Recently, I had a wake-up call when on a recent date I was bluntly told that I wasn’t interesting and looked shabby. I realized that maybe it was time to change things up and try to elevate how other people perceive me. I got to talking with friends and family and learned that it was mainly a lack of hair and beard maintenance, along with outdated style, and a lack of substantial hobbies.
Taking it all into consideration, I became motivated. Over the last year, I was determined to step it up and put my best self forward – here’s how I did it.
Grooming My Hair and Beard
One of the first things I discovered was that my hairstyle and beard weren’t cut (no pun intended). The problem was that I had simply let it go. It was just too tiresome and expensive to get my hair cut and trimmed all the time, I straight up stopped. Once I began letting my hair grow out, I eagerly would keep track of how many months it had been since my last visit to the barber. After almost 3 years, I forgot how long it had been and became content with my hair’s length and wildness.
Maintaining my beard was easy for the most part. But with the laziness of avoiding the barber, I too became complacent in letting it grow out. I think a little part of me inside recognized that it may have looked too unkempt, but I didn’t mind one bit!
Anyways, resolving to take care of myself, one of the first things I did was visit a salon. I imagined they’re more used to dealing with long hair than the typical option that we guys have. After Googling some images and talking to the stylist, we settled on one cut that I’d be down to try: a two-block haircut, for a more youthful approach, despite nearing my 60s.
Suits Never Went Out of Style
In my old age (I say “old” but that’s hardly how I feel!) I settled for comfortable loungewear, like graphic tees and jeans. Maybe it’s good for the house, but as I learned, it was not good enough for going on a date! Goodbye, Star Wars shirt, you were a good friend all these years…
Thankfully, I have a really supportive group of friends who offered to take me shopping and check out what I would look spiffy in. One of the attendants mentioned that suits were still in and took me to the more mature area of the shop. There were button-downs of all varieties, perfect for business or for simply eating out at a restaurant. He helped me pick out a few shirts, pants, and even blazers.
So, I donned a slick grey sports coat with a white shirt and khaki pants. Coming out of the changing room, my buddies were jaw-dropped at the transformation – and admittedly, I was too when I looked in the mirror. When I tell you it’s a self-confidence booster, I’m not lying!
The Final Touches
Getting this old comes with a few morale breakers, namely, the wrinkles and fine lines. Aging sucks but it’s only natural, right? That being said, I don’t have to just lay down and take it, so I began looking into what I could do both non-surgical and surgical.
One of the first things that came to mind was Botox, and while it seems like the ideal choice, it’s only temporary. I would have to maintain it and like my original problem with haircuts, it would get too expensive to be a good idea. To avoid the sunk cost fallacy, I scheduled a consultation with a plastic surgeon and discussed various available treatments and procedures.
After some time, I decided to go with a deep plane facelift, which would provide more drastic enhancement and last far longer than any filler. When the time came for the surgery, I was anxious, and I don’t think it’s a big deal to admit that. Waking up, I had bandages on my face, which only added to my feeling. Once they came off, though, I could see the vision and immediately was appreciative of my choice. The following few months were filled with anticipation and excitement as the swelling subsided and my results became more noticeable. It’s not that I looked like a different person; it’s that I looked like a younger, happier version of myself!
From Video Games to Painting
Now when it comes to hobbies and becoming a more interesting person, I realized I didn’t really have anything other than playing video games. At my age, it might sound a bit unusual, but it’s all thanks to my son! After coming home from a stressful day at work one day, he showed me the joy of playing a single-player game to unwind and take my mind off it all. At first, I thought it was pointless. Why enter a virtual world, when we have just as good of one right here? Unfortunately, it was too late when I realized I may have become addicted.
So I thought about what I could do that would replace video games while still distracting me from a hard day and giving me just as much joy. I naturally arrived at art, a passion from my childhood that fizzled out and died when I realized the most famous artists of our time lived hundreds of years ago in the Renaissance era or simply drizzled paint on a canvas.
This time as an adult, I understand how silly that is to throw away a dream over other people’s expectations. Revisiting it, I got the chance to throw on some Bob Ross tutorials and tried my best. I of course wasn’t as good and couldn’t copy it one-to-one, but the result still filled me with a feeling of satisfaction and pride. I think I have a new hobby!
