Cut No Color

Throughout history women have cut and colored their hair. I am a recent convert to adding color to the natural shade of the locks that sprout from my scalp. Recent, in that until a year and half ago, I hadn't gone over to the.... lighter side of things. And as my friend, Frannie, will attest, it took some convincing but she finally won me over.

In the whole entire scope of the universe, whether or not I have highlights added to the locks isn't really a big deal. However, every woman that is in that mid-life, peri-menopausal period of life, will attest there comes a day that chemically altering the color is worth every stinking penny that it costs.

Now, having said that, most of the women I know - when they find a stylist that understands the needs of their locks, then you tend to be eternally faithful and grateful. But when you move, you have to go out unto the world of the unknown.

So, back to the dark side I went because it doesn't take long for the lighter side of things to be clipped off. One thing about aging and having children,(yes, today it is their fault), tends to darken the look of the locks, even to these nearsighted eyeballs.

However, on Saturday, on a whim, I decided to stop in at a mall salon. Okay, not original, but I had decided on the drive there, if I could find a salon with time, I was going to have my hair styled, since I had.... gulp... been trimming it myself since last fall.

Well, the first stop had five stylists, with only one working on a customer. Each one was looked under 30 but when I asked the cost of a haircut - my brain flipped a switch and made my mouth ask - so what would it cost for highlights. After pulling out a chart, the gal told me the price for a style and the color. Whoo hoo - within my budget. Okay they had time right then. I turned to hubby and said -" hey I am going in - you go have fun." (Which translated into giving him permission to go to every sports place in the mall, without him having to drag my whiny behind with him. He could look at all the sports gear, running shoes and sweat outfits in the place. It took him about five seconds to be on his way.)

Any whoo, naturally, the stylist who nabbed my business, had her chair right in the doorway, so every one else could see me in all the processing glory involved.

The funny part of the story, is coming - so bear with the me. The gal, gets me prepped. She puts the big black plastic cape on me and then gets the highlighting cap on my head. Now, you have to understand, while I get this processing done, I have to take off my glasses. Being entirely nearsighted, once I take off the glasses my sight is fuzzy. I can make out shapes and colors but to see any detail on anything - no way.

So, a bit into the process, a mother with two little girls comes in to get trims for the girls. Both little girls were under five is what I guessed. They had to wait for a few minutes until a stylist is free since after I came in the place filled up with folks needing trims.

Now, I don't know about any of you but you have to understand, that as a little kid in a salon, I might have been a little apprehensive or curious or freaked out at seeing some an older gal, sitting under a plastic cap, tied to her head making her look like one of those Eastern European women from the thirties that had their scarves tied so tightly that all you see is the pudgy cheeks. Plus add to that the stylist is picking my hair through the cap. It isn't really a kid friendly photo op.

Despite being blind during all of this, my hearing is still intact. The older of the girls asked her mom something I couldn't hear but the response from the mom is - "Well honey, you have lovely colors in your hair right now but when you get older, girls have to have help getting that pretty color back into our hair."

Both the stylist and I giggled a little because we both knew then when the girl had asked her mom. And despite not being able to see, I could sense I was being scrutinized by those young eyes trying to process what she was seeing.

It was the older girl's turn to get her hair cut since one of the other stylist chair was free.

The mom instructed her to inform the stylist what she wanted done to her hair.

In the loudest of voices as she climbed herself into the booster seat in two chairs down from me,

she exclaimed, "I want a cut NO COLOR!"

Now, that was very funny and I just laughed out loud and so did my stylist. I heard the mom gasp one of those - OMG I can't believe my kid just said that - gasps. The stylist for the little girl, giggled, and said she could do just a cut for her.

But the kid was just being honest because she just did not want to look like the pudgy middle aged plastic capped customer who was getting her hair picked. Can't blame her for making that comment but I will say, I got my cut, highlights and had a pretty good laugh at my own expense. All in all - it was worth the trip - back to the lighter side.