Mr. Brillig and I have always tried to give our kids free reign to express themselves in how they dress or physically look. The only rules we’ve ever had are you have to be able to attend school or church in it (given we’re Unitarian Universalists, school was in fact the harder barrier of the two) and with the exception of pierced ears, no permanent changes until you are a legal adult and decide to do them on your own. Which brings us to Saturday afternoon. Grab a nice warm beverage (it’s chilly here in New England tonight!) and join us below after a word from our sponsor...
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K2 is eleven and started middle school this year. It’s a time of numerous changes- more freedom to do what you want afterschool! Increased homework and moving from classroom to classroom! Lockers! Staying up later but getting up earlier! It’s also a time of increased control over one’s identity- figuring out who you are, and how you want to express yourself. Ever since school started, he’s taken to wearing collared shirts instead of T-shirts, vests and sweaters instead of hoodies, and if we’d let him, ties everyday (yes, my child belongs in the 80’s with Huey Lewis, but I digress). He wants to look the part of a serious student, and he also says that dressing up makes him feel good about being in school.
Recently, he’s been asking to change his look physically as well. He has traditional African hair, relatively fine but very very curly, that he usually wears in a fade or close cut. He decided he desperately want straight hair. A first attempt with a straightening brush was an absolute failure, but then he asked if we’d chemically straighten it. And this is how Mr. Brillig and I found ourselves on Saturday afternoon reading a loooong set of instructions, making K2 promise that he knew we are NOT hair stylists, and that he would NOT be angry at us if his hair didn’t come out exactly as he imagined it would, and dousing our son’s hair with no-lye relaxer for fine/medium hair. I don’t have permission to post pictures, but thankfully we did NOT have to shave his head afterwards, and he’s very happily spending hours in front of a mirror combing and recombing his new, straighter, hair. He’s also discovered that it takes longer to get ready and stay looking neat, because bed head and wind. I have no idea what will happen when it gets cold enough he needs a hat!!
When I was in high school back in the dark ages, the trend was long, thick, side or center-parted hair done in the style of Farrah Fawcett. This required long thick hair, rollers and a blow dryer, and a lot of hair spray. I had relatively short shoulder length at best, very fine, thin wavy hair with an insistent side part that would NOT do the “wings” required to be trendy. This also was before I realized that cutting my hair short would make it curly and I could cut my morning routine to under five minutes, so I spent much money rebelling against Farrah hair by getting mine permed. I… umm… well, a friend decided I looked like a sheep. I’m not sure he was wrong.
Everyone I knew with curly hair wanted straight hair, and everyone with straight hair spent hours rolling, heating, perming, curling and spraying it. This hasn’t changed in the youth of today- it is a constant that we will always want what we cannot have, as far as hair is concerned. As a friend said recently when we talked about this issue: “I have curly haired kids and straight haired kids. My house was full of products guaranteed to straighten hair and promising a lasting curl sitting side by side on the shelves.”
I actually like my fine curly white naturally very pale blonde locks now, although I’ll admit there are days I’d love sleek, shiny straight hair long and thick enough to style or put in a ponytail. What about your hair? What did YOU do to your hair growing up (or now)? Love it, buzzcut it, change the curl or color it pink? Share in the comments after perusing what we all come here for, the Trio of Top Comments, Mojo and Pictures that are the backbone of this community diary series. Thank you to BeninSC (who has wonderful hair!) for the collaboration and format assist tonight
I do suspect we all likely agree on is that No One wants Trump’s hair.
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Highlighted by MopShell:
For Monday, October 24, 2016, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on the subject.
1) As a candidate for County Commissioner, I take o … by Brainwrap +270
2) Indeed. The Mosul op (which I follow well) is go … by Rei +171
3) I don’t speak Spanish, and even I can figure out … by lotac +150
4) I would give Tony Schwartz high marks for what h … by rugbymom +149
5) But a 12 point decline in lack of enthusiasm amo … by First Amendment +142
6) now that really is funny by Wolf7858 +140
7) vote clinton … by Greg Dworkin +139
8) Your wish (and mine) is well on its way to happe … by dweb8231 +128
9) My God, there must be County Commissioner candid … by ursulafaw +127
10) The insurance companies will be interested. by PJEvans +126
11) Or even if you don’t buy into the CT, he’s clear … by chloris creator +123
12) He’s also been donating the money he made from A … by Pooter03 +120
13) A very good ad. I hope he gets creamed. by Dave G +118
14) OK, I laughed, I admit it. by Laughing Gravy +116
15) My precinct before the doors opened at 8 am. The … by tiredntexas +115
16) Yeah, that team down 5 runs at the end of the ga … by illinifan17 +112
17) That is pretty funny. The rare Republicans with … by qazplm +110
17) I’ve got to think that if I’m a Republican wakin … by Dartagnan +110
19) But you really do have the best words. by Crashing Vor +106
20) His New Yorker interview earlier this year was j … by se portland +97
20) Maybe he was going more for the “Word Salad” con … by dmhlt 66 +97
22) Actually a typical American adult has a vocabula … by Captain Frogbert +95
22) I have worked for a number of county commissione … by JTML +95
24) Let's hope Trump does for the nation what Prop 1 … by PaulDem +94
25) I really liked this ad — I would like to know wh … by Denise Oliver Velez +91
26) What’s that saying? … by Gwennedd +90
26) I think that we are going to see record rates of … by Neuroscientist2 +90
26) Trump already had a 4th debate — the Al Smith di … by phoenixdreamz +90
29) Flynn always reminds me of that Muppet character … by dmhlt 66 +91
30) Two words, "Texas, ours." by Nebraska68847Dem +89
2016-10-25, courtesy of jotter!