vestigial, adjective- retention of structures or behaviors that are no longer useful. Most often applied to biological structures such as an appendix.
During this time of COVID-19 I am doing some things that appear to be vestigial:
Zoom call preparation
- I put on perfume before a Zoom call.
This helps me feel I am ready for the call, and I do it for personal or business-related calls. I used to think of perfume as something I wore for others… I guess not.
Attention to weather reports
- I listen to the weather forecast every evening, sometimes checking it on my iPhone.
Pre COVID lock-down, I did this to know how to dress the next day. But most mornings now I don’t leave the house. Maybe I do it to remind me that there’s an outside world.
Carrying useless items
- I carry my purse when I go for a walk. I always liked organizing the multiple compartments, and they include credit cards, discount coupons and a metro card.
None of these items are useful now but I take comfort in having them with me.
Keeping things neat at home
- I make my bed every morning, keep my mail and magazines organized into neat piles, and put away all groceries (even non-perishables) as soon as I get them home.
Since I am having no visitors, I don’t have to do these things. I guess keeping my things neat and organized isn’t just for others to see.
Wearing makeup
- I put makeup on every day, even when I am not planning on leaving the house.
After wearing makeup my entire adult life, I can’t go without it. I even refresh my lipstick before I leave the house. I realize this is of no use as I put on my facemask, and that it will just result in lipstick smears on the inside of the mask. But I can’t give that up either.
Smiling
- When walking in my neighborhood, I still automatically smile to acknowledge someone I know. I quickly remember that they can’t see it through my face mask, and I wave instead.
I hope smiling doesn’t become vestigial. But in the meantime, I am working on developing more expressive eyebrows.
What’s to be done with these vestigial behaviors? I will keep doing them because they make me feel good (like the perfume) or they will be useful again (like my stuffed purse).
And perhaps they all do have some utility now- they keep me tethered to a past that I hope will soon be restored.
Reflections on Aging 
Yes! My routines may be different from yours but they are equally vestigial. But they keep me feeling like me! The one thing I notice–when I used to work 24/7 at Camp Kinderland (I lived there during the summer) there were very few mirrors around and I almost never checked my reflection. How I looked became irrelevant, certainly far less important than comfort. I find these days that, though I dress every day and don’t just hang around in my pj’s, I grab my most comfortable jeans and t-shirts without concern for looks. It is liberating!
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You are not alone!!!
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