Big Changes

[Diane]

Have you ever gotten to a point in your life when you consider making a big change? Anything from changing career fields to getting married to getting a tattoo.

I am considering making a change, but it is hard taking that first step.

Those who know me or have seen my picture on the Teeming Millions Home Page know that I have long hair (it is past the middle of my back). I put the top down on my car yesterday but due to the fact that someone swiped the chopsticks I keep in my visor that I use to twist my hair, I spent the next 30 minutes combing out the snarls. Had a salon been open that late, I would have gone and had it chopped off. Today, I am still contemplating a major haircut. . . . maybe.

I have always loved the eyebrow rings and have been seriously considering having mine done. Just a small one, maybe gold with amethyst. I think I probably will follow through and make the appointment, but what if I don't like it on me?

What if I hate my haircut?

These things are permanent. The hair grows back, you can close the piercing, but those things take time, especially the hair.

Have any of you made a change that you regret? Should I just go for it?

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>^,,^<
KITTEN

Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.

[BunnyGirl]

Go for it. Life is to be lived. Like you said, it'll grow back or you can let the piercing grow through. I had a friend at my previous job who had hair as long as yours. I found out from a male friend that she cut it short (to her shoulders) and got it colored and it looks great. He doesn't like her either so for him to be able to say it must've meant it looked great.
I'm still taking time to think about my tattoo though! That's a little more permanent.

[Falcon]

Here's my $.02. I always had long hair too, and highlighted it blond. Right after I graduated from college, I cut it ALL off and dyed it bright red. (And when I say all off, I mean short as a guy's.) I liked it for about 4 months, and then regretted it. However, it's now growing back and looks fine. So I say go for it. I finally got my ears double-pierced after waiting for 5 years, and I love it. If it's something you can undo, why not try it?


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"You have to laugh at yourself, because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't."
-Emily Saliers

[BoBettie]

Diane,
as Ernie from Sesame Steet says "That's the wonderful thing about hair..it always grows back". I have done the radical long to short hair thing...loved it! Now I've gone again with the super long hair...and probobly in a year or two I'll chop it again. Life is short- make changes!!
I'm not big on eyebrow hoops, but hey- to each his own! I would love a belly ring, myself!

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An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.

I know how you feel. Sometimes when I'm at the check-out line in the grocery store and the clerk yells, "I need change!" I think, "Oh, so do I . . ."

Go for the haircut, but spend the cash to go to a good stylist recommended by friends, someone who will give you a cut flattering to your bone structure. I used to have hair down past my waist, then spent my 30s experimenting with all different lengths, styles and colors before finding the one best for me. You'll never know till you try.

Eyebrow rings I find kind of ooky--I never see one that I'm not tempted to hook my pinkie onto it and pull hard, like I'm at a merry-go-round . . .

[BurnMeUp]

change is always good. My wife is considering an eyebrow ring. my last big change was moving out of my home state and taking a job in a new one so I'm all changed out for a while.

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To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.

[Diane]

Wouldn't it be great if fear wasn't a factor? Just think how much more interesting life would be if we just went for it without the fear of failure or worrying about our appearances.

FWIIW - I feel myself chickening out on the hair cut. Maybe a minor change to begin with.


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>^,,^<
KITTEN

Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.

[kanashimi]

I'm considering a tattoo but talk about permanent ...!! And there's virtually an unlimited selection! How do people decide what they want, and know they'll want it for THE REST OF THEIR LIFE? And how do they deal with that little device that mothers implant in your brain that says: ONLY TRASH GET TATTOOS?

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"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation." - Rhett Butler

[Persephone]

I've made some big changes in my life. Job, marriage, divorce, remarriage, children...

The one thing I would love to do, though, is get a tattoo. But fear does keep me from getting one. I mean, I've birthed two babies, so it's not the pain I fear. The fact that it will still be there when I'm 95 is what holds me back. I've got a 96 year old great grandmother still very much alive and very much kicking, so my odds are pretty good on actually reaching 95, you know? Sigh.

