Going For The Chop

In this post I talk about how my name is such a big part of my identity and that because of this I haven't taken on my husband's name.  It's funny how different things affect our feeling of ownership and identity.  I've had my name my whole life.  I've known nothing else. So it makes sense.  In a very similar way I've almost always had long, brown, curly hair.  I've experimented with highlights and various subtle tints of allover red but it's more or less always been the same.  My hair has always been an important identifier for me as I've often been complimented on it and I do take a lot of pride in it.

In the last 2 years my identity has shifted considerably.  From being a daughter, sister and best friend, most recently I've had to adjust to wife and now soon-to-be mom.  With this shift, I've also chopped my locks off.  Whenever I'd done this in the past I'd always gone through a serious emotional withdrawal.  I'd get angry at myself for going through with it and then sad.  

Well - I'm a grown up now and I'll soon have the responsibility to show a small child the ways of the world. So why does the simple chopping of my hair elicit such strong emotions? Isn't that just plain weird?  Imagine if I reacted the same way every time I painted my nails a different colour or tried a different style of jeans.  The style of my hair is temporary and can be changed with the greatest of ease.  Granted it may take time to grow it out but it is in no way permanent. 

I try to rationalise the reaction in my head but the truth of the matter is that the cutting of one's hair is almost like the loss of a body part (ok, not quite, but you know what I mean, right?!) .  The use of scissors is quite an aggressive act.  It's almost violent. 

It's a lot for a long haired girl to take in.  But, it's ok, I'll live.

Here are some pretty ladies totally rocking the look...

 Clockwise from top left: Mandy Moore, Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba, Sandra Bullock

Do you feel the same way about getting your hair cut or am I just being weird?!

*****

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