This is a really cool piece, intimate, funny, and unexpected. Speaking of mothers doing things to daughter's hair, a friend's mother--this was in the mid to late 60s--used to go after his long hair to the point where he wore a football helmet to bed.
A lovely reflection on your life through hair. I would even forgive you calling it hairstory. Such a personal reflection gave me a bit of a lift. Thanks.
The quote bit is actually from Kahlil Gibran's "On Clothes"... but the sentiment has a Rumi ring to it, for sure! I mostly popped into your Comments today, though, to share how very much I enjoy these Sunday "random ramblings." Your lovely voice complements your lovely hair, Sarah, and I hope you never lose either of them! 😊
Sarah, you cracked me up when you said your hair color was "like a pile of wood"! I can relate to your article. When I was a preteen, my mother would force my brother (20 years older than I) to cut my hair, if it was allowed to grow, it would have been brown and naturally curly and I wanted straight. Too much to deal with she said. My brother was a hairstylist in Hollywood, did hair for many famous people. He apologized as he cut my hair off and I looked like a boy,plus not allowed to wear makeup. When I was 17 I was allowed to let my hair grow. My mom was such a jerk, traumatized me. If I knew how to attach a "boy" school photo, I would. Pretty ugly.
Oh my goodness, I'm sorry to hear about your mom acting like that! I've heard some crazy stories about mothers controlling their kids hair (like, more than the normal amount) for sure...a friend of mine said her mom used to force her to dye her hair blonde when she was a teenager. My own mom was not vindictive at all, she just didn't know what to do with it. I still don't totally, but at least it's up to me!
Well, I never thought one could write an article on "hair" but no only did you prove that you could and not only that, but is was interesting and underfu!
haha well thank you, Michael! I think hair is one of those things that women just spend a lot of time reflecting on, and that men -- mostly because it's just not a major thing in our current iteration of manhood -- just don't give a whole lot of thought to.
Sarah, had very curly hair, which I hated. As a kid, and being of a generation before you, you probaly have heard that once upon a time girls in high school and above actually used to iron their hair to make it straight. I didn't do it--it wouldn't have worked anyway, because it never grew below my shoulders. What I did do in my early twenties was get it professionally straightened. Bad decision. Now it is very popular to have very curly hair, and the bigger the better--like Little Orphan Annie. My hair didn't grow back the same, and of course the years have thinned it out. It is great that you are happy with what you have. Not everyone is, as we know by all the cosmetic surgery even being done to teens. Your daughter is beautiful. May both of you enjoy what you have, always. Loretta
This is a really cool piece, intimate, funny, and unexpected. Speaking of mothers doing things to daughter's hair, a friend's mother--this was in the mid to late 60s--used to go after his long hair to the point where he wore a football helmet to bed.
now THAT...is a strategy!
A lovely reflection on your life through hair. I would even forgive you calling it hairstory. Such a personal reflection gave me a bit of a lift. Thanks.
Haha I'm glad to know I could have gotten away with that name! :D Thanks for your kind words, Douglas.
The quote bit is actually from Kahlil Gibran's "On Clothes"... but the sentiment has a Rumi ring to it, for sure! I mostly popped into your Comments today, though, to share how very much I enjoy these Sunday "random ramblings." Your lovely voice complements your lovely hair, Sarah, and I hope you never lose either of them! 😊
Oh my goodness, you're totally right! I'm mixing up my mystics :,)
I'm glad you enjoy my writing, even my kind of "out there" things like today's, haha. I can also report that today my hair is extra crazy. :D
Sarah, you cracked me up when you said your hair color was "like a pile of wood"! I can relate to your article. When I was a preteen, my mother would force my brother (20 years older than I) to cut my hair, if it was allowed to grow, it would have been brown and naturally curly and I wanted straight. Too much to deal with she said. My brother was a hairstylist in Hollywood, did hair for many famous people. He apologized as he cut my hair off and I looked like a boy,plus not allowed to wear makeup. When I was 17 I was allowed to let my hair grow. My mom was such a jerk, traumatized me. If I knew how to attach a "boy" school photo, I would. Pretty ugly.
Oh my goodness, I'm sorry to hear about your mom acting like that! I've heard some crazy stories about mothers controlling their kids hair (like, more than the normal amount) for sure...a friend of mine said her mom used to force her to dye her hair blonde when she was a teenager. My own mom was not vindictive at all, she just didn't know what to do with it. I still don't totally, but at least it's up to me!
Well, I never thought one could write an article on "hair" but no only did you prove that you could and not only that, but is was interesting and underfu!
haha well thank you, Michael! I think hair is one of those things that women just spend a lot of time reflecting on, and that men -- mostly because it's just not a major thing in our current iteration of manhood -- just don't give a whole lot of thought to.
Sorry to intrude, this is finally the short narrative of my temporary banning from Substack, just for completion from my previous comments to you.
https://open.substack.com/pub/federicosotodelalba/p/i-was-temporarily-suspended-from?r=4up0lp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Sarah, had very curly hair, which I hated. As a kid, and being of a generation before you, you probaly have heard that once upon a time girls in high school and above actually used to iron their hair to make it straight. I didn't do it--it wouldn't have worked anyway, because it never grew below my shoulders. What I did do in my early twenties was get it professionally straightened. Bad decision. Now it is very popular to have very curly hair, and the bigger the better--like Little Orphan Annie. My hair didn't grow back the same, and of course the years have thinned it out. It is great that you are happy with what you have. Not everyone is, as we know by all the cosmetic surgery even being done to teens. Your daughter is beautiful. May both of you enjoy what you have, always. Loretta