The End of the Summer of Bald

School starts tomorrow, and for us, that effectively means end of summer.

I've been putting off deciding what do to about the Summer of Bald. I thought about asking other people what they think, but in the end I decided this was too personal to follow anything other than my instincts. Only my instincts have been delaying and delaying.

I've loved the summer of bald.  I've felt so free - wearing my big earrings daily, and makeup when I can find it at the bottom of a box.  I realized that lately I haven't gotten any cancer inquiries, and I suppose it's because in my urban area it's a fashion statement to run about shorn. That and I think I look pretty healthy. But mostly I think people realize that when I show up all bald I'm not trying to hide anything - somehow I got more inquires when I've been wearing a hat.

I realized one of the confusing things for my son Ben and his schoolmates last spring was that some days I would wear a wig, and some days I would wear a hat. I think if I wore my wig everyday they would just forget about it eventually, and likewise if I wore a hat (or went bald) then it would just become passe at some point. So at some level I want to be consistent when I show up at his school. Though I can't quite muster up wanting to wear a wig again.

This is complicated by the fact that I'm planning my reentry back into the workforce after five years at home, and I'm planning to wear my wig. I feel like I have enough to explain about why I was home, and what skills I have to offer, without having to explain my "illness" to potential employers.

So I may start wearing my wig again a lot, but not yet. I'm just not ready for the summer of bald to be over.

The irony is that our new house in the woods gets a lot more fog than our old apartment - particularly at night. I've been wearing a hat almost constantly at home to combat the chill. Bald indeed!