I’ve received some incredibly touching emails over the last few days, emails filled with such heartfelt sentiments that they’ve brought a tear to mine eye. And really, when tough times hit, it’s a tremendous source of comfort to know that I have friends who are capable of such an overwhelming outpouring of concern for the tragic situation that is, well, my hair.
It’s cracked me up, really, because of all the mind-numbingly mundane topics I’ve addressed on this blog over the last year-and-some-change, I think my most recent unfortunate highlighting incident has evoked the greatest response. I’ve gotten at least twenty emails asking “Did you call your hairdresser?,” “What did you decide what to do?,” “Have you considered going darker?,” “Is it really that bad?” and “Have you taken the Coastal Dunes haircolor back to Walmart where it belongs? Flee from evil, sister! Flee from evil!”
So here is my official update, just as clear and concise as I know how to make it. Which means that it’s going to be really wordy and rambling. Because that is what I do. Some might feel it’s annoying, my tendency to go on and on, but I like to think of it as a writing gift that keeps on giving. And giving.
And then it gives some more.
Anyhoo, I decided after about the 64th comment that I definitely needed to go back to my hair guy. But the thought of sitting in that chair while he goes over my hair with a fine-toothed comb (literally! oh that is witty) and then tells me in very soothing tones what a horrible, terrible, very bad thing I’ve done – and that it’s going to cost me an arm and a leg to fix it – well, it intimidates me.
However, since it takes about two or three weeks to get an appointment with him, I decided that I could work up sufficient courage by the time that my Walk of Shame appointment arrived. I mean, we are talking about my hair, y’all. For a Southern girl it’s like a calling card, and right now my multi-hued calling card is engraved with all manner of messages that I don’t necessarily want to send.
Well (THIS IS SO EXCITING), yesterday morning I was taking Alex to his classroom at church when we ran into his very favorite staff member in our children’s ministry. And I just have to tell y’all: her hair was rockin’ it so hard that I about near rummaged through the drawers behind the check-in counter to see if I could find a lighter, flick it, and hold it high while I swayed back and forth in front of her.
Alex was of course talking up a storm, but in his brief spurts of quiet I tried to gather as much information as I could: Who did the color? Did the application of said color require a withdrawal from any family member’s college fund? Where in the sam hill is this hair magician located? And mightn’t it be possible that she would work her magic on me?
After I got the little man settled in his classroom, I went back to the check-in desk, pulled a Sharpie off of a clipboard, and wrote down all the pertinent information on the back of a visitor’s sign-in card. Make no mistake about it: I’m calling the hair magician first thing this morning. The best part of all? She doesn’t charge even half of what my usual guy does. So I’m going to let her straighten out my color – and then I’ll be able to go back to R. with my head held high the next time I need a cut.
Now isn’t that just like God? To use one of His sweet servants in our children’s ministry to impact my child for eternity and to give me hope for my hair? I mean, that’s a multi-faceted anointing right there, people. Oh yes it is.
So I’m feeling much better, thank you. Hopefully Hair Tragedy ’07 will be coming to a close in the very near future.
Finally, on a completely unrelated note, why I am just now realizing how fun these iPod things are? I’m just a little teensy bit in love with it. Just a bit. But in the most totally healthy way one could possibly be in love with a postage stamp-sized electronic device that plays all the many boocoodles of music. Plus, investigating all of your incredible music suggestions should keep me busy until at least mid-April, which is quite a relief, seeing as how I only have about seven irons in the fire at any given point in time, so that eighth iron of looking for music is really going to eliminate my ongoing battle with boredom.
AHEM.
But I do thank y’all so much for all your great recommendations. I’m giddy from having so many musical options. In fact, I filled up a big notecard with artists and CD titles y’all mentioned, and I can’t wait to start making my way through the list.
And speaking of lists, I have a mighty big one that says “to do” – and I need to start tackling it so that we can have some “clean clothes” and “food to eat” and “pleasing living conditions.”
Hope y’all have a wonderful week!
Oh good. I can call the church and tell them to blow out that row of candles I lit for your hair. :)
I do that too! I want to be loyal to the hairdresser I use, but not endure the lectures – I mean advice – so I’ll go to someone else to fix it. And then you look back and realize how much your loyalty is costing you because the fix-it person always seems to be cheaper. But you’re hoping cheaper doesn’t mean they are going to not fix it enough to show your regular hairdresser. Are southerners the only one who deal with this? Cuz I grew up in Texas, so I totally get the hair thing! Anyway, hoping when all is said and done, you’ll love your own rockin’ head of hair as well!
