Thursday, December 3, 2009

Offtimes, Blessings Come in Odd Packages



I've never really thought of myself as a shallow person. Granted, I have my faults, but focusing on "thin" things has generally not been one of them. Superficiality has never been my particular nemesis, nor has appearance-related vanity. Which is why I'm a bit surprised to be writing this post today about something that is definitely a thing and undeniably vain. Yes, my friends, I am writing about my haircut.

The thing is, a good haircut is worth its weight in gold (which is practically what I pay for this commodity, by the way). But I find it worth every penny, especially since my hair started losing thickness as quickly as I wish my waist would...magically turning flyaway and gray at the same time. These days, to say my hair is just fine refers not to its being okay but to the new and completely regrettable texture. Seriously, it feels like every limp strand belongs to someone else, as if some form of elven thief came in the night and liberated me from what used to be a pretty nice head of hair! (One worthy of compliments, even.) The only comments I get today are no comments at all, which is actually something of a comment itself, when you think about it.

Happily for my state of satisfaction with life, I am still not vain. If I were, I would cry bitter tears every time I looked down at my shoulders to see a remarkable number of silver hairs lying there instead of on my head. Instead, I heave a small sigh and chalk another one up to the lovely aging process that seems to have taken permanent residency in my 57-year-old body. I then speak my favorite new word to myself (I know, talking out loud when nobody else is around constitutes another bad sign, and I definitely do say this loudly), "WHATEV!" (I'm really happy with the word Whatev, by the way, which manages to convey both mild disgust and cool indifference at the same time.) Of course, I'm aware there's also a touch of anger and powerlessness in the word, but I choose to focus on the first two attributes of its use.

Having said all that, I'm back to my thesis. There is nothing like a good haircut, and my stylist knows how to give one. Besides managing to cover a multitude of sins, it falls so perfectly that I don't even have to use a brush. I just blow it dry (which takes a LOT less time than it used to, the one upside to hair loss), and the silky strands (not limp, silky!) fall dutifully into place. What's more, they stay in place, even after I sleep on them (which I am now able to do for several nights before washing, courtesy of the new trait I forgot to mention earlier...extreme dryness). And the best thing of all? This marvelous woman cuts it the same way every time: perfectly. There's none of that one-side-being-longer-than-the-other, cowlick-suddenly-sticking-straight-up-in-the-air, or strange-little-spot-that-needs-to-be-hair-sprayed-and-gelled-into-submission stuff. Absolutely none.

Thanks, Linda! And Merry Christmas. You make my aging process a whole lot easier.

=)

PS. I'd admit here and now, in search of absolution, how much I pay for the wonder of this cut (probably less than you are imagining at this point) but my mom lived through the depression, and she reads this drivel of mine daily. Nuff said.

PPS. In other words, any price over Supercuts makes her cringe.

PPPS. But not me. Not any more. ;)

14 comments:

karen said...

You know, I've seen your picture, and either things aren't as bad as you think, or your stylist is a genius. Your hair is lovely!

Susan Anderson said...

She's a genius, Karen. Honestly. She is!

=)

Christine said...

Please share her info...I am always looking for that cut that doesn't need additional stuff added to make me look good :)

Fiauna said...

Can you send that lady my way? I'm in serious need of a good hair cut and can not fathom using nothing more than a blow dryer to style my hair.

Amy said...

I think I am like your mother. I go to the beauty college to get my hair cut about once every other year) because I don't like paying more than $5 for a haircut.
But your lady sure does a good job, because your description of your hair and the photos you have are very different!

Karen said...

I cannot stand to spend the big bucks - whether I am cheap or not vain - I am never sure. I even think Super Cuts is getting to be a little pricy. HOWEVER my GRAY is starting to glint in the sun and so I will have to suck it up sooner or later!

You are Beautiful!

Caroline said...

Sue, when I read your blog,I feel like I've known you for years! :)
I totally agree that a good haircut is almost priceless. I always feel so great when I have a new cut, and my stylist (who is actually a dear friend) always gives me a hard time because I wait so long in between appointments!

Jess said...

It's true, it really is. A good haircut can make you (or sadly break you). I've been lucky only to have had a few of the bad ones, mostly in my elementary school years even. And finding, and paying for, a good stylist is a wonderful thing.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

(sorry I forgot to put forgotten in the sentence below. now it makes sense.) I haven't had a hair cut in 8 months. I've forgotten what it's like to love my hair.

Good thing I still have it because I don't think I could say 'whatev' if it suddenly started falling out.

I'd be happy to pay a fortune for a good cut, too bad I don't have two nickles to rub together. Here's where I say 'whatev'.

Darlene said...

It is wonderful to have a good hairdresser who can do a great cut. I got an expensive one (yes I did) when I went to visit my daughter in Salt Lake. She swears by her guy and even though he charges more than I would ever have dreamed I would ever pay for a haircut ($80.00) I decided to let Ruben have a go at mine. I looked absolutely gorgeous when I left, and Jayne just had to say, "I told you so." I admit, I looked about 20years younger, but come the day when I got home and had to wash it, I was devastated when it looked pretty awful. Hair all different lengths and beond my skills. I just couldn't blow it dry the way he did. I let it go for a few weeks, then just couldn't stand it anymore, so I took a scissors and had at it myself. I cut it pretty short and forced my reluctant husband to do the back, straight across because Ruben had cut it up higher in the back and I couldn't reach it to cut it myself. When I went to church the next day, I got all kinds of compliments. So, now, I will even save the price on further cuts by doing it myself. And by the way, Sue, I really like the way your gal does yours, just like the way I liked the way Ruben did Jaynes, but ask me if I am going to get your gal to cut mine when we go up there for Christmas.

Em said...

haircut scheduled for dec 16th at 10am. now for the babysitter since sean's last day of finals got bumped one day later, through the 16th. can't wait for the snip snip.

jen said...

AMEN! I never had the beautiful thick hair of others, so I appreciate this post even now, here at 40. And when you find that stylist, you do anything you can to keep your hands on her.

And should, as far as I'm concerned.

Heather Anderson said...

Dear Sue,

Haircuts rule!

Respectfully Submitted,

Matthew D. Anderson