Yeah, But I Have Pink Hair

Day 10 at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

I used to wear black a lot. First in my punk/new wave band days, then later, perhaps due to its “slimming” properties. Now that my hair has turned arctic blonde and I’ve lost 40 pounds, I am seeking out a few more creative ways to stave off aging. There’s a body to decorate here, and I can’t just let it languish into old age.
I’d been considering hair coloring for a while, after seeing people in our own Medford, Oregon sporting all manner of bright, jewel-toned tresses.
But I wanted pink.
Taking into account that older people tend to gravitate toward pastels, I too, have been gravitating, which goes against everything I used to think. I would have scoffed at the idea of anything pink in my earlier tomboy days, but now when I see myself in a storefront window and wonder how my mother got in there, I am intent on staving off the effects of old age at every turn. “Besides,” I thought, “lots of women older than me have blue hair. Why not pink?”
 
Before I go any further, here’s a little secret: I’ve been doing face exercises since the late 90s, when a friend of mine lent me a VHS tape by Greer Childers. They really work! Check her out on YouTube.

Finding all manner of temporary hair treatments at the local Walgreen’s I began timidly, with just a few streaks. Wayne approved, so I got sassier the next time around, applying the color more liberally. Then I noticed that my hair at the scalp was somewhat resistant, I applied more pink color left it on a lot longer. By the time the SoHumane Employee Holiday Party came around, I was brightly pink-haired. After several washings, the pink would be toned down to perfection for my trip to Austin. Cotton candy with tiny red glitter highlights was my goal for Christmas.
Turns out pink hair had a major impact on my attitude – I felt younger! I stood up even straighter. Christmas stress? “No problem,” I thought. “I’ve got pink hair!” Rushing around trying to get packed for a trip? ”Yeah, but I’ve got pink hair.” A few somewhat negative comments in the Best Buy parking lot? “Bwahahaha… I have pink hair and you don’t!”
So that’s my free advice this Christmas: try something outrageous. And do those Greer face exercises—you will see a difference in less than a week.
Meanwhile, we spent another Christmas in Austin, as Wayne enjoys working at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar every year. There’s great art, music and wonderful people, and… I did see a woman sporting tresses of iridescent green. I’ll be considering that for the warmer months ahead.

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