Why go back to someone who lectures you? You need to build a new relayyyyyytionship with a new rooooooocccckkkkkkkkin’ hairdresser. Just my 2 cents.
Ok, so next time you are in a situation that you deem worthy of a flame salute without a lighter…just pull out your cell phone and let the glow from your screen fill in. That, my friend, is just one tidbit of the wisdom I picked up from my years as a youth minister’s wife.
Oh! Oh! Do you live anywhere near me?!! I read your post about hair the other day and shame filled my heart…I am a Texan girl (I mean upper 30 something woman) and yet my hair is a pitiful mass of uncontrolled moppishness. I need help…I’ve reached the bottom…Whew! It feels good to confess…Now if only someone would point the way to the hair magician…It would be so awesome to have rockin’ hair….
So glad you’re getting your hair done with someone who knows what they are doing : ) I think it’s just best for everyone involved!
You’re crazy.
Which, coming from me, is a compliment of the highest order :)
Oh please email me the name of said hair magician! I am in need of a “mild” root touch up!!! I am in your area. Thanks!
I’m so glad your hair tragedy is wrapping up!! Hair can be one stressful thing when it doesn’t look/do like we want it to!! On another note, I have to say again how much I LOVE my iPod!!! I’ve only had it a few months, but when I first got it, I had to watch myself or I would spend waaaaay too much time loading music on it, checking out its features, etc. I’m glad you are enjoying yours so much!! Blessings to you this Monday!!
HOORAY FOR HAIR! HOORAY FOR MUSIC!
So glad you have a gameplan for your hair! Having good hair is a requirement in the south, no? On days I must pull mine into a messy ponytail, I feel I have let down society!
Clearly God has intervened on your behalf…and who’s to say this new fixer of your hair is NOT the providentially provided KEEPER of your hair from here on OUT???? If it works well with her, AND it’s less expensive, let R. do the Big Change women’s hair and buy yourself something with the extra bucks !! Like some more tunes…..oh, cause I’m your internet friend and all– no charge for the ADvice. ;-)
Boomama, i went to “hair church” friday afternoon and confessed my home coloring sins, and the hairdresser could not have been nicer about it. She fixed my hair and my color up good, it was very reasonably priced and I even made a new friend in the process. She told me hairdressers like problems because they have the expertise to fix it. Please tell us all about your experience, thanks for your great blog!!
I fear that if you swayed with a lighter near any Southern girl’s hair there would be a replay of the Michael Jackson commercial fiasco. There should be a fire ordinance against it.
And in the OT, they always annointed folks on the head.
Just sayin.
Oh, I just can’t wait to hear how it turns out .. certainly hope that you will post picutres!
I am havin’ some hair trouble myself right now .. that so-called *Color Match* .. yea well, not so much a match.
I just have to say that you are absolutely hilarious! I am so grateful that God has given you this blog to share with us! You make my day! And you are going to feel like a new woman with that new hair.You might have to go out and purchase a sassy new outfit to go with it!
Yes! I vote yes for pictures!
Boomama – I am a little behind on my blog reading, so I just caught up with your hair crisis. And though it may be after the fact, let me say I have had my fair share of hair crises.
1. I got a bad perm/cut cpombo in the early 90’s (I am proud of the fact that I was last to let go of the big hair!) and when Big Mama and friends put my picture next to a picture of Don King, you COULD NOT tell the difference between us. NOT AN EXAGGERATION.
2. Big Mama and our beloved frined Tiff tried to give me highlights, and I ended up with tiger stripes. Yes, tiger stripes.
So I am with ya sista. And you got to let a professional straighten these tings out aI am sorry to say.
So glad to hear you have a plan worked out! Since we are all your sisters here, I really think that you should take “before” and “after” photos, post them here on your blog, then we can all celebrate with you!
I must confess that I have been lurking in the shadows for probably what is longer than acceptable…but now that I have boldly stepped out into the light of day, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy my visits here. I am not from the South, (I don’t think Maritime Canada qualifies as southern)but I think I could visit y’all. You keep writing, I’ll keep reading, and it’ll all be just great, eh?
Glad to hear that your hair troubles are almost over. We’ve got to see pictures!! I have to report mine are over after my visit to Birmingham this past weekend. My cousin cut my hair and it’s super cute. Much luck with the tresses!!:)
I seriously just LOL’d. After I LOL’d, I read it to my husband and LOL’d some more. Because I’m in the middle of my own Hair Tragedy ’07 and my husband is starting to beg me to go Britney Spears on him just so I’ll shut up about it already. You should definitely post a before and after picture! Blur out your face if you must, but we have to see the magic that is God’s multi-facted annointing on the sweet children’s ministry worker!
