I like to say it is easier on the nose than on the mind, especially if you are a female. We spend almost our entire childhood in a hair salon just sitting around waiting for the next person to come in, the first time being the most awkward and uncomfortable thing in existence. My very last appointment was over six months ago, two weeks after my birthday and a little less than forty minutes into the day. It was quite sad as I missed not having that much money to spoil myself on the girls in there, but they did get me some pretty good tips, which led directly into my making of a collection of recipes for these same ladies who have kept me going. I decided I would do something about their looks, and create a new line where we came up with ideas for the best way to use them, like how one woman used her hair for everything. Her idea of an actual family portrait came from when someone asked her what she wanted a photo of herself wearing. When asked for any specifics, she answered “hair”, then proceeded to tell us what kind of hair she had. This lead to all kinds of questions, because we have been doing this for so long! How many types? Can you cut off all your hair? Do you think other women can put up their hair or should we try and make sure it doesn’t get in the way of their appearance? What is the best way to wear long hair? Is it easier on the eyes than short? How tall do I need to be? And can I add accessories to make my photo look better? In retrospect we may never know exactly why every woman does this but for a majority all it has come down to are they looking for a change on a regular basis in order to stay young. So like anyone else these days if you want to stay looking young, you must go out, dress to impress, and do whatever it takes to look their age. We call each other mom when someone asks who got to choose which girl gets to call mom for a picture. I think everyone should have at least two choices, or a third one that nobody had asked for.
My favorite quote from the episode comes from the book The Female Brain by Dr. Anna Funderburger. She says “We aren’t made to live alone in the world. We’re more likely to thrive if we have people close by to share our experience, if our friends are willing to keep up with our problems and help us remember our past, or if we see someone older who reminds us how far we’ve fallen.”
I don’t want to name drop anyone but this episode made me feel old for the longest time. It’s nice to see someone in a wheelchair going down again. Maybe someday I’ll be able to look like one too. There are no restrictions on what size you can grow to, no one said you need to choose your own parents. If our moms and dads didn’t love us, they’d never take care of us. We weren’t born to be loved and cared for. But even though its hard to see sometimes, you will always see us. Even if you just see us with our mothers, sisters, and brothers.
So I guess today is a special day that makes the world look a little brighter, not only from me, but also from those amazing women who got to choose what kind of mother they wanted to be. Who wants to be known for putting up their hair? To love and accept? Or to be seen as a proud mama? They chose a different path, not knowing what the future held. One day that will happen to you. Tomorrow may never arrive, but I know it will and I hope that with your help we will be together again soon enough. Just a reminder to make sure you are safe and healthy and that you are loved. You deserve it!
