Published: July 02, 2008 09:08 am      

King: A letter containing pictures brought back memories

By BETTY KING

Though my hair is not what you would call natural curly, it is natural something. It does daily what it naturally wants to do.

I ran into an old girlfriend, Judy, the other day. We grew up just down the street from each other. Though our lives took different paths we occasionally bump into one another at funeral homes, events around town; she occasionally drops me a line from time to time.

Like girlfriends do as teenagers we shared hopes and dreams, secrets and interest in boys and other items girls find fascinating – things like the latest hairstyles.

I got a letter from her a few days ago with some pictures in the envelope. The photographs brought back some old memories.

Some of the pictures were in black and white and another one in color. Remember when we had those old box Brownie cameras and black and white pictures were the film of the day. There was no denying in the black and white or the lone colored picture that I was a brunette with varying styles and lengths to my locks.

As a young girl I didn’t have the privilege of patronizing the beauty shop like the teens do today. And if I had been given the authority to go, and come home with a streak of blonde, it would have been like coming home with a tattoo today!

I can remember in grade school my first real interest in hairstyles. I was going to Horace Mann School at the time. Another friend and I walked daily to school and she greeted me one morning wearing a new hair-do. It was called a “Poodle”, I was informed.

WOW! I loved it; I wanted one just like hers!

I informed mom, when I got home, I wanted the short curly do called a “Poodle.” After all, my friend’s mother had cut and given her dark hair a curly home perm and I wanted the new style just like hers.

Those were the days mothers and fathers pinched pennies. Also those were the days mothers bought and gave home perms. Beauty shops were a foreign language to me.

The home perms were bought at the store in a box with rollers and solutions, solutions that would play pandemonium with everyone’s sinuses within a two mile radius of the makeshift beauty shop. You smelled of perm solution for at least a week, though you shampooed your hair every day.

Mother had never seen a “Poodle” hair cut and curl. Evidently I wasn’t too descriptive in my younger years – when mother got through my hair looked nothing like my girlfriends. I guess that is the difference in purebred and mix breeds. (Sorry for my poor attempt at humor.)

I have had long hair, short hair and was born a brunette. But as time has evolved over the years I have enjoyed varying shades of blonde.

Mother long ago gave up the job of being my beauty operator. She handed over to others the job of trying to please me.

Before my last bout at the hospital, I had for some time, only gone to the beauty shop every 4-6 weeks, just to get cut and color, the rest of the time I washed and styled it myself. So if you had been wondering about my stylist, wonder no more.

Also since I have had to have help at home just to get up and dressed, Mary my caregiver also knows how to do hair. So if we have an extra fun week watch out - I might be seen out and about or show up at church with spiked orange hair!

Through the years I have had a ponytail, duck-tail, Afro, shag, beehive, and an up-do, among other trendy styles.

To achieve hairstyles through the years, I have used rags, rubber and foam, also plastic curlers and bobby-pins.

I have sat under hairdryers, used blow dryers and let my hair air dry. I have used brush and brush-less curling irons to achieve the look I desired. I have used more shampoo, rinses and gels, hairspray and shines than I care to mention.

You would think by now I would have a glorious crown or be totally bald.

I would like to thank every stylist who through the years has tried to please me. I know it has not been easy trying to make my hair look like those skinny young girl’s in those latest hairstyle magazine’s.

Betty King is a local columnist; you can email her at baking2@charter.net or visit her website www.bettyking.net . Author of four books; ask for her books at local book stores.