Ever want to be a blonde with a bit of curl to your hair? One of the most attractive women I ever knew wished fervently that she could be a natural blonde. She was a gorgeous brunette. We bonded over that because one evening, I confessed that I’d willingly give up my dark curls and waves for straight blonde hair. We’d even done that same childhood experiment. A snip of our dark hair and some peroxide from the bathroom and what our hair would look like blonde in a while. A graphic demonstration of who we might otherwise be.
We both were looking for ways out of social dilemmas. All her friends were blondes. And I wanted out of the prejudice of being a Latino boy in a prejudiced city. We both falsely thought one fast change would offset more abiding social problems.
She might have visited a beauty parlor for temporary hair color adjustments. I accepted the curls, waves, and dark-colored hair. When I was on the road as a folksinger, I realized that my natural condition had advantages.
About two years ago, with the hair getting whiter by the month, I began joking that I had tired of coloring my hair dark. I decided to go back to my natural platinum color.
Well, as I was told many years ago, to make the best of what nature gives you.
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I had that conversation in high school with a friend of mine who had dark, curly hair. Mine is blonde and flat. I’d always wanted dark, curly hair. Mine won’t hold a curl for nuthin’. And, of course, she wanted blonde, flat hair. I guess we tend to want what we don’t have.
A few years ago at the store an old boy in a wheelchair asked me to reach something for him. Then he said, “You gorgeous platinum blonde. Let’s get engaged.” I said, “No way am I getting married again, EVER.” He said, “I didn’t say married. I said engaged.” A woman a few feet away was laughing her head off.
My hair started turning “blonde” when I was 23 and by the time I was 50 was probably all “platinum blonde” but I wasn’t ready. When I was 60 I stopped Bozofying it (dying it red/brown/magenta)
Guys, even if they don’t do it, are hung up on hair color. Me too. I have grown really sick of all the phony blonde and partial blonde colors out there. I admire natural colored hair. If course a friend of mine who does hair for a living has patiently explained practical reasons why some people need to color their hair.
I have a friend — long long long time friend — and we used to go clubbing and NO one ever tried to pick me up but they hit on her all the time and it was — we both decided — because she is tall and she was blonde. Visible in a dark room. I don’t think we humans will ever fully understand the non-verbal clues of our own natural physicality and what they signify to the opposite sex.
the visible in a dark room thing I had not thought about, but then I’ve never been one for clubbing. Last night I was at a live feminist burlesque ballet. It was definitely body affirmative, and in many ways defied traditional female body stereotypes for dancers. It was eye opening at several levels. our society is really hung on one body image for females – well for males too.
We only went to two clubs and that was the same night. 😀