I recently came across a custom calendar that my dad had made for me and my siblings for Christmas last year. Each month featured a picture of us kids at different vacation destinations throughout our childhood. I started thumbing through it again when I came across the most mortifying picture of me. Believe me it is mortifying! In fact my son Grant was standing by the computer as I scanned it in and said "EEOOOOO!!!" (with disgust) And then he added with sweet compassion, "Don't worry mom, at least you're pretty now."
So I'm sure you all want to see the picture and I won't disappoint. But I do have to give a little background before you see it.
This photo was taken in Hawaii when I was 13 years old. My paternal grandparents lived on the island of Kaui for several years when I was growing up and my whole family went to visit them one summer. My family stayed a week, during which, this photo was taken. It's a picture of me and my siblings with my grandparents. I was lucky enough to get to stay a full extra month with my grandparents and my best cousin Stacey. Sounds like paradise, and it really was, except for one thing. My hair.
You see, about a month before going on vacation my mom decided I would look really cute with a chin length haircut. Being the obedient thirteen year old daughter that I was (I can hear you laughing dad), I followed my mom into the hair salon and let the hairdresser chop off my hair. The results were horriffic. It was a bad cut to begin with, then add to the fact that my hair curled up so tight it shrunk another couple inches! The hairdresser tried to weigh down the curl with some gel, but it was no use. Also consider that right about this time my nice soft curled locks were going through a puberty-driven transformation into coarse, tight curls which were extremely frizzy and dry. To make matters worse, soon after the haircut my little sister came home with head lice which she contracted from one of her classmates. By the time we found out she had lice, it was too late. When three sisters share the same bathroom, brushes, and hair supplies, it is inevitable. All three of us had lice. Because my hair was becoming so thick and wiry, it took two treatments of the dreaded lice shampoo and my mom nightly combing out the nits. Luckily I was ridded of lice before we left for Hawaii, but the two doses of lice shampoo took a heavy toll on my hair. It became extremely dry and even more unmanageable. One last thing to factor in. When we got to Hawaii I realized that the warm, humid, salty breeze in Hawaii didn't allow gel to keep a hold very well. Without gel I was toast.
Let's look at the equation:
bad haircut+hair changes due to puberty+2 doses of lice shampoo damage+Hawaiian breeze=
Count down with me now (drum roll please)...........
So I'm sure you all want to see the picture and I won't disappoint. But I do have to give a little background before you see it.
This photo was taken in Hawaii when I was 13 years old. My paternal grandparents lived on the island of Kaui for several years when I was growing up and my whole family went to visit them one summer. My family stayed a week, during which, this photo was taken. It's a picture of me and my siblings with my grandparents. I was lucky enough to get to stay a full extra month with my grandparents and my best cousin Stacey. Sounds like paradise, and it really was, except for one thing. My hair.
You see, about a month before going on vacation my mom decided I would look really cute with a chin length haircut. Being the obedient thirteen year old daughter that I was (I can hear you laughing dad), I followed my mom into the hair salon and let the hairdresser chop off my hair. The results were horriffic. It was a bad cut to begin with, then add to the fact that my hair curled up so tight it shrunk another couple inches! The hairdresser tried to weigh down the curl with some gel, but it was no use. Also consider that right about this time my nice soft curled locks were going through a puberty-driven transformation into coarse, tight curls which were extremely frizzy and dry. To make matters worse, soon after the haircut my little sister came home with head lice which she contracted from one of her classmates. By the time we found out she had lice, it was too late. When three sisters share the same bathroom, brushes, and hair supplies, it is inevitable. All three of us had lice. Because my hair was becoming so thick and wiry, it took two treatments of the dreaded lice shampoo and my mom nightly combing out the nits. Luckily I was ridded of lice before we left for Hawaii, but the two doses of lice shampoo took a heavy toll on my hair. It became extremely dry and even more unmanageable. One last thing to factor in. When we got to Hawaii I realized that the warm, humid, salty breeze in Hawaii didn't allow gel to keep a hold very well. Without gel I was toast.
Let's look at the equation:
bad haircut+hair changes due to puberty+2 doses of lice shampoo damage+Hawaiian breeze=
Count down with me now (drum roll please)...........
Three.....................
Two.........................
One.........................
(click picture to enlarge)
Now you all know why I have such long hair now. I was so traumatized by this haircut that I will never cut my hair shorter than my ability to pull it back safely into a bun or ponytail.
After you are all done chuckling, feel free to leave a comment. Don't worry, I can take it.
Posts
12 comments:
Oh my gosh! I have to admit, I didn't chuckle. it was more like a guffaw!! Cursed head lice! I guess the answer to your big equation can be summed up in 1 word... FRO! Although they are in again you know. Ha, ha, you are the bravest woman I know. I don't think i'll ever be brave enough to show my gross puberty pictures. Did I already say congrats on being pregnant again? That is the other reason you are the bravest woman around!
I remember when you got that cut. We were able to make it look ok before we went to Hawaii. That salt air just made it worse. In that picture your hairdoo reminds me of a character named Link on the 60's show called the Mod Squad. His Fro had nothing on yours. LOL What matters though is what a beautiful woman you became.
Love,
Mom
SICK!!! (nostrils flaring)
Well I sure havent laughed so hard for quite some time. We're talking tears and everything, so bad that Ryan had to come into the room to see what was wrong. I even choked on my cereal. Just the funny story description, and the mounting curiousity until the climatic picture. That was pretty funny.
Thank you - thank you - thank you for the good laugh! :-) My pictures are equally "unique." But I'm too chicken to post them.
It's been five minutes now and I have not stopped laughing. That is not what I was imagining your hair to look like as I was reading your story. Thanks for the good, fun laugh.
That was great. After that description and looking at your photo, I didn't think it was so bad.. because I thought you were the one in the front! Oh my! It almost looks like you photoshopped a wig on your head! Poor girl.. somehow I know you're a stronger more confidant woman today after a haircut like that! Very funny.
I was dumbfounded...I never imagined that you would have EVER looked like that! Everyone else has said it perfectly: you are beyond brave to show us all something like that- I am so not that brave!
This was seriously the best story I have heard in a long time! Thanks for the great laugh!
I have to say that I don't recall it looking like a fro when I was there. Love Stacey
That was AWESOME!
DaveC
I love it! I'd have to admit though that I have some frightening pictures of my hair that closely resembles yours. I completely understand the hair drama and am thankful that we have outgrown it...on most days!
Love,
Valynn
Post a Comment