Random
Every now and then, since I was a little girl, I get stopped by random strangers (and sometimes crazy ones) complimenting my hair. When I was young it was embarrassing because I hated having red hair and the only people who seemed to like it were middle-aged women going gray. Now it's a little different but the random middle-aged women bit isn't.
Whilst shopping in the "Ethnic" aisle of my local supermarket today after work, I was stopped by a lady mouthing something to me. Is she talking to me? I pull out my ipod earphones and said, "Sorry?"
"I said I like your red hair, is it real?"
"Yes."
"It's not out of a bottle? I've always wanted red hair." Said wistfully with a little spittle.
"No, it's natural."
"Where did you get it? Are you sure you didn't dye it?"
"Quite. I got it from my family, thanks."
"My grandmother had red hair but I didn't get it. It's so sad."
"You have to have relatives on both sides of your family to have red hair." Pointed out helpfully.
"Did you know that Lisa Marie Presley is having TWINS?" Said with eyebrows raised.
"Um. No, I didn't. That's very interesting." Baffled.
"Yes, and one of them will be called Jesse. After Elvis's brother. I don't know what the other one will be called. They didn't tell me." Lots of spittle and eyebrow-raising.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, everyone wants to know!"
"Of course! It's important." Clarity dawns in her eyes like one who has found someone else who understands. "Well, I have to run. Have a great day!"
"Take care of your hair!" I hear her say as I turn away.
Man. It's so refreshing to get a nice crazy like that after awhile. Made my day.
posted by Kathryn @ 5:08 PM
6 Comments:
We all know you dye your hair!
What a great comment, anonymous. Thank you.
Hello Kathryn. When I first read this post, I didn't know how to comment. I keep my hair long (just below the shoulder, which is about as far as it will grow, because it falls off a lot). I often have it tied back, but one day I walked into the office (years ago), and one of my male colleagues said, as I walked past, "you have your hair loose, it looks nice". This was perfectly friendly comment, from a good person, and yet it startled me and made me feel nervous. So from then on, I decided that I would only say something like "you've done something to you hair, and it looks nice", only to people I was almost intimate with, never to a stranger.
Also, while I love to see a bit of breast on display in the street or at the supermarket, I try to be very discreet, not stare, and to avoid being caught looking (although it is rumoured that a woman always knows that she is being looked at. I would never say anything (except to my wife, when she was alive).
This feeling was amplified by a posting, some time back, by "the girl" (I hope the link will work):
girlwithaonetrackmind.blogspot.com/2007/05/stacked.html
In this case, I wasn't sure that the random woman in the supermarket should have made the comment in the first place, and thought that she did seem to go on and on, but you appear to have been generally happy about the exchange, so that's OK.
Thank you for sharing a slice of your life.
It definitely is an interesting experience when people stop to comment on your appearance in some way. I've had some not so nice comments as well as lovely ones. Usually, with the hair, it is nice. As for the other stuff, it is good you are discreet! :)
Yeah, Kathryn people COULD be more discreet when observing/commenting on someone else's various body parts. I'm still horrified about the time I walked past this gangsta-wannabe blonde girl and her boy toy and the blond girl preceded to screech at the top of her lungs, "Damn, she's got a ghetto booty, look at her ass"!
Sorry, but there is nothing 'ghetto' about my ass. I'm from the suburbs, thank you very much! It could have been a great compliment if that ho had worded it better!
Oh dear, what a cow! Yes. Discretion. We are all agreed.
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