The Haircut

It was time.  I kept measuring my hair.  Not that I didn't kind of like it long. I was watching Youtube videos on period hairstyles and having fun (although the damn Victory Rolls really got me...could not do those!). I kind of felt like it was getting close to that time.  For my most recent singing gig, instead of copping out, twisting my hair up and wearing a hat, I curled the mane and did my Hedy Lamar-Veronica Lake do.  Long glamorous, movie-star hair!

But I had stopped cutting my hair August 29, 2009 (except for trims) for a very specific purpose: to donate it.  I remember hearing about Kaya going wig shopping after she lost her hair.  I knew about kids who get wigs.  I have relatives and friends who've lost their hair.  Mine is going gray.  There is no way around it.  It's getting grayer.  Obviously I do not have the Steve Knerly Dark Hair Gene.  I'm taking after Mom's side and getting gray.  Damn.  Sucks. The damn hair donations won't take gray hair.  (I am 25% gray now.  What's with that?) It was now or never.

I said I'd do it.  Damnit, I said I'd do it.  I'd made a pledge. Yesterday, I went to Best Cuts and had them measure me again for Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. It was long enough.

I didn't think I'd cry.  How stupid is that?  I've SHAVED my head, for God's sake.  Come on.  But I cried. I'm not sure why I did.  Is it because it took so long to get it that long?  Is it because it's a big change? I seriously don't know I cried.  If someone can tell me why, please do!  Maybe I'm just a sentimental fool!  

"Are you sure?" said Marisa the stylist.

"Yeah, just do it."  She turned on the clippers and I blanched.  Gulp.  Tears.

"Are you SURE?"

"Just do it, let's get this show on the road."



Afterwards she colored my hair, back to my underneath "old" color.  I am NOT gray underneath, at the nape of my neck.  Just on top.

Gray hair is very unruly stuff: mine is kind of kinky and curly.  I had forgotten that well-done, professionally done, freshly-colored hair is shiny and smooth.  And slippery!  The stuff is slippery.  Clips slide off of it.  Hair bingies fall out of it.  It will interesting to see what happens when I wash it!

I will probably continue to let it grow to about shoulder length, maybe a bit longer.  I'm grateful we decided to not cut bangs, those are a PITA to grow out.  I do like the versatility of longer hair.  I think more and more woman over 50 and onwards have longer hair.  It used to be, even 10 years ago, that if you were over 50, certainly over 60, it needed to be short.  Now you see people my age and older with beautiful longer hair.  Not "stupid long" (like the completely gray-haired broad at the Nat, with her big a**ed braid down to her waist that makes you just ITCH for a pair of garden shears).  Just nice long hair.  Oprah, Dr. Phil's wife, Robin, Jane Seymour, Susan Lucci, the Hot In Cleveland gals etc. etc. Heck, Linda Evans, for God's sake.  She's 68, looks great.

So yes, this miserable little ponytail representing months and years of care and growth....this ponytail is for you.  It's in the mail.  I kept my pledge.  It's for my Facebook friend, Sharron, who is growing out her peach fuzz after chemo.  And for my family.
http://youtu.be/_EAnhKVwOdk
(The link might work, if not please cut and paste.)