[Byzantine]

My hair falls more than halfway down my back. I had it cut once into a short wedge (went from three feet to about 5 inches) and burst into tears when I saw it. Call it vanity or Sampson's source of strength but I've never been able to have my hair cut off again.

IMHO If you are going to do it I'd suggest stages. Get half cut, see how you like it and then go half again. To go from flowing strands to short and sassy is a shock! If it gets in your way I'd find ways to subdue it (love that idea, heh heh!). I twirl mine into a bun, knot it or use a pen or pencil to keep it off my neck. (Bummer about your chopsticks, I use those too) And nothing beats that hunk of hair to keep me warm in the winter. Well, except for a steamy lover...

As far as piercing goes I can't help you there. I have my ears pierced (in my family it's a rite of passage that we can only do once we are thirteen) but nothing else. My close female friend had her nipples pierced and she loves it but I couldn't do it! I think I'm too squeamish! But if you are going to do it get someone good. Someone who's clean and knows what they are doing cause I like you and don't want you to get hurt or sick.

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The moon looks on many flowers, the flowers on but one moon.

[timmar68]

Some places have computer imaging...I'm sure you've heard of it...they take your picture and superimpose different haircuts onto it.
A little warning, though...PLEASE make sure you are ready to cut your hair! I've seen it happen...someone wants short hair...the stylist talks to the person who wants it to make sure he/she is ready...and once it's done, it's a shock. Once, a co-worker of mine had a customer with long hair (down the back). She wanted it majorly short. he talked to her for about 20 minutes to make sure that she was sure, to analyze what looked best, and she kept reassuring him that it was ok.

He did the cut and she burst into tears. She told him that she didn't know why she was crying, because she liked it...she didn't even feel the tears come, they just did! She kept apologizing but couldnt stop crying. She felt bad, gave him a huge tip, and called the next day to apologize more. Long hair seems to be a security blanket of some sort...and no matter how ready you think you are, be prepared to be shocked. And you may need a couple of days to get used to it.
but once you do, you'll probably want to keep going shorter. That's what usually happens!

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MaryAnn
Sometimes life is so great you just gotta muss up your hair and quack like a duck!

[Stoid]

Maryann:

The keep going shorter thing is exactly what happened to me.

The whole process took about 2 years. I had always worn my hair as long as I could grow it (roughly middle of my back). But while I have alot of hair, it is very find and straight and it was difficult to make it look good. It spent most of the time in a ponytail.

Then I fell in love with a man 15 years younger than me and he told me that my hair made me look older. So I got it cut into a page-boyish thing, a little longer than chin length. It still took too much blow drying and fussing to make it look decent.

Then the cutting began....a little more, a little more, a little more.... well, my hair is now about 1/2 inch long in the back, even razored down to nothing at the very bottom, and the longest hair on my head, which is at the front, is 1 1/2 inches. I call it my dyke cut.

But is it EASY???? Oh my lord.

I also made the decision, since I was going so short, to let the gray come in completely, to see just how gray I am....wow. I'm 41, and I have the gray hair of a 60 year old. But everyone tells me how much they love it. (It's soft and silver, really) After the summer when I'm not in the pool so much I may color it again. My best friend told me the only objecitonable thing about it is that it announces my age. With color, I can easily pass for 32. Since my fture hubby is 26...maybe it would be better if I wasn't announcing my age.

[jazzmine]

I have long hair (to my waist) and I'm 33. I'm always wondering (my mom in the back of my head, probably) when it is that I'll be too old for straight long hair. I mean...do I have to do the bun thingee? Not sure that I'll ever be the "bun" type. But cutting it all off...makes me shudder. I've never even had short hair.

trisha

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He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice - Albert Einstein

[Satan]

From the reactions I got from the opposite sex when posting my picture on another thread, I can honestly say I'm never, ever, EVER cutting my hair!!!

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Brian O'Neill
CMC International Records
rockuniverse.com/cmc/cmc.html

ICQ 35294890
AIM Scrabble1
Yahoo Messenger Brian_ONeill