Wednesday, November 13, 2013

the ten year itch

So I realized recently that I get a Ten Year Itch. For some people it's moving to a new home, for others it's getting a new spouse. For me, it's chopping my hair off like a guy.

For the most part, I've always had long hair, except for that one time in elementary school when I had a Beatle's haircut. This is a picture of the growing out stage of that haircut...

Then when I was 19, my family was moving to Tokyo and something about that change made me a different person. My permed 90's hair wasn't me anymore. So I chopped it all off, like a boy. And then I cried because I looked like a boy. Then when I was done crying, I loved it.

Sadly, I didn't bring those pictures to The Swamp with me, they're packed away in storage, far far away.

But I quickly grew that pixie cut out, and enjoyed long, shiny, straight hair for a while, before starting a rotation of long hair and chin-length bobs. BUT...

When I was 29 I was way pregnant with Ashley, and I got the itch. I didn't realize at the time it was a 10-year-itch, but I know better now. Nevertheless, I chopped it all off again.
 I loved that haircut and would have kept it forever (even though Chris is a long-hair kind of man), except it was expensive to maintain, and Chris ended up getting a job he loved that paid less than what we made before. So the short hair became long hair again.

As time went on, my hair began to age (what?!). It wasn't naturally shiny and smooth anymore. It had kinks and frizzes and curls in odd places, and I had to work hard to make it look right, so my long hair became shoulder-length. And chin-length. And ear-length.

Lately I've been craving super-short hair again, and I realized the other day, it's exactly the 10-year-itch mark. I'm 39. Time for the hair to go. But now my face isn't young and smooth and skinny anymore. It's middle-aged and chubby-ish. And I'm not sure I can pull it off anymore. So I tried fake hair on taaz.com to see how I felt about it. Here's me with V's Morena Baccarin hair:
 It's hard to decide if I like it, because the hair looks so fake, and the lighting at my computer is really bad. But I think this is how I generally would look right now with short hair.

So, that 10-year-itch...do I scratch it? Not quite sure.

4 comments:

  1. I think you look beautiful with any kind of hair, Gaylene. You are one of those women that can pull off any length. I wish I was like that. I am afraid that when I cut my hair off I would just look like my brother's twin and confuse my children. :)
    SO what am I saying? I am saying if it's an itch, then just do it :)

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  2. A friend of mine says that if you just have a kind smile and carry yourself with confidence, people aren't going to care as much about your hair and clothes and things as you think they will. Besides, you're lovely. I'm sure you can pull off any haircut you like.

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    1. I think you're right, Kim. And if it makes you happy, then you'll automatically look good :)

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