More than a hair cut

Truth be told, I am not "attached" to my hair like some women.  This would be evidenced by the fact that I haven't had a hair cut for almost a year.  The other hint that I'm not "into" my hair would be the time in college I decided to "go blond."  I was really excited that my Ohio based college town seemed to offer highlights for a considerably lower price than the Denver salons.  I had never had highlights before, so how would I know there was a difference between pull through bags and foil.  I found out latter that the pull through plastic baggies didn't have the same outcome as foil.  Hence the extreme difference in cost and not to mention quality.  Who knew.   Let's just say months of pulling small strands of hair through a plastic bag, plus bleaching it with chemicals didn't result in the healthiest style.  To top it off I decided to perm it as well, at a time when perms really weren't in.  Not a smart choice or combination.   After significantly burning my hair into crispy blond curls, I decided I had no future as a circus performer; my hair was pretty much ruined.  No big deal, it's just hair right, so I cut it all off and started over.  The hair cut might have been a great choice for a woman who wears short hair with style.  My sister-in-law is one such lucky gal.  Both she and my mother-in-law have that perfectly shaped face, it's just right for any style, long or short.  I'm not so fortunate.  My face is rather round, even when I'm not nine-months pregnant.  Not to mention that for me the freshman fifteen had turned into the sophomore twenty and the short hairdo just didn't compliment my more circular facial features.  It was one of those not so flattering moments in my history.   You know the type that your kids and husband like to use as free entertainment by taking out the yearbook and laughing hysterically for hours on end.

Recently a fresh hair cut has probably been the last thing on my mind.  You know you need a hair cut when your hair is so dried up and split that you actually have to curl it just to hide the dead ends so people can't see what it really looks like.  You also know it's especially bad when you pull it back into a pony tail pretty much every day, and when you do, you have little wispy hairs that stick up everywhere.  It's like every single day is a bad hair day, and you have no particular excuses, like not taking a shower.  It's just the hair itself is bad.  That's when you know you are long overdue for a trim.

So today I went for a hair cut and like most times, since it's been ages since I had a trim, I decided to do something drastic.  I told the poor stylist, to give me a new look, but what I really meant was a new life.  Just kidding.  I said something to the effect,  "You know, I feel like I'm a mom of four kids whose always stuck in my house," "Well, I guess I am, but I don't want to look like one."   What did that statement even mean?   I guess it's sort of unfair to go to a hairdresser and expect her to fix my problems with a simple cut.  "I guess I want something trendy."   How is it that these women, endowed with scissors seem to know exactly what we mean?  They aren't therapist, but maybe because spend so much time with women, they have some sort of insight into their psyche.   Or maybe it's just self therapy, going out and doing something fun like getting your hair washed and brushed and cut, without the kids, that makes you feel so good.  At any rate, it's food for thought, taking time out for yourself is important when you are a mom of young kids.  It refreshes you and then you can go home and give of yourself again.

This stylist loved her scissors and once she started she found more hair to cut off than I realized I had.  I think it was therapy for her too, the freedom to cut and cut with seemingly no end in sight.  I told her I wanted to keep the length, but apparently everyone has a different definition of what this really means.  I didn't have my glasses on and I'm pretty much blind without them.  After she was done cutting she took out the hair products, which I am not too familiar with.   Did I mention that I really don't spend a lot of time on my hair?   She sprayed my tresses with the carefree bliss of an artist with a paintbrush on a huge mural.  She sprayed and sprayed, with products to numerous to count.  She sprayed until the air lingered with mists sure to set the entire building a-blaze.   She sprayed and brushed until my hair was set in a formation that had the appearance of  a flowing graceful mane, yet in reality was fixed as hard as stone upon my head.  Neither wind nor comb could move it from it's steadfast position. I stood up, removed my smock.  With my head held high and my hair stiffly in place, I put on my glasses to observe the finished product with all the pride of a woman who only gets a hair cut once every ten months.  The first thing to cross my mind was "I strangely resembled Bon  Jovi".  To be honest I really wasn't sure what he looked like, but I was a bit uncertain about my new style.   "Well, it's just hair,"  I thought "it will grow back."  When I came home, I googled Bon Jovi.    And you know, the more I looked at him the more I realized that my hair cut really did resemble his.  Yet, the longer I examined his flowing mane, the more I realized his hair really is impressive.  I also realized that once I wash the layers of product from my hair I think I will find that it resembles more of myself than the way the hairdresser styled it.  The truth is, it was really refreshing to have a haircut, and a little time to myself.  I realized how important it is to do this periodically, whether it's a haircut or going to coffee with a friend or just getting out to exercise.  As a mom, it is important to take some time out for ourselves, so we can come back to our family energized and ready to take care of them.  It's also important to show your stylist a picture and be specific about what you are wanting in a haircut. 

In fact, the next time I go in, I'll just bring a picture of Bon Jovi.