When you realize you've had the same style for...well, forever, it's probably natural to want to change it up. When you do, you're going to learn a LOT about yourself. And sometimes, there's a good reason you had the same style so long.
1) I have a very big head.
Not just in relation to some other people. In relation to every person. I always thought hats didn't fit me because of all that hair. But now I have no hair. And still, hats don't fit me. I look at photos of myself with long hair: I look fine. I look at photos of myself with short hair: I look like a friggin bobble head doll. How did I never know this?
2) My head is misshapen. And I have cowlicks.
Long hair can hide all kinds of evils. That much regretted misspelled tattoo on the back of your neck. That giant mole behind your ear. Or, in my case, the fact that several parts of my hair are just going to do whatever the hell they want to no matter what I say, even if it means looking like a rooster. Long hair weighs it down and makes it behave. Short hair...not so much.
I also have a massive flat spot on the back of my head causing my hair to perpetually look like it's been smooshed against a pillow for hours even when I just stepped out of the shower. From the front, my head looks narrow and long. From the side, my head looks wide and short. That bigheadedness I was just talking about? Yeah that's all going front to back. Not so much on the side to side. Again, no wonder hats don't fit me. Hats are round. My head is not.
3) A hairstyle change requires an entire style change.
A uniform of tshirts and jeans only looks feminine with long feminine hair. With short hair, it just looks butch. Now I wear stuff with ruffles for pete's sake! Just to look like a girl! Big boobs and cleavage also would probably help in this area. I have neither.
4) I don't have the attitude.
Short hair (at least not of the "I'm a mom and drive carpool" variety) requires a certain "look at me!" attitude. Kind of like being a redhead. You don't fit the carbon copy (why does everyone seem to look like they have the same hairdresser?) and so you're going to attract attention. You better be able to handle it.
I've always been kind of a wallflower. Not kind of. If you look up "wallflower" in the dictionary, you'll see my picture. I'm the girl who stands by the snack table to make sure my hands are busy so it doesn't look like I have no one to talk to. Not the girl who jumps right into being the center of attention. Unless I'm completely drunk, in which case all bets are off. Which is why alcohol should not be served at company functions. But that's another story altogether.
Short hair and shyness do not go together. When I learned the attitude required for short hair (which I of course only learned after I'd cut it all off), I hoped maybe it would force me out of my shell and make me be a bit more outgoing. You know, to match my hair. Unfortunately it seems to have had the opposite effect.
5) My husband loves spontaneity. But not as much as he loves long hair.
When I cut my hair, I had been mulling it over for about two weeks. Which is a very short time in my world. In my husband's world, two weeks is an eternity. So when my husband came home to see that I'd lopped off literally 13 inches of hair in one go, without debating it into the ground with pro and con lists and the opinion of everyone I've ever met, he was psyched. I'd made a (relatively) impulsive decision! It was only about three days later when he said "so...how long do you think it will take to grow out?"
6) If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't. Which would be a shame.
Everyone should take a chance now and again. If I hadn't cut off all my hair, I never would have realized why I had the long hair in the first place. When my hair finally does grow back out, I will appreciate it all the more.
Also, short hair makes life a helluva lot easier. Making me understand why moms do it. Now my hair is dry before I leave the house, whereas with long hair, it would still be damp the next morning. Unless I used a hairdryer, which took an hour. Literally. I can wash my hair, bathe, and shave my legs in less than 10 minutes. I couldn't even get my long hair wet all the way through in that time.
So now, I can appreciate the long hair and I can appreciate the short hair. And I can respect the reasons behind both.
And now I know that, while I'm enjoying some aspects of having short hair, I am solidly (and should remain) in the long hair camp. But I'll never again wonder "what if," and that's a pretty good reason for doing anything.
1) I have a very big head.
Not just in relation to some other people. In relation to every person. I always thought hats didn't fit me because of all that hair. But now I have no hair. And still, hats don't fit me. I look at photos of myself with long hair: I look fine. I look at photos of myself with short hair: I look like a friggin bobble head doll. How did I never know this?
2) My head is misshapen. And I have cowlicks.
