Historical Parody
  • Home
  • Mr. Flanagan
  • Mrs. Flanagan
  • Becky's Blog
  • Venues
  • Photo Album
  • Contact Us!

"JO how could you? Your one beauty!"

6/4/2013

0 Comments

 
1 Corinthians 11:15 "And isn't long hair a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering..."
Well now I've gone and done it.  My husband told me not to...my kids warned me that this happened once before and not to do it.  I didn't listen.  I took the advice of a co-worker and (because I have thinning and fine hair) decided to succumb to a home permanent.  "It will give you just a little body and make your hair appear fuller." she said.  "It will be good for your hair and make it grow faster!" she added.  
So slowly we wound up my to the shoulder blade locks into large rods.  The distinct chemical smell was overwhelming as it was cautiously applied so as not to get into my eyes.  "Just a little longer...there is not a curl appearing" were the final words.  The words that sealed my hair to its fate.  
Tenderly we removed the rods and to my dismay hair fell off with the rods.  I watched in horror as my once long hair transformed into a frizzy, burnt, disheveled mess falling into my hands and the sink as the curling rods were removed.  
I thought to myself as I peered at the scalp showing forth through the missing and burnt locks, this can be fixed right?  Right?!  No.  It cannot be fixed.  Immediately I took to the first morning light arising well before the hair salon was open.  I guess I thought maybe they could save some of the mess upon my head.  Silly me.  I am now the owner of a new "pixie" hair cut courtesy of an Olgilvie  Home Perm.  The horrors!  I am not a short hair person.  I almost felt ashamed of my appearance.  My mother, (bless her heart), said, "Ohhh...it looks nice! I have always loved you with short hair..." 
 
Never mind that more scalp than hair is there!  I look like I just went through 6 months of chemotherapy.  I cannot imagine having no hair and being sick to boot.  Makes me keep those gals in prayer as they suffer the both.

Thank goodness for my Civil War hair!  Civil War hair?  Yes...Civil War hair.  

I have in my possession real hair that clips into the existing hair on my head.  I use it specifically for re-enacting and performance; now I use it on my head daily just to have hair!  My co-workers are amazed.  "Wow!  That is real hair?  Yikes!"  
It really isn't like this idea is a new one.  My own grandma saved her hair each time she brushed it.  She put it into a little china dish just like this one...
Picture
In fact...I even own my grandma's braid!  When she was a young 18 year old she chose to cut her long braid off at the nape of her neck.  She saved that braid for years, and when she was in her 80's she gave it to me.  Like a treasured china tea cup she handed it to me saying, "I always missed having this long hair after I cut it off.  You are the only granddaughter that has the same color hair I did when I was younger.  I want you to have this..."
At the time I was wondering why on earth someone would save her hair like that, now that I have studied (and am still studying) history I know how precious that hair was and is.
Hollywood does it all the time..you see an actress with long flowing locks; most folks assume she has grown her hair out.  Really it is just clipped in or glued in false hair.  
Throughout history women have saved hair to "pump" up their own styles filling it out, making it look thicker, longer, healthier.
Queen Elizabeth in her late 20's shaved her head bald and kept it that way. She wore vast wigs of bright red hair each day...wigs suited for a stately queen.

Picture
Not only did women throughout history save their hair or purchase hair from specialty shops for embellishing their own styles, they also collected hair to make things!  Mourning brooches were common. With high infant mortality rates and the devastation of the Civil War, death was very much present. Jewelry made from the hair of a lost loved one was seen as a fitting memorial. Friends and family members often exchanged sentimental tokens. There is a vast collection of hair work jewelry, wall art, and memorial items made out of hair.    For centuries hair has been woven, spun, artistically created into, and added to styles for the head!

I don't know about you all, but I just love this 1994 version of "Little Women"  .
As you can see from the clips, a woman's hair is very important to her.  
Throughout history more than one account has been written of the importance of a woman's long hair; it was only to be cut to ward off an illness or to evoke shame.  It stood to reason in those days that longer hair sapped the strength and health from a woman, so they cut it off to free her of the malady or to shame her for sins committed.  

'Bout the only malady I have is not listening to reason in the first place!

If I ever get a hankering to perm my hair again, I hope someone locks me in a room!  Talk about a self-esteem buster!
I am thankful for my "fake" real hair.  I cannot abide short hair on myself...and truly I have no one to blame but myself.  So for this summer I will be sporting the same old style I always have, over the top of a pixie hair cut!  I do hope it grows out quickly...
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Dawn Marie also known as Rebecca
    Flanagan

    Life long  learning enthusiast...these are my letters of life.   

    Archives

    December 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Bible
    Civil War
    Education
    Everyday Women In History
    Farm Life
    Gratitude
    History
    Honor
    Reenacting
    Roles Of Women In History
    Soldiers
    Thanksgiving
    Tourism
    Travel
    Veterans

    RSS Feed

    Follow this blog
    View my profile on LinkedIn
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from aussiegall, stevendepolo, fidber ( 65000 affichages), fauxto_digit, ikewinski, Mr.TinDC, BLMOregon, ...love Maegan, tallkev, Patrick McConahay, Au Kirk, faster panda kill kill, bixentro, ktylerconk, barockschloss, kozumel, Tobyotter, Aziez Ahmed, wburris, randihausken, gurdonark, woodleywonderworks, q8, ErgSap, thisreidwrites, Kat Martin, blmurch, kinwart, freddie boy, angelocesare, hardworkinghippy, Michael 1952, Sherry's Rose Cottage, SAN_DRINO, Charlie Day DaytimeStudios, leafbug, kalacaw