A Defining Hair Moment

"It's funny how so many decisions that start with "What the hell?" turn out to be the right ones." ~saying on a card at the Union General, Clarkston, MI

"I had long hair, waist long, until I was 13 years old," said the stylist at my salon when I remarked on her very chic, very short auburn brown hair. She looks much younger than her 50 something years, wears great funky clothes, and has a tiny diamond piercing the side of her nose. I was surprised to hear she has several grandchildren. As she snipped my hair, she went on with her story.

"I was the oldest of seven children, and I have 4 sisters. We all wore our hair like the good little Catholic school girls we were--long, straight, with bangs cut straight across our foreheads. When I was 13, I got tired of looking just like my 7 year old sister, so one day I sneaked out and got my hair cut very short." Her parents couldn't believe she would do something so radical. "Back then, you could sell your hair for use in making wigs." (She had brought the length of hair home with her.)

"My dad said 'You will not prosper from this act of defiance' and he took it outside and burned it. I didn't think of it as being defiant. I just wanted to be myself--an individual. I was also grounded for a month."

"A month doesn't seem like that long," I said.

She agreed, and thinking back on what must have been a defining moment said, "It was totally worth it."