To Wig, or not To Wig?

Thanks to the awesome and generous child-wrangling of my mother-in-law, and the house-knoming of my friend Megan, I've been enjoying going to a big conference all week and kick-starting my new back-to-work phase.

Before I went to the conference I debated long and hard over whether or not I would wear a wig.

I haven't been wearing one all summer, and it felt strange to put one back on again. But I had told myself that I'd wear one for my job search. Now I wasn't so sure. I wanted to be the "real" me - I didn't want potential employers to hire me (or not) because they thought I had hair - better let them see how it really is.

Plus there would be 50,000 people at the conference. I thought it wouldn't be so bad to be anonymous! People would remember me for sure.

I think part of my hestitation was that if I wore my wig now, I would have to wear it everytime I saw this group of people again. That's like saying if you order chocolate milk today for lunch, you have to order it everyday for the rest of your life! I was feeling penned in by just the thought of feeling that restricted - like I was hiding something that would then need to be covered up.

My friend Megan had a couple of peices of great advice as we were talking it over.

1) What I decide now can definitely be changed - I can always decide to not wear the wig, and tell people then I have alopecia. I get to decide.
2) Figure out if I am doing something for them, or if I'm doing it for myself.

For example - if I'm wearing a wig to make other people less uncomfortable - then don't wear it. But if I'm wearing a wig to make myself  feel more comfortable, then go for it.

I love friends that have known me 15 years and have such words of wisdom. They are such a treasure!

I wore a wig to the conference. It felt okay. It was still strange to catch my reflection in the bathroom mirror, but I feel that way when I see my bald head too. And I wore my new orange jacket so I wouldn't be anonymous.