Long hair can hide all kinds of evils. That much regretted misspelled tattoo on the back of your neck. That giant mole behind your ear. Or, in my case, the fact that several parts of my hair are just going to do whatever the hell they want to no matter what I say, even if it means looking like a rooster. Long hair weighs it down and makes it behave. Short hair...not so much.
I also have a massive flat spot on the back of my head causing my hair to perpetually look like it's been smooshed against a pillow for hours even when I just stepped out of the shower. From the front, my head looks narrow and long. From the side, my head looks wide and short. That bigheadedness I was just talking about? Yeah that's all going front to back. Not so much on the side to side. Again, no wonder hats don't fit me. Hats are round. My head is not.
3) A hairstyle change requires an entire style change.
A uniform of tshirts and jeans only looks feminine with long feminine hair. With short hair, it just looks butch. Now I wear stuff with ruffles for pete's sake! Just to look like a girl! Big boobs and cleavage also would probably help in this area. I have neither.
4) I don't have the attitude.
Short hair (at least not of the "I'm a mom and drive carpool" variety) requires a certain "look at me!" attitude. Kind of like being a redhead. You don't fit the carbon copy (why does everyone seem to look like they have the same hairdresser?) and so you're going to attract attention. You better be able to handle it.
I've always been kind of a wallflower. Not kind of. If you look up "wallflower" in the dictionary, you'll see my picture. I'm the girl who stands by the snack table to make sure my hands are busy so it doesn't look like I have no one to talk to. Not the girl who jumps right into being the center of attention. Unless I'm completely drunk, in which case all bets are off. Which is why alcohol should not be served at company functions. But that's another story altogether.
Short hair and shyness do not go together. When I learned the attitude required for short hair (which I of course only learned after I'd cut it all off), I hoped maybe it would force me out of my shell and make me be a bit more outgoing. You know, to match my hair. Unfortunately it seems to have had the opposite effect.
5) My husband loves spontaneity. But not as much as he loves long hair.
When I cut my hair, I had been mulling it over for about two weeks. Which is a very short time in my world. In my husband's world, two weeks is an eternity. So when my husband came home to see that I'd lopped off literally 13 inches of hair in one go, without debating it into the ground with pro and con lists and the opinion of everyone I've ever met, he was psyched. I'd made a (relatively) impulsive decision! It was only about three days later when he said "so...how long do you think it will take to grow out?"
6) If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't. Which would be a shame.
Everyone should take a chance now and again. If I hadn't cut off all my hair, I never would have realized why I had the long hair in the first place. When my hair finally does grow back out, I will appreciate it all the more.
Also, short hair makes life a helluva lot easier. Making me understand why moms do it. Now my hair is dry before I leave the house, whereas with long hair, it would still be damp the next morning. Unless I used a hairdryer, which took an hour. Literally. I can wash my hair, bathe, and shave my legs in less than 10 minutes. I couldn't even get my long hair wet all the way through in that time.
So now, I can appreciate the long hair and I can appreciate the short hair. And I can respect the reasons behind both.
And now I know that, while I'm enjoying some aspects of having short hair, I am solidly (and should remain) in the long hair camp. But I'll never again wonder "what if," and that's a pretty good reason for doing anything.
Your long, dirty blonde, wavy, I-just-want-to-braid-daisy-chains-into-it hair was gorgeous. I envied how curly it was without the slightest bit of product. Add to that your deep summertime tan and super blonde from the sun highlights, and you looked like a mermaid with legs.
ReplyDeleteYour short, sexy hairdo I also envy. Your sleek frame and urban lifestyle fit your hair so perfectly...or should I have that the other way around? As for you needing to be sassy and busty since you have short hair? No way! Look at Michelle Williams! Or Mia Farrow! Your short hair says that you're no muss no fuss, but also sophisticated and worldly. Short hair is a different kind of beauty...one that those who don't step foot off their back porch don't understand. One that suits you brilliantly.
Gorgeous either way...what a hard life!
I agree with Erin totally! You are gorgeous with long and short hair. So enjoy. Now that all the traveling is done for awhile, you can take the time to grow it out.
ReplyDeleteJust lopped my hair off too!! However, I have done it before and hair longer than shoulder length always made me itchy for a cut!
ReplyDeleteI regret it somewhat, but I know in a few months it will be a perfect little bob!
At least I have the justification of the Indian summer to back up my decision! :)