More thoughts on the hair... with pictures!

(For earlier post about hair, click here)

So in all this thinking about my hair, I dug up some old pictures. And they are reminding me of good, funny times. As my earlier post said, I shaved my head bald while living in Berkeley in 1994. A few good stories and thoughts must now come out of me...

It was a whim. I saw a woman in Berkeley with a shaved head, and the thought of it seemed so crazy. I've been fairly good at recognizing when are good moments to just "f@ck it" and go for something you know is crazy. This was one of those times. I had 7 months until graduate school started at USC. And it's just hair. So, bam! I shaved it off.

Coincidentally, my parents called me a few days later and invited me to come to Colorado to visit, they pay. How could I say no? So, before I went, I said "Everything is OK, but I have to tell you something..." Long pause... "Um, I shaved my head bald." Instantly on the other line I hear I hear a loud deep sigh and "Oh thank god I thought you were going to tell us you were pregnant." Hilarious laughter! I was 24, not dating anyone. That was their first thought.

So then I flew to visit them, and when I walked in the door, my parents and their two great friends (who I also knew from childhood) were wearing flesh colored stockings on their heads, so everyone looked BALD! My parents have always been awesome when it comes to humor.

Next story... I would have made a great lesbian. I've always been an "aspiring lesbian" but it's just never been my thing. Yea, I had sex with a girl in college (and I've been to college 3 different times now, and I'm not saying which!) but, well, I fell in love with my husband, and that remains incredibly strong. But seriously, I can rock the look!

I got a job at Buffalo Exchange in Berkeley, on Telegraph Avenue. They loved the bald look. I got an piercing and they didn't blink an eye (pun intended, it was an eye ring loop, can you see it in the pictures?) I loved Buffalo Exchange. My first real contact with the gay community was while I lived in Berkeley and worked at Buffalo Exchange. I was free, felt free, and they allowed me freedom to explore myself. Good times.

While in Berkeley I found out I had an interview with USC Ph.D. program in Social Psychology. I went down to visit, completely freaked out that I had shaved my head. This was a rigorous, competitive program, only 15 students were accepted that year. I wore cute hats (thank you Buffalo Exchange!) In the end, I think it worked in my favor. I was well qualified, but so were the hundreds who applied and didn't get in. I think ultimately it made me more interesting, unique, and schools are looking for that.

Finally, I met my husband about a month after I shaved my head. I was living in Berkeley with his sister, a friend I met in Spain while living abroad my junior year of high school. She was from Chicago, I from Houston, and we became incredibly close, which continues into adulthood. He was living in Los Angeles and took an Amtrak train to visit for a weekend for spring break. I will never forget when he walked down the stairs out of that train station. All I saw were his eyes. His amazing blue eyes. He loved my craziness. Loved the short hair. Loved rebellious women. And I loved his eyes.

The weekend I met my hubby!