choose my outfit, but I lay out all the accessories. This includes: jewelry, foot wear, scarves, etc. Doing this really does save me making decisions in the morning. It also allows me to grab a few more minutes of sleep. Very, very rarely do I change my mind about my chosen attire. What I lay out is what I wear. I even think down the road about apparel. If I know there is a specific activity coming up that requires
dressing up or down, I plan ahead.
In addition to clothing, I have to think ahead about my hair. I wear it curly. Curly means you have to let it dry naturally or it's just a big frizz ball. I wash my hair every other day- thank God. So hair washing day means getting up earlier. I love days I don't wash my hair. That means a pony tail. On those days I can literally do my hair in about 10 seconds. Hallelujah! 15-20 more minutes of sleep!
I do wear make-up but I have that routine down to a science. Takes about 2 minutes (maybe). Again, I forego make-up when I don't leave the house. In my period of unemployment, there were a lot of days I didn't leave the house. Glorious days of no make-up, my old, familiar clothing and hair in a pony.
I mourn those days already and fantasize about the day I no longer have to groom daily. I seriously think that when I retire I will be one of those women whose daughters shake their heads and say, "Mom, you can't go out like that."
I can't wait...
VSL
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