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Shower, shave and show up sounds like an easy routine

3 min read

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I wrote a column a while ago about how much time and effort we women put into our appearance. Between makeup, skincare, hair styling, nail polish, jewelry and matching shoes and belts among other things … it’s exhausting.

But it’s also a lot of fun being a girl! Some days I feel like a fashionista, and other days I wake up in more of a tomboy mood, so you never know how much effort I will expend pulling myself and an outfit together.

I was watching a movie the other night about a maid of honor and best man in a wedding. She was stressing about helping the bride with the minutiae of the wedding. Meanwhile, the best man was playing golf with the other guys. During an argument, the guy told the girl to relax. She responded that it was easy for him because all he had to do was, “shower, shave and show up!” I burst out laughing because it was funny and true. Yes, the best man has obligations and, yes, women agonize over way too many wedding details. But what made me laugh was the realization that this was the way of the world every day when it comes to men and women!

When I think about getting dressed for work, I could shower, shave and show up, but then I would scare everyone with the way I looked. We’re used to seeing women wearing makeup. Why women wear it and most men don’t is an interesting question. So I shower, shave my legs (sometimes), moisturize those legs and my face, apply styling cream to my hair, blow dry my hair, apply more styling product, possibly curl my hair and spray it, then apply makeup. Then come clothes, making sure you have the right bra, putting on stockings, choosing shoes, matching jewelry and a handbag. All of this can be terrific fun and highly enjoyable when you have the time and energy. When you don’t, it’s just a drag.

Consider my boyfriend’s routine: Shower, shave (sometimes) and show up. Easy peasy. No hair to dry, no makeup, no jewelry. Grab a matching shirt and pants and you’re out the door. When he packs for vacation, he grabs golf shirts, shorts, swim trunks and sandals. He wears sneakers on the plane, so there’s no need to even pack an extra pair of shoes. He’s done packing while I’m still picking which pair of sandals goes with which sundress.

I’d love to adopt the shower, shave and show up routine, and I get pretty close when I’m at the beach. But then I wind up putting on just a touch of lip gloss and mascara before dinner. Let me fluff my hair a bit. Do these shoes match? Yes, it takes some work, but most of the time it really is fun being a girl!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.

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