day/off

The best episode on America's Next Top Model is number three or four. It's the makeover show, where Tyra gives all the girls new looks. There's a lot of crying and a few hissy fits, and it's awesome.

Last Saturday, I took a break. I scheduled a hair appointment with my favorite (and only) guy, and I stole away. I could not take the shedding anymore. I spent a couple of weeks going over my decision because it's kind of a big deal. I did not know if I would have a sniffly reaction to my hair being chopped off or not, but I have had it long for years. It's been 12 since it was any shorter than my collarbone, and for the majority of the last 20, it's just been long. I do not want to be one of those moms who goes and gets a short soccer mom haircut once she has a kid and then ceases to be relevant to anything hip or interesting. It's bad enough that I don't understand the music these kids are listening to today.

You can get emotionally attached to something like your hair. It can start to define who you are. I was wondering if that had happened to me. Could I change? Would it be hard?

I had Pete take pictures before I left, and when I looked at the one from the back, I was shocked. I had no idea how long it actually was. I balked. "Do I really want to do this?" I asked Pete. He sighed. "Yes, honey. You do. It will be OK."

That was my only moment of pause.

"We're cutting it off," I told Jonny.

"Sweet."

We looked at haircolors and discussed the pictures I brought along, then he put it in a ponytail.

"OK, are you ready?" he said, wielding the scissors.

"Yup," I said. Absolutely.

It was no problem--I did not even flinch. It was just time. It's short; it's sassy; it's fabulous; I love it. No more ponytails, no more headaches, no more painful scalp. I am still shedding, but now those hairs are not a foot and a half long. It's easier to take care of, it's almost automatically cute. Now I have to figure out where or if I should donate that ponytail. A lot of the donated hair goes into the trash, or they sell it to make money for the charity. In that case, I could sell it myself and donate the cash to Childrens' Hospitals.

I love it. La la love it.