Haircuts and beach scenes: Venturing into new world that looks a lot like the old one
If the question was whether Hilton Head Island could bounce back from six weeks or so in quarantine, the answer is yes.
I went to the south end Tuesday to get a haircut, and got an eyeful.
You may remember haircuts.
I was getting invitations to join a Grateful Dead tribute band.
Earlier in the pandemic — you may remember the pandemic — I cut my wife’s hair with shears that took a month to get here. She survived it, but somehow we never found time for her to cut my hair.
My brother-in-law’s wife cut his hair with dog shears. He said it looked great, but he was worried about fleas.
When S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said barbershops and hair salons could reopen on Monday, the newspaper heard one of the best lines to come from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
A hairdresser suddenly swamped with calls said, “I”m the new toilet paper.”
I checked in at Rita’s Barber Stylists at Coligny Plaza according to orders. There would be appointments only. No walk-ins. I would wear a mask. I would not come inside to wait for my turn.
It all worked well. It felt safe.
But outside the shop, in one of HIlton Head’s busiest areas right at the beach, the coronavirus seemed like a passing fad that left the building at about the same time as the mullet haircut.
Pandemic? Been there, done that. Next!
People walking around outside were not wearing masks, and not socially distancing.
The stores, like the barbershop, were doing their part. A sign in a shop window said not to enter if five customers were already inside.
I saw a fine-dining restaurant with nicely-dressed diners seated at linen-covered tables in an empty parking lot. A grocery store said not to come in without a face covering.
So there are signs that something’s different.
But here’s a text sent to the paper from someone I do not know:
“Good luck world. Just had a beer at (a popular island bar). 300 people. 0 masks. People are telling jokes and laughing from 2 feet. Saw people meeting people for the first time 2 ft away. All I could think of was the spit flying toward each other. It was like no one had heard of the pandemic.”
Yes, this might not turn out so well.
But, frankly, I’m surprised America sat still for as long as it did.
And, unless Uncle Sam thinks he can continue to pay everyone’s salary and underwrite every small business and send everyone cash ad infinitum, we have to get back to work.
Still, if anyone tells you this is all based on science, that safety comes first and we’re easing back into a new normal, they’re probably still quarantined and have not been out lately.
I’ve learned this much about a pandemic: It’s less of a national issue than a personal issue.
I chose a barber that did it right, and did it safely. If I’m leery of a crowded bar or unmasked restaurant server, it’s up to me to make a different choice. Plenty of options are available.
But be aware that the floodgates are open.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 4:30 AM with the headline "Haircuts and beach scenes: Venturing into new world that looks a lot like the old one."
