Progress?

 Despite the frost clinging to the rooftops this morning, the day will be bright clear and crisp.  There isn't a cloud in the sky as the sky grows lighter.  The forecast is sunshine all day and temperatures now hovering in the mid-twenties will rise to 36 by sunset.  It will be a beautiful day.

Wuhan China has passed its year mark with the virus, UK's numbers of new cases appears to be easing from its all time high earlier this month, and Arizona is still leading the nation (and it would seem the world) in numbers.

In other headlines, business women interviewed from several parts of the country have abandoned their "beauty routines."  After so many months in isolation, working only from their computers, they have ceased to wear uncomfortable clothing and shoes, makeup and stopped trying to make their hair look just so.  Many claim they have a new-found sense of freedom and will not go back to those time-consuming routines.  I say "Hallelujah!"  

I wear comfortable clothes all day - every day for the most part, and I wear a minimum of makeup (we are still doing a lot of zoom calls), and my too-long hair is just getting a lick and a promise.  It just doesn't seem so important these days.  One woman said that she hasn't shaved her legs since April.  Interesting.  I have often wondered who decided that body hair is revolting.  Even men have gotten into the waxing etc.  

We watched our stake conference yesterday which was excellent.  We watched (again) the Saturday night session which was also very inspiring.  The camera was a short distance from the podium.  There were four people on the stand, spread out as far from each other as possible, each wearing masks.  The stake president said there were fewer than 10 in the entire building.  While inspiring, the broadcasts seemed a little sad.  So few people.  

It occurred to me that when you aren't there in person, and when you don't appear on-screen, your own level of reverence can plummet.  You can chat with your family, get up for a snack, munch on popcorn as you listen, go the bathroom, check your phone for messages and do all kinds of mundane tasks that keep you from being fully engaged.

You can even stay in bed - in your pajamas - with unshaved legs, uncombed hair, with no makeup on, and tune in.  

I am trying to decide if this is progress.

Comments

melissa said…
In some ways, yes. 😁
January 25, 2021 at 4:20 AM
Erin said…
Haha. Maybe but this long term business has been so so hard for fellowshipping and feeling connected.

I like the women who have declared their freedom from society’s vainness. What’s ironic is that they put those inhibitions on themselves. Don’t shave your legs if you don’t want to. Don’t put on make-up. Don’t do more than brush through your hair in the morning if that’s what you want to do. Hopefully this new era of enlightenment will spread to enough women that the social pressure of looking perfect can relax.

Although I for one love the feeling of having smooth legs. Quarantine or not, I continue that practice for comfort! 😀
January 26, 2021 at 12:13 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Master Teacher

In the 1st Ward today, an 11-year-old boy gave a talk that was one of he best sacrament meeting talks I have ever heard.  He got up to speak and his head just barely cleared the podium.  He is small and has a shock of dark hair topping a cute slightly freckled face. It will be several years yet before his voice deepens.  He had his written talk, and he read most of it, but he was familiar enough with it that he looked up often and it seemed as if he was speaking from his heart. He began with a quote from Nephi in 2 Nephi 25:29, where Nephi prophesies about the future and then tells us how to worship the Savior. How? this boy asked us. He went on to answer his own question.  Nephi says "with all our might."  The boy then asked how that is done. He cited the story of the converts in the Congo who threw all of their idols into a massive waterfall where they were unrecoverable.  The boy said that when we worship the Savior with all our might, that mea...
Read more

Going Home

  Fifteen missionaries are returning to their homes this week.  For this Saturday night zoom conference broadcast, each bore their testimony from their flats with their companions by their sides.  SK and I teared up many times as we listened to humble, sweet and strong testimonies.  It is easy to see the difference as they get close to their release date.  It they have been faithful, there is a maturity and a sweetness that is unexplainable. Here is a smattering of what was said: There is no growth in the comfort zone.  I am about to go home to my comfort zone...but it struck me that my old comfort zone is no longer comfortable for me.  I want to be in a growth zone. The early apostles did not succeed, but they knew we would. One elder quoted Dave's poem "If."  "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same...Hold on...even through the hardest times."  "How can I accomplish these things?  Jesus Chr...
Read more

Shark!

Image
We left our flat way too early for my taste this morning, heading out to go south to Farnborough.  Forty-eight miles, supposedly an hour and twenty minute drive.  We got into some heavy stop and go traffic and it was closer to 2 hours before we got there. We inspected the two young sisters' flat, which was beautifully clean and organized.  They are cute sisters.  They had been in London yesterday for zone conference and excitedly shared all they had heard and been taught.  They had their notes out and were very cute to repeat some great messages from President Checketts.  I hardly ever talk to him when he isn't dealing with numerous issues in the mission and in the middle of at least one or two crises, and planning the next gathering....all at the same time.  It must be that he and Deb are in a constant state of stress.  But he has cleared the half-way mark.  I wonder if he knows how highly he is esteemed by these young missionaries, who ...
Read more