Hair....We don't realize how much of our identity, sexuality, and self-confidence is wraped up in our hair until it is gone. Maybe, it is because it is one feature we have some control over. Unlike our noses, we can decide how long our hair will be. Unlike our eyes, we can easily change the color of our hair. Unlike our weight, it seems easy to change the volume of our hair with curls or straight irons. It is how others identify us, "the girl with red hair, the man with the black curls." It is how we attract and maybe even keep our partners.
If you see a man with very long hair, he is making a social statement. A woman with really long hair is making a religious statement. A teen with a pink mohawk is making a personal statement. A young male with a shaved head is making a political statement. Why do people with straight hair spend so much on perms, while those with curls spend so much on straighteners. Are they trying to make a statement or have they bought into the "fashion industry's" line that none of us are good enough the way we were created? All the money spend, tears shed, and assumed misconceptions, just because of a few million cells coming from the tops of our heads. If none of us had hair, what yard stick would we use to size people up?
Our hair is often a connection to our family and our heritage. It can also be a painful reminder of not fitting into the family, like being the only wavy blonde in a family with straight black hair. People often think they can tell someone's race by the color and texture of hair. They think they can tell just about everything about us by our hair. The question it leaves me with is do we try on the "hair" because we want the stereotypes and fantasies that go with it to be associated with us, or are the stereotypes based on the personalities of the people who make the choices?
Make sure to read the other great posts on hair by clicking here, it seems this sparked lots of thoughts this week!
7 comments:
what a clever way to sum it all up! It made me think of the military and the way your identity is stripped when they shave your head.
Love your description of each statement a person is making. :)
I believe we all make some sort of statement with our hair, whether consciously or subconsciously -- or society 'reads' a statement, even if we are not trying to make one.
Our hair, or lack of it, is such an obvious and unavoidable part of our first 'in person' impression.
As far as why people seem to always want the hair they don't have... people always seem to want what they don't have -- it's the"grass is greener" syndrome.
Interesting post!
Thanks for visiting Sandie, great post by the way! Hair is so much more significant than is often realized. With Ego being wrapped up in the whole equation! I really loved this prompt and have so much more to say about it! I may dedicate the week to hair!! haha
Take care
Peace Giggles
I think everyone has an opinion on hair. Rob's right, it's so much a part of those first impressions we make. Our hair speaks for us long before we open our mouths.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I visited a few of your other blogs and loved the watermelon photo!
Hair has evolved over the years. It is part of culture. It defines us.
Interesting post. Not all women with very long hair are making a religious statement at all. Some are hippies, some just like long hair and the sensualness of it.
Very interesting post Sandie. I left on vacation before I could read all these great questions raised about hair. :)
Rob nailed it in his response.
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