When people are freshly laid off one of the activities they engage in is figuring out sacrifices that must be made to make ends meet. Unfortunately, personal hygiene inevitably becomes one of the first to go not because of worries of using too much water or soap, but because they’re unemployed, and they have no places to go and no people to see. Formerly clean shaven and dressed to impress, the unemployed quickly take to skipping showers, leaving greasy hair uncombed, hairs unshaved, and breaking out with preventable blemishes. Deodorant becomes optional, but is usually ignored because it is assumed one cannot smell if inactive (false).
It begins with waking up the Saturday after being let go, which coincides with weekend shower slacking, and pushing back showering until after breakfast, and then after lunch, and then after going out - but never making it out, and then after dinner until it gets to the point when they might as well shower the next day because they didn’t do anything anyway. By this point, their last shower was 36 hours ago which is “no big deal” because they’ve gone without showering when traveling or camping. When Sunday hits, the pattern repeats, and by Monday it’s not like they have to get up and get ready for work. It’s not until Monday evening, maybe, when a friend might interrupt an intense Halo 3 mission (played with a once white but now grimy controller) to invite the dirtbag out for an impromptu drink that it suddenly becomes imperative to shower. Try explaining “Yeah, I’ll be there. I just have to get dressed” and showing up several hours later because everything had to be shampooed, soaped, clipped, plucked, shaved and brushed at least twice.
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This is also another truth. I actually spent Monday through Thursday inside. Coming up with an excuse for every day as why i couldn’t go out. The first few days I simply didn’t shower. Day two I changed outfits. By Wednesday the boyfriend made a comment on my unshaven legs (so I had to pretend that was a slight oversight). By Thursday I had to muster myself to get outta bed by 4pm…..after all my Jerry Springer. All I have been wearing for 5 months is pajamas and sweats…..tried to put on a pair of jeans. Split those from front to back. Stepped on the scale to see I had gained over 15 lbs. Then battled with the idea of buying new clothes or to exercise later. Knwoing that wasn’t going to happen I found my fanciest lounge pants and blamed my dress on it still being the weekday as Iistened to the boyfriend tease me about being a bum (which has worn off on him as he is not shaving).
Holy crap, my best friend and I both got fired at the same time. She could not understand why I was so proud of myself for showering today. Now I have proof that I am not weird…she will one day feel the same.
Thank you!
I can totally relate to all of this, my husband gave me a lecture on showering recently and I was shocked that I have let myself go this far;and, showering doesn’t seem that important anymore. I guess I’m going to shower now just because I don’t want my husband to think I am getting gross!
My boyfriend recently started teasing me about this issue of mine. I have to find a really good excuse to shower, and it’s usually because my Mom is coming over to see me.
Thank god for Mom.
Thank God for this blog. I’m living with my parents in the mountains–about 3 hours from my old college hangout and an hour from my boyfriend. I showered yesterday but didn’t wash my hair for some reason. I changed from one pair of pajamas directly into another (which I’m still wearing at 9pm the next day). I can’t remember the last time I even put on a bra. Somehow I can rationalize all of this in my head–usually it’s “If I stop to take a shower, that’s one less job application I’ll get out.” I’ve been looking since November 2008, so perhaps I need a different strategy that involves more personal grooming. Anyway, thanks again for this blog. It definitely helps me feel better knowing that there are others out there who can relate.
God, so true. I’m 22 and just moved home last month- showering is a huge accomplishment at this point. My life atm consists of the internet and the only exercise I’ve had in 6 weeks is walking from the tv to the fridge. Cross your fingers that a job comes along soon.