Circles - Part I

I have a feeling that Life travels in circles. We set out on an journey only to find ourselves back at the beginning.

I had a hairdresser for years. She left the Salon and I found someone else. He was good, but after a while I got tired of that particular hairstyle. I asked him to change, but he wasn't very receptive.

So I looked around.  Asked my friends for referrals and found nobody. My hair grew long and even though it was rather unkempt (well, not really - just more fly-away and a bit straggly) I kind of liked having long locks once again.  It made me feel like a teenager.

Hmmm. Something wrong here. We can't go back in life. Some of my grands are teenagers and I certainly would not want to be back there, with all their issues and social pressures.

Then one day, I happened to be shopping in the neighbourhood and noticed a new Salon. Peeking in the windows it looked busy and cool!
Maybe I should just go for it!
Maybe somebody totally brand-new would give me a fantastic up-to-date stylish hairstyle.
I pulled open the door and popped inside. It was noisy!  But just beneath the drone of blowdryers I heard a bubbly giggle that sounded suspiciously like Tina - my old hairdresser.

Couldn't be, could it? Yes!
"Does Tina have time for a cut?"
The receptionist left for a few moments then beckoned me to follow her.
"Tina!" We hugged and pecked cheeks and I sank down into the Salon chair, sighing with relief. I'd come home.
Full Circle again.
It felt good to be back in her lively and fun-loving energy. We chatted away as if there hadn't been a time lapse of 5 years or so - we'd known each other for a long time. In fact, she was the one who got me into horseback riding about 15 year ago. I left a short time later - could not conquer my fear of horses.

"I want Layers! Pat doesn't give me Layers! Can we do that?"
"Of course!"

So she cut Layers, but kept the length because I wanted to feel extra-young.  It felt good!

For about a day or two.  But when I went to wash my hair and blow it dry, the Layers wouldn't do what I wanted. And they were dry from too much processing, or maybe it was age. Everything seems to dry up as we age (or at least I feel like a dried up old prune some days!).

For the next several weeks, I alternately ignored my misbehaving Layers, wrestled with them or pretended they were just fine. And bit by bit I felt silly with my long hair - it really didn't suit me and the Layers gave me a "ball" of a head while the long part was just strings against my shoulders. Yuk.

What do I do?  Should I give Tina another chance? Or throw in the towel and go back to Pat?
Now I know why he never gave me Layers, even when I asked (and I forget what reason he told me, probably because I didn't want to listen). Ha!

Tina? Or Pat?
I had to admit that I'd received more compliments on my hair when it was short and I really didn't like this Layer/Stringy hair - but maybe I could have short/Layer hair?

Round in circles in my mind, but in the end I went back to Pat. He explained once again why Layers were not for me - hair texture changes with age and the style needs to reflect that change. What's particularly important is to cut the damaged ends more often, not less. Oh and whatever else he said, I've forgotten as I just nodded and smiled and couldn't wait to see my new short hair.

"Short," I said, "just below my ears."
And that's what I got.
Full Circle - again!

I'm on the far left.  Hair was a couple of inches shorter than this.