Did I unplug my straightener? The getting ready process can be sort of hectic sometimes. Whether you're running late, or can't decide on an outfit — it always seems like you just need five extra minutes to complete your look. Amongst the pile of sweaters that inevitably ends up on the floors, and bobby pins that are left all over the bathroom counter, things get lost in translation. And suddenly, you're on the subway, recapping your morning and trying to remember if you turned everything off before running out the door. If you have the bad habit of leaving your flat iron on, then you know the struggle is all too real, and can only really relate to these things.
Don't worry, because you're not alone. The truth is, the days that you don't have to use a device like a flat iron end up being the least stressful, because you don't have to run back to your apartment in some serious fear. It's always a good idea to go through a mental checklist before you leave your apartment to make sure you turned it off. Maybe sometime soon you'll finally remember if you turned your flat iron off and won't have to sprint back to make sure you did. For now, though, you'll seriously relate to these 12 things.
It's the moment when you realize that you're really not sure if you left your flat iron on. You're probably sitting on the train already, stuck in some traffic, or already have hit the town with your friends. Ugh, it's never the most convenient time. You go through all your options in your head, but your heart is racing and you know you won't be able to stop thinking about it if you don't go home and see for yourself that its been unplugged. So, naturally, you sprint out of your current situation and somehow make it all the way home.
Your fear is so real. Spiders are pretty scary, but nothing quite compares to this part of the struggle.
All that fear totally drives your feet. You were already in such a rush, which is probably why you left your flat iron on in the first place. But now, having to backtrack has made you so much more off schedule. The inner Olympic sprinter in you comes out, and there's no doubt you're going for gold. You reach your place totally panting, but it's worth it to know all your stuff is safe and sound.
You seriously hope your boss understands the struggle, too. Sometimes, there's just no room in our schedules for leaving our straighteners on. But, your brain alone can't go all day with such a sticky situation. On your lunch break, you book it home and run straight to your bathroom counter.
Sometimes everything's OK, and other times you sure enough left your flat iron on. At least you can grab a snack now that you've popped into your place. If you were in such a rush, you probably didn't pack a lunch either.
The text normally starts with something like "Oh my god." And if all is OK, the conversation ends with a sigh of relief from both ends of the screen. Your roommates have gotten pretty used to your lifestyle over time, and they're no rookies to getting the frantic calls and texts about your flat iron.
They might have even been one step ahead of you sometimes, and unplugged it before you even realized there was anything potentially wrong. Thank goodness that they're around to help you with all your life troubles. Even though they're not quite as forgetful, they still understand that the straightener struggle is so real. You'll so miss them the day you decide to move out and live on your own.
You've tried every trick in the book. All of those memory games haven't quite worked — but putting that sticky note right above the plug really did help you remember.
Some mornings, just to avoid the potential flat iron freak-out, I consciously make myself unplug my straightener and say out loud that I did it just so. Then when I'm sitting in the car on the way to work, or to meet up with my friends for dinner, I have one specific moment in my mind that I can recall when I inevitably start to question things. Most of the time, it's all in your head, but it makes running through your morning routine over and over again that much easier.
One trick you might have tried is setting a daily reminder on your phone right around the time you tend to get ready. It's something salty, yet sweet like, "Girl, get it together," or simply "Straightener." Truth is, past you needs to look out for future you, and having alarms go off outside of your head is sometimes the only way to get your mind moving about these little things you always leave behind.
As soon as turning off your flat iron becomes part of your daily routine, you're good to go. Breaking the bad habit means just getting into new better ones on the reg. Scheduling a siren call is something you might have already experienced in your straightener struggle.
Some mornings you just opt for a messy bun, or even a nice fishtail braid just to avoid the trauma. Maybe it's a Monday morning, and you're already expecting a particularly stressful day. Nobody needs to add the straightener struggle on top of a packed planner. Odds are, you wouldn't have time to run home during your lunch break either — and your roommates are already out the door. So, the backup support system can't even come into play.
It's OK, though. You're relieved that you won't have to go through your usual routine of emotions, and sometimes the lazy lifestyle is kind of fun and effortless. You love straightening your hair, but not on days when there's already so much to worry about.
It doesn't matter what the device is — you always find a way to leave it on. Maybe it's a curling iron, and the struggle is the same ordeal.
At night, your roommates might have to go around and make sure everything is off before you all fall asleep. You have a habit of leaving random lights on sometimes, too. At least that just jacks up your bill a bit — much less dangerous, I'd say.
The day they came out with electrical devices that automatically turned off was life-changing for you. Suddenly, all of your fears just got a bit simpler. Truth is, you really aren't the only one who has such a problem with turning off your flat iron. So, your favorite brands just became your best friend and did you a few favors from the manufacturing side. Sure, you shouldn't always rely on this feature. But, it makes your day a little bit easier to know that your straightener has your back.
Thank goodness for the Internet. It really does seem to know it all. There are a thousand message boards out there with frantic people asking the world what would happen if they left their flat iron on all day. And truth be told, I think we all know what the end game is for our bad habit.
On one occasion or another, you've probably found yourself scrolling through product details on your flat iron — seeing if it has that special feature, or even some sort of telepathy. Being able to talk to your straightener from beyond like that would seriously help you out.
Just like the feeling of fear is so strong, so is the feeling of relief. When you finally make it back home, or get that text from your roommate that the coast is clear, you can take one big sigh of relief. Suddenly, your little world is much more at peace, and you can focus on your surroundings again instead of all the potential situations that could have gone down.
Of course, seeing it all unplugged with your own eyes is the best kind of relief. Unfortunately, sometimes seeing is believing, and there are probably still times when you find yourself questioning if your flat iron is off when you quite literally just pulled out the plug.
Surprise! You and your roommates are equally as shocked on the days that you actually remembered to turn off your flat iron. It's like when your one friend who always shows up late manages to be the first one to the party. Some sort of stars have had to align to make that situation possible.
You wonder if the cycle has finally been broken, or if this is the universe just giving you a special scenario. Whatever it may be, you'll take the victory lap and leave the L's for another day. Leaving your flat iron on has kind of become a joke amongst you all, but in reality, you know it's a serious struggle.