See, it won’t be long and we will all be holding up lighters and swaying back and forth in front of you and your breathtaking hair. You are not alone in your hair color drama. I have countless times tried to do mine myself and then had to take the walk of shame. I finally decided that that’s it, I’ve learned my lesson, and I will only pay professionals from now on. And I am not a professional.
I found your blog via the LPM blog and died when I read about your hair as I have recently (last week) had the same problem (but not a do it yourself problem). I chose to go darker and “hated it” but am tired of looking sooooooooo blond. Will I ever be happy? Worse yet, my professional is my daughter who feels so bad that I am unhappy, but willing to fix me right up! So tomorrow I go back for a few highlights to “lighten” up. My daughter is an instructor at a cosmetology school which offers salon services at reasonable prices because they are done by students supervised by professionals. This could be an option for many budget minded ladies!!
Oh Boomama I confess when you were whipping out your lighter I thought you were going salonal and fixin to light her aquanet right up :) Whew was I relived to read that it just aint so ;) I got my hair sassy/layer/bobbed off this weekend, oh the weight lifted off my shoulders (literally). I am happy to read this continuation of your conflagaration with your crowning glory being returned to its um gloriness :) xoxo melzie
Lovin’ it….just lovin’ it…it is hair-larious…!!
And Boomama…that lil ol’ iPod shuffle is so cute…but they fill up so dog-gone fast, doncha know…
I’m tryin’ to get my hubby to trade up so I can swipe…I mean confiscate…I mean, hopefully be BLESSED with his old one…mine’s too teeny!!
I’m so glad to find someone who spells y’all correctly that I could just spin in circles.
And someone who is more wordy than I. Thank you, Jesus!
The famous Gulley commented on your blog! Did you see it? Did you? And Sister comments on Big Mama’s blog! And I had lunch with BM3’s good friend today!
We’re all famous!
And crazy :)
I’m just so glad to hear that you repented and walked that aisle. Thanks for the update. I was wondering if it was just too terrible to talk about… ;)
I absolutely could not endure the ellyptical if I didnt have an iPod on – it makes all the difference in the world. I just ordered a Nano for my sweet husband for his 56th birthday – youre never too old for an Ipod.
I’m so glad you are going to use a “profressional” to solve your problem :) You’ve made a wise choice.
You lucky, lucky girl. A cheap fix (no pun intended) and a head held high.
Well, as long as R. doesn’t read your bloggity-blog-blog.
AHEM.
First of all, Sarah is cracking me up.
Secondly, if worse comes to worse you can always put it up in a banana clip.
Can’t wait to hear how Hair Tragedy ’07 turns out. : ) And glad you are enjoying your ipod. I love mine too!
Just be glad you are of the lighter hair persuasion. I am dark-haired and my last bad highlightgobacktomyoriginalcolor fiasco resulted in gorilla fur black..GORILLA FUR BLACK for Pete’s sake! (I was told by my hair care professional smugly explained that dry hair “grabs” color and comes out way darker than it is supposed to. Thanks for that.) And I’m agreeing with the other girls…If you like David Copperhair, make the switch!
Oh, that is good news. I must tell you, I haven’t found my hair magician yet so I am off to Wal-Mart in a moment to buy my hair color. Keep your fingers crossed.
Good luck to you with the new hair magician! I just had a haircut from hell from my regular girl. I don’t know where her mind was on this day, but surely not on my hair. Uneven, too short, ugly! Made my highlights looks like an unevenly cut blonde cap over dark brown. I found a box color that evened out the color enough that I can live with the cut until it grows out. I’m on the lookout now for a new hair magician – I’m not going back to my old one ever again!
Big Mama’s cracking me up about the banana clip… does anyone still own those? I remember my Mom wearing them in the 80’s!!
Thank goodness you’re hair delihma has been solved! Perfect!
I can’t wait to hear how it all works out in the end.
Personally, I use Clairol Nice & Easy #120. It works well for me and it’s only $7 a box, unless I get it on sale for cheaper. :)
I know exactly who are you talking about (since we do go to the same church and all – and might see the same people – even though I don’t know you)….anyhow, her hair was awesome and I just couldn’t stop telling her how great it looks. If I colored my hair I’d definitely go to her guy/girl. Hope your hair dilemma all works out.
I just read your last post and wanted to make sure to recommend the band Over the Rhine. Try the CD “Drunkard’s Prayer,” but it is worth it to take time to get to know all of their albums, because they are wonderful.