Uncool Curls

I was 13, and just wanted to be cool. Unfortunately, in pursuing this goal, I engaged in some rebellious behavior. My parents concluded that my long, very curly mop of "hippie hair" was to blame. Solution: cut off the hair - problem solved. So off they whisked me, unwillingly and under duress, to my father's friend's salon.

This friend (who will remain unnamed), later went on to found an extremely successful line of hair care products, making something like a trillion dollars in the process. Well, he proceeded to give me what was not only a bad haircut, but to this day (about 40 years later) stands out as hands-down my single worst haircut of all time!

Describing this haircut is not easy, in that it brings up some nightmarish memories that I would just as soon forget. Anyway, I'll try. It was extremely short - maybe about 2 inches - on top, which turned the curls into very tight, little-old-lady ringlets. Meanwhile, the sides and back of this 'do hung limply and lifelessly to about mid-ear length.

Did the haircut cure my bad behavior? You bet it did! I hid in the house with my hideous, decidedly uncool curls for a very long time!

Things did get better later, though. After what seemed like forever, the haircut finally grew out, and my parents never again forced me to go through this torture. This isn't to say that I haven't had other hair disasters, because there have been plenty. But I've long since learned to work with and love my curls!