I Bought Shampoo; They Sent Me Stickers, Too

We’ve all coped with COVID-19 in a variety of ways. Some people drink and do recreational drugs; some do those things more than they used to.

Some exercise more, or started exercising, or adapted to new workouts. Some people cooked more, or ordered in more often, or finally realized they’re not the cooks they assumed they were before the pandemic.

I indulged in something new: I ordered customized hair care products: shampoo, conditioner and serum. I have very complicated hair: thick, curly, a mix of silver and original color, prone to dryness, and tortured regularly with chlorine, sweat, and dirt.

So I spent a little money (and I did use a promo code) and tried out the products. Along with the products, the company sent this cute little page of small stickers.

They’re colorful line drawings of fruit, flowers, bathtubs, and fun sayings like “Have A Good Hair Day.” It’s a nice addition to the packaging, but they’re like coloring books to me: I don’t get their purpose as an adult.

I know coloring books for grownups are a big deal. People who engage in the art of the page and colored pencil say it is very creative and relaxing. That’s fine. Whatever swings your hammock. I was always lousy at coloring inside the lines. Time and alleged maturity have not made things any better.

Same with stickers. I have trouble seeing the attraction, especially with our fanatical focus on disinfecting surfaces. I am not in school (at least not at the moment) so I have no books or notebooks to sticker. I don’t like the idea of anything stuck on my personal computer (though I had no such hangup ever when it came to a computer not my own, like a work computer). And they are far too tiny to make an impact on my car bumper. Not that I would ever put anything there.

I don’t think the sticker idea is wrong, or childish, or unnecessary. I’m just not sure how to wrap an adult bah-humbug brain around them. So if you sticker or color your way through our current corona virus life, let me know. I could use some ideas.