Pandemic Changed My Life #1 – I have Grown My Hair for the First Time

And I’m loving it!

Photo by Luke Braswell on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?


All my life (except for my senior year in high school) I always had short hair.  Short hair was a synonym for me.  My ears and my neck had to be exposed.  As soon as my hair touched the top of my ears, I would have my hair cut.  I was so picky about my hairstyle that it took me long time to finally find my favorite hairdresser in Seattle. 

Then COVID hit.  One month, two months, three months… I started to tuck my hair behind my ears.  Six months, one year… I bought a bunch of hair ties. 

Finally the hair salons were allowed to reopen. But my favorite hairdresser had moved to Hawaii a little before that.  What should I do?

By that time my hair was already touching my shoulder.  Why not grow it even longer?

So now I, the woman once synonymous with short hair, have hair maybe longer than a horse tail.  And I’m kind of liking it. 

When my hair was short, I used to shampoo every morning.  Now I shampoo my long hair only once a week.  I don’t blow-dry.  I just twist the end of my hair with my fingers when still wet.   My hair stays that way even when it gets dry. I have never dyed my hair, nor will I ever do in the future. 

When I wear kimono, I put my hair up.  My mother really likes how I look.  She tells me to keep my hair long whenever I send her my photo in kimono.  Mother, I guess I will follow your words for now, ‘cause I’m loving how I look, too.   

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.