For as long as I can remember, I have always cared what other people thought of me. Whether that meant if they thought I was nice or funny, if they thought I looked good or if they liked what I was wearing. This is not just something that I worry about either, I cannot give a statistic or point you towards a study, but this seems like a somewhat universal worry. We may play it up to be bigger than it is in our heads, but it is still a valid worry.
It was in high school that this worry was at its worst, to the point where it was all that I thought about. So, during my junior year I decided to take matters into my own hands, and I got a mullet. Party in the back business in the front, I made as much as I could not out of my hair that was far too short for a successful mullet. As I walked down the halls the next day I received looks, and I had close friends tell me that it was stupid or that I should get rid of it. However, these comments meant nothing to me anymore. I had chosen a haircut I knew would look stupid, I walked into school knowing it did not look great, and it was in this knowledge that I was able to find a never-before-seen self-confidence.
I had taken away the power my own worry had given to other people’s judgements. It was during this time where I was able to come out of my shell and truly live for what seemed to be the first time. I no longer woke up and worried about what I wore or how I looked because I already knew that all people would notice was my stupid haircut.
It is within this experience that I have started to live by the mantra that everyone should have a “mullet.” Of course, I do not endorse the idea of everyone having an ‘80s haircut, unless you feel compelled to, but rather I implore you to find your mullet. Even right now I have a “mullet” which is my mustache and facial hair that is hardly growing. For many their “mullet” can be a pair of shoes, an ironic t-shirt, a major haircut or even minor accessories. The only rule is that you recognize and accept how your “mullet” may be perceived by others.
Your chosen “mullet” does not have to be a large change, or something that changes your day-to-day life. A perfect example of a “mullet” in my life that was hidden in plain sight happened last year when I lost my water bottle. After searching for a few days, I resorted to using a glass peanut butter jar that had been carefully and thoroughly cleaned as my water bottle. Not a day went by where someone wouldn’t ask me about the peanut jar. But I followed the one rule, I recognized how it looked to other people, and I was more than okay with it.
Do not take this advice as a fix-all, what worked for me may not work for you. It is important to recognize that these worries are valid and seeking out resources to ease them is always a good option. With this, if you are one to try new things, and you’re looking to shake up the way you go about life, then by all means, please get a “mullet.”
