This photo was taken in my eleventh grade year in Arizona where I graduated high school. Two things are immediately apparent in this picture, one: I did not wear make-up and two: my hair was strawberry blonde. This was way back in the 1970's, you know when girls wore their hair long and straight and did not wear make up unless it was literally painted flowers and such.
I posted this photo because I believe it's the one closest in time to the story I am going to tell. I was sitting in my chair today thinking that it was about time for a hair cut when I thought back to when I was in college and I had my hair cut. My hair was much longer than in the photo, you can probably add at least another eight inches or so. My hair grows fast and always has. My mother loved my long hair but I never realized just how much until I cut it.
While I was away at college I decided to cut my hair into a little short haircut similar to how I wear my hair now. I also plucked those horrendous eyebrows and began to wear make up but that's a story for another day. I knew my hair meant a lot to my mother so before the girl cut the bulk of my hair off I braided it into one long braid and put rubber bands at both ends and had the girl cut the braid off. She handed me the long braid which measured well over a foot and a half long and she proceeded to cut and style my hair. My hair was adorable! I loved it. With all the weight of that long hair gone it had so much body and looked so good, both she and I were thrilled with the result.
I decided to mail my braid home to my mother, I was going to school in Utah and she was living in Arizona so it took a few days to arrive. I knew exactly when it arrived home! Now remember we did not have caller ID in the 70's so you had to answer the phone to know who was calling so I did. My mother said, "Hello, Marlena?" I said, "Yes, hi mom!" and the phone was silent. I began to say, "hello, hello" repeatedly, there was no answer. I asked if anyone was there, I could hear breathing but I could not hear anyone talking. I knew it was my mother she had spoken, was something wrong. In a panic I start to yell, "hello, mom, are you ok?" Still silence. Finally my father comes on the line as tells me that my mother received my hair in the mail today and that she was very upset that I had cut my hair. If fact she had called me long distance to give me the silent treatment. What? My mother had called to NOT talk to me? I nearly died. My father was obviously not happy with my mother calling to NOT talk but I understood that she was really mad at me. I apologized for cutting my hair, I heard no respond or acknowledgement so I just got off the phone, then it hit me, my mother had actually called to NOT talk. I rolled in the floor with laughter as did my roommate. I don't think my mother ever found it to be funny but she literally NEVER spoke of it.
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