Fearless

This week I did something I have always wanted to do, but never have—I had my hair cut really, really short. 

I’ve seen pictures of short curly haircuts and I would stare at them and wonder how they would look on me.  I’ve seen people with short curly hairstyles that looked so cute on them, but would they look cute on me?  Something always stopped me from finding out.  Fear. 

I was afraid that short hair wouldn’t look good on my full, round face.  I was afraid the curls would be too kinky because they didn’t have the weight to hold them down.  I was afraid short hair would be high maintenance, even more high maintenance than it is now. I was afraid the curls would be gone if they were cut that short. I was afraid I would be left with a puffy frizzy hairball on my head.   I was afraid, I was afraid, I was afraid. 

This week I conquered my fear. 
 

Chris doing his magic with my hair.

I decided that at sixty-one years old I was going to stop being afraid of my hair.  I called Chris, the owner at Salon Naman in Rock Hill, SC.  He has been cutting my hair since I’ve been in this area of the country.  He is very good and knows his stuff where hair is concerned. 

After getting my hair colored, it was Chris’s turn with the scissors.  I gave him some pictures that I downloaded from the internet showing some styles I liked.  They were a drastic change from my current hairstyle, but he said he was not afraid to cut it off if that’s what I wanted. 

I told Chris before we started that I was prepared NOT to like it and he laughed.  I was serious.  I knew it would be so different from anything I had ever done and that alone would be reason enough for my mind to resist the change.   

So he started cutting.  I watched for a while until he told me to take my glasses off—then I couldn’t see anything!!  When he was done, I put my glasses back on and can you guess what I said?  I said, “I don’t like it.”  My reason?  Not what you think.  I told him it was not short enough! He said, “Really?”  I told him to cut it shorter. He looked at me with a surprised expression on his face and said, “You’re fearless.” 

Yes I am…finally! 

The end result is what you see here—and you know what, I do like it. I like that I didn't let myself be swayed by public opinion (Mom, Rick) to not cut it short. After all, it is my hair. I like that it is easy to wash, easy to style, faster to dry, and that I don't wake up with that awful frizzy bed hair. I like that I don't see masses of hair coming out in the shower and I'm saving on shampoo and conditioner.

But I especially like that Chris said I was fearless.  That one word gave me the power I had been lacking for years. I will wear that word proudly and see if I can't integrate it into other areas of my life.  Thanks Chris.

I also feel liberated from all those years of wondering how I would look with short curly hair. And you know what?  I think I look cute!  Yes I do!

 

Be FEARLESS ♥

 

~ P

 

 

i i w i i

The other night Rick and I were watching television and he heard someone in the show say, “It is what it is.”  He told me he's been hearing that phrase a lot lately, especially on the job.  He thought it was new but I told him I thought it has been around for a while. 

A trip to the Urban Dictionary website gave “It is what it is” several definitions:

1.   When something happens and you must live with the results.

2.   A remark made in apathy to something not of interest to the person who has an ‘I don’t care’ attitude.

3.   A statement indicating what was said to be truthful.

4.   A statement telling someone to just deal with it.

 

So how are people you know using this phrase? 

I myself have never used it.  It doesn’t come natural to my choice of words [but it may after I post this blog].  Here are a few examples of how I would respond to Rick using this cliché.

 

[Definition 1]

Rick:  “I got laid off from work today.”

Pat:  “It is what it is.” 

 

[Definition 2]

Rick:  “I can’t watch the Cowboy’s game because it’s blacked out!”

Pat:  “It is what it is.” 

 

[Definition 3]

Rick:  “I’ll never figure out how to use this new iphone!”

Pat:  “It is what it is.” 

 

[Definition 4]

Rick:  “Why am I the one who always has to do the driving?”

Pat:  “It is what it is.”

 

As you can see, it fits nicely into each of these examples, but in reality I would be much more sympathetic in my responses. “It is what it is” denotes a boring response void of emotion and that is just not me. 

The jury is still out as to whether I like this phrase or not.  It’s catchy and has a nice acronym (iiwii—wii on steroids).  I’m sure it has a place in our English language as does the seeming limitless number of clichés I found on the web.  Check them out at www.clichesite.com.  You will note that “it is what it is” is not among them…at least not yet. 

That’s all I have for now.  

 

It is what it is.  [Definitions 1, 3, and 4 but never 2]

 

~ P

A Most Unusual Letter to My Teenage Self


Dear 1967 Patty, 

Me at 16 years with my dog Teddy
Summer, 1967



You are probably surprised to be hearing from me. So much has happened since I saw you last and I have a great deal I want to tell you.  

I thought it would be a good idea to give you a heads up on your future so you can prepare yourself for the bumps in the road ahead and maybe even take a few precautions. 

 

First, sugar is poison—at least it is to you!   

Your future self will suffer greatly if you continue down the road of eating too many candies, cakes, and pies. I know you have a huge sweet tooth and you’re so skinny and don’t put on weight, but that will eventually change.  Then it will be too late, you’ll be hooked.  You will be saddled with a catastrophic disease that will shorten your life if you don’t get this under control now. Learn to replace sweets with healthy fruits and veggies. And while you are at it, find an activity you enjoy that will get you moving. The life of a couch potato is no life at all.

 

Second, you get married THREE times!  

I know—this sounds crazy, but don’t be frightened by it. You will learn a lot from the first two to make the third one the best. 

You will meet your first husband in high school and he will sweep you off your feet.  You will have a little boy who grows up to become a handsome man, wonderful husband and father to three beautiful grandchildren.  Yes, you will be a Grandma. You were really too young when you got married this time, but you did grow up fast in the five years it lasted.  You will learn that everything is not always as it seems.  It will hurt a lot and you will feel betrayed, but you will soon move on, too soon in fact. 

You will meet your second husband on the job and will marry him just a year after your first marriage ended.  From him you will learn how to deal with someone who has an addiction. You will believe you can fix what is broken in him, but you can’t.  This one only lasts for eight years but it will nearly drain the life out of you.  You will call it your eight year mistake.  You will lose much of your self-esteem and will doubt yourself for a very long time after, but you will recover. You will be relieved when this marriage ends, but you will carry the scars of it forever. 

You will meet your third and last husband at a country western bar, of all places!  He is everything you hoped your first marriage would be.  He is very different from you, but somehow it works. You look for five years before you find him.  If it’s at all possible, start looking in Texas, it might shorten your search. He shows you the true meaning of love, how to laugh again and is the best friend you could ever have in a mate.

 

Third, save your money! 

To quote a wise man in my time, “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”  Saving now will provide for you later.  Times will be tough, but force yourself to save a little each week.  Problems with money or lack thereof is one of the reasons marriages one and two failed.  Let me put it this way:  if you don’t save for the future, you will not reap the life you want to live. Save, save, save.  I can’t stress this enough!  And stay away from credit cards.  They will only bring you down.  Oh, here is a definite heads up.  Pull out all of your money before these dates: Oct. 19, 1987 and Oct 1, 2008.  No, I don’t think this will be considered insider trading.

 

Lastly, take church seriously!   

Don’t feel like you are being forced to go.  Embrace what the church teaches you about Jesus.  Then, when you are older, make a decision for yourself to be a Christ follower.  Jesus is the way, believe me.  You will change your life once to turn it over to Him.  If you can, try to find Him sooner than when you reach age 41. You won’t regret it.

 

Well, that’s about all I have for you.  The rest you will have to figure out for yourself.  Now all I have to do is find Marty McFly and Doc Brown to see about getting this letter to you.  Who are they, you ask?  You’ll find out in about 20 years!

 

Good Luck and God Bless, 

~ 2012 Pat