Hair: My Not So Secret Vanity

Today, I went to meet someone for an interview site unseen. We found each other at the cafe, then went up to the counter to buy some hot chocolate, The barrista looked at us and said, ” He asked if I knew what you looked like and I told him you were distinctive looking.” I was a bit taken aback and said, “Did you recognize me?” She suddenly felt awkward about her choice of adjective and sort of stuttered as she told me that he’d looked at her funny when she said “distinctive” as if it wasn’t well meant, but it was intended as a compliment. She knew my picture from my newspaper columns and said my hair was distinctive. But in a good way. She liked it.

And I liked being referred to as distinctive in the “good” sense of the word. I’ve always loved that hair can be changed so easily and that having well-groomed hair can go a long way to improve a look. As a mom, I’ve moved away from more complex styles that involve a ton of round brushing, etc. Instead, I’ve had a few versions of the same haircut for quite awhile and surprised myself by selecting a sort of signature style. I’ve adopted a rich brown/red with definitive bangs and an angled bob that varies slightly between haircuts. My hair has never been shinier, it’s incredibly easy to do, I always feel polished, and I’ve never received more compliments on my hair than I do now.

I recently thought about going in a serious new direction and couldn’t believe the responses from people saying “don’t do it.” I did end up changing it slightly to soften it a bit and just so I could say I wasn’t stuck in a hair rut. But it’s hard to change something that isn’t broken…well, at least it is now.

In the past, I’ve been sort of known for constantly changing my hair. I once had a high school boyfriend who was highly amused looking through all of my childhood pictures because he’d never seen one person with so many different hairstyles. I cut off tons of my hair off in college and had a sassy, sometimes spiky do – my oldest sister and her husband tell me it’s their “favorite cut” to this day. I’ve had terrible cuts and some unique colors. I always wanted crayon red hair and died it that way right after my daughter was born. It was fun, but wasn’t a permanent choice.

I’m not sure what’ll come next with my hair, but I think it is my one true vanity. It’s the one thing I’ve been consistently complimented on all my life. I may not have hips, legs, or a nose that other women envy. But I do have my hair. :0)

PS I know I should put a picture here, but I we recently lost some photos and I need my hubby’s help finding a recent one. It is now longer and a bit different than the picture shown to the left.