Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Day 206/365 Vanity and Oil Spills

Living in Virginia in the summer is no place to have long hair. I've been meaning to get it cut for awhile, but couldn't decide how I wanted it cut, meanwhile it kept growing. I had long hair most of my life till my mid twenties, when I cut it off because I got my first "real job". After hearing from numerous people how that was an incredibly bad idea, it started getting long again. Now I find myself 54 years old, with a daughter who tells me my hair makes me look older (it probably does).

But here's the thing - somehow I raised a teenager and my hair didn't turn gray. Probably due to a long-ago Cherokee genetic input (that's another family history story), but still, it's my own personal vanity that my hair looks younger than I do.

I work for myself at home, so no reason to cut it for a job, and outside of my daughter no one cares much one way or the other. But boy is it hot in the summer.

So along comes the oil spill, which may kill off what's left of my hometown and my favorites beaches where I grew up.

And turns out there's this company, Matter of Trust, that's collecting hair (any kind of hair: human,dog,cat, whatever) to stuff into nylons (remember nylons?). The nylons form hair berms, which are then stuffed into larger berms, and laid along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, and they soak up the oil.




This is a good cause.

I may finally cut my hair for this. It's to save the beaches I played on as a child, and partied on as a young adult. I almost got married on one of those beaches. My favorite picture of my parents was taken on the shores of Ship Island. I have still have seashells and sand I collected years ago from the Biloxi beaches.

But vanity is a funny thing. Once it turns gray, I won't care, but it's really hard to part with right now.

I'll shave the dogs instead.

8 comments:

  1. You have beautiful hair Carole.
    I hate that some people think that once you get to 40 you should have short hair....why? If your hair is nice why not have it long? Mine has always been long & while not as long as it used to be I have no intention of having sensible hair!

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  2. amazing, watching the air soak up that motor oil. Of course, the oil industry wants to use plastic balls and rubber tires: things made from oil. Just like the oil industry, ey? But you do have gorgeous hair.

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  3. that's very neat, thank you for sharing

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  4. Oh girl. That you have no grey at 54 makes me jealous, jealous, jealous. Mine held out for a long time but at 50 I started getting the wirey not pretty grey. So now vanity makes me color it. But I finally gave in to the as you age shorter hair makes you look younger. I hate to admit it (and mine is still shoulder length & should be shorter) Unless you wear it away from the face. Shorter just lifts what's saggin!!!!!

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  5. Good grief! You have GORGEOUS hair! How often do you use the sage rinse? Every wash? In place of conditioner, or after?

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  6. Hey Damsel -I use the sage rinse about every wash (2x a week) but it doesn't seem to hurt if I skip to every other time. I use the shampoo, conditioner, rinse really well, then put the sage rinse on, leave it in and towel/air dry. About every week and a half, I use a vinegar rinse in between the shampoo/conditioner. I'm planning on trying your detangler in place of the conditioner -I always figure the fewer chemicals the better.

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  7. you do have gorgeous hair, but honestly, long hair usually does make women look older. you should get it cut. instead of donating it to the oil spill, I would donate it to make several wigs made for kid cancer patients!! :) I just think...really how much oil is your head of hair going to soak up - considering the thousands of gallons pumping out each day. some cancer patient would love to have your head of hair!! :) Go get you a short stylish "do", girl!

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  8. No matter how old my daughter makes me feel, the words "short stylish 'do' " make me feel even older. I'm keeping the hair - now I may even keep it when it's gray. I'll be one of those eccentric old ladies wearing purple, the ones people suspect of being a witch. Just have to watch out for bonfires.

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