The sense of anticipation is rapidly building as we all await and live through the gradual reopening of various businesses and services in the city.

So many of us need and want our haircuts and styling – we’re even willing to go without the blow dry. It’s one of many small steps that will eventually lead us back to business – and life – as usual.

Hopefully, we will continue to see further reopenings take place as the risk of COVID-19 contamination decreases. Finger, toes – whatever else – crossed.

We’ve been through a lot. The sometimes nerve wracking effects of prolonged social distancing, the hand washing, mask and glove wearing – it hasn’t always been easy. But we’ve hung in as well as we could and our efforts are paying off. We’ve kept the instances of coronavirus infection to a minimum, because we did it right. We did our duty to ourselves and our family, friends and neighbors.

And now we can finally get ourselves snipped, shaved, and powdered. How nice will that feel? How badly did we take this simple necessity for granted before all this took place? It’s clear that it will be quite some time before we ever take it for granted again.

And let’s not forget how nice – and necessary – this will be for these businesses themselves. The barbers, stylists and shop owners have suffered a little more than we have, since they have been out of work for as long as our hair has been over-growing.  Let’s be happy for them, and grateful for their service once they get rolling again.

And now, just a little off the sides, please, and don’t spare the Bay Rum.