"Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair.
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen.
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer.
Here baby, there, momma, ev'rywhere, daddy, daddy -hair." ~From the musical Hair
John Lennon glasses were groovy and all the rage.
Even though I was young (8th grade), I wanted to look like my two best identical twin friends - long straight hair with little turned-up noses. We're still best friends, and today I know we're beautiful in who we are and are comfortable with our unique looks. They helped teach me that important lesson.
Long hair and a midriff - do you remember those?
College days of frizz and curls: I think there was a nest in my hair!
College Graduation
In the "What was I thinking?" category, this would be the winner. I needed a haircut before my appointment with the photographer, so I asked my roommate, who was going through a period of being either bipolar or depressed, to cut my hair. This was the result. I was mortified. I think she was trying to tell me something.
My first vacation with my boyfriend (now husband). I thought I looked great; big hair was all the rage in the 80s. Ugh.
Making Peace
I've made peace with my hair, and now I embrace it. I am blessed to have hair that is unique to me and compliments the person I am. Being in our 50s, there's a calmness that comes with being comfortable with who we are and what we look like. Going down Memory Lane and looking at these photos makes me happy.
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Nice post, Cathy. I too have curly hair. Spent 45 mins blow drying and straightening today! Perhaps someday I will make peace too!
Funny, I always think your hair looks so nice and never out of place. I could not imagine you with straight hair. Curly hair suits you well my friend. But then there is my hair.....just kidding.
You are a far, far braver woman than I to post all those history-told-by-hairstyle pics! I remember many of them, both on you -- and how I tried to get my straight hair to do resemble some! The peace I've made is - except for special occassions - to give up blow-drying. I can use that time for a lot more interesting things!
Cathy:
LOVED your conclusion! Finding happiness with ourselves in the second half of life is the WHOLE POINT of living through all those rough, self-critical earlier years. Let's hear it for feeling fabulous in our 50's!
Laura Lee
I agree, itt definitely is liberating to be 50+ and feel comfortable with being exactly who I am. Love your pictures!
I love your hair,article and your sense of humor! I decided years ago that God gave me curls and I would embrace them rather than fight them! I know people spend a lot of money trying to have and hold them! LOL! Now in my 50's, I'm comfortable with the way I am! I try to be healthy, but I appreciate a lot more these days and give myself a break more often!
Some women would KILL to have your hair :>)
We had the same 80s haircut. Just about everyone did! I always wanted to let my curly hair grow long in those days and not one hairstylist would let me do it. Today my hair is as long as it was when I was a ten year old and I'm loving it.
I'm the opposite. Pin straight, fine, thin, hair.
Still haven't embraced it...but I guess I've accepted it.
Please know that I've envied each and every look you've had. Yes, even the nest!
I finally made peace with my curls just about the time my hair started thinning. Oh well. There was a few minutes in there that I was happy with it!
I loved turning 50 (a few years ago). I finally feel like I can let things go. Suddenly everything doesn't have to be perfect. Peaceful, even.
Here's my Wordless Wednesday: Satsumas. I hope you will stop by! And Happy New Year!
Im glad you made peace with your hair and wrote about it with the photos to prove your point. My favorite photo is the last one!