For the past couple of years, I’ve been letting my hair grow long.  Women will understand when I say that sometimes we get to a point where we’re frustrated with the current situation on our heads and we just want something different. We NEED something different.

The “need different now!” thought is sometimes dangerous.  The sound of scissors snipping and the feel of a hunk of hair as it falls to the floor can either be exhilarating or a complete “OH SHIT!” moment.   Once that first cut is made and the hair hits the floor, there is no going back.   I’ve seen the look of horror on another woman’s face as she realizes she probably just made the biggest hair mistake ever.   Seeing that look makes me want to gather up the shorn tresses and hand her a glue stick (which, by the way, may or may not work.  I do not have to tell you how I know this).

I’ve been feeling the need for change but also know myself well enough to know that I am not exactly the best at dealing with that “C” word.   What might seem like a wonderful idea at 8 am can turn into a dustpan full of regret at the end of the day.

This brings me to today and my monthly snip and ‘cover the gray’ day.  I sat down in the chair, exchanged the usual pleasantries and said in a much too perky voice: “how about some bangs?”.   I looked around to see who said that because I couldn’t  believe those words flew out of my mouth but within five minutes the scissors were snipping, and the hair was falling.    I could hear the woman in the other chair gasp a little and begin rustling in her purse for a glue stick, but I decided to smile and go with the flow.

I now have bangs.  Something I haven’t had since I was…..what?… five?  ( Or maybe forty-five. With bangs it’s almost the same thing.)

The trick now is to rethink my morning hair routine, figure out what I’m  going to do with this hair hanging in my eyes and learn to be grateful for the change.   I got what I asked for, and my hairdresser does a great job with the mess she has to work with.

As I got up to leave, I glanced at the pile of red hair on the floor and for one moment thought about scooping it up.   Instead, I nodded at the lady in the other chair and smiled an “I’m going with the flow” smile.

Tomorrow, if the morning routine doesn’t go well, I can just cut a few inches from the bottom of my hair and get out the glue stick.