A Flat Iron and a Rat's Nest

First of all let me say, if you have a bad hair day it is down hill from there......In my teens I was queen of long straight hair. This was the 70's and I could roll my hair in 20 seconds......with orange juice cans. It gave the flatest and straightest look with a little poof of body. Sometimes I would even iron my hair. With the iron! After the birth of my first child, I felt the all too common urge for a new and sophisticated young mother look. I cut my waist long hair into a short and layered shag. It was total impulse and I really did not like it although I wouldn't have admitted it back then. I sorta started a craze around here and everyone started cutting their hair so I didn't feel so alone. I let it grow out shoulder length and got a swing cut. This was my 20's. Then in my 30's I tried for up to date fashion again and went with the perm. I loved it....so easy to take care of and I could get ready in a blink. I wore my hair long and permed for that decade. Great ponytails, great hair pulled back.....or great just wild. With a few occasional trims and highlights for changes, I kept it that way. Then in my 40's I was confused. I still sported a ponytail, wore my hair up in a clip alot, hair pulled back ( bows were in BIG time and the girls and I had every color ), kept it rather shoulder length and straight. Towards the end of my 40's I started feeling a little like I needed to act my age and wear my hair accordingly. So, I went for a "Faith Hill" shorter cut. Like the one she has on her CD Breathe. I loved this cut and it still let me fluff and rat and make big hair. Lots of hair spray. I love big hair and the older I get the more I love it. Texas is all about BIG HAIR. BIG BIG BIG....rat rat tease tease poof poof spray spray. I grew up watching in admiration at my older cousins tease their hair. But, it passed all my decades not in style so I never really got the knack for it. From about middle 40's to present I joined the rat, tease, poof and spray club. I swear that someday they are going to find out women's lungs are coated with hair spray. But, it wasn't alot of fluffy and it wasn't tacky but I got the hang of it. I found out it even gave this 5'1" girl some heighth! Yet, everytime lately I have gone in to get a cut, she has used this flat iron thing on me. She says, "quit teasing your hair." I walk out flat haired and get in the car, go around the block and dig my brush out of the console and tease, tease, poof poof. It is just comfortable.

And then it happened. The girl that has done my hair since the beginning of all this is trying to get me to go straight again. "It'll make you look younger," she said! She slapped a flat iron in my hand and said " try this for a few weeks. " I am all about looking younger. But, I am totally uncoordinated with that thing not to mention it burns at temperatures that I expect it to ignite my side of the bathroom. There is a technique to it for sure. Opposite of anything I have ever tried. I am trying but I am not good at it. I looked great when I left her shop that day but for some reason when I leave my house I look like I was attacked by 50 slobbering St. Bernards. It's not working out. I'll give it a few more weeks. Maybe another lesson in the shop. We'll see.

I totally see why older women cut their hair short and go blue. Not gray but blue. Then they go to the beauty shop every week to maintain it. They don't sell flat irons at their salon. They still roll with plastic rollers, give perms, rat, tease and poof. I am so scared that I am fixing to break down and make an appointment there. I feel like I did when I was 12. Not old enough for lipstick . Yet........ But now, I am not old enough yet for permed blue hair. I just wish I could find a style that would grow with me into the golden (er) years. Men have it made. They do not have to worry about their hair. They don't even have to worry if they don't have any hair. They can get ready to go somewhere in 5 minutes flat. So, I'm sitting here today with my flat hair. Worrying about trying it again tomorrow. I feel much shorter, I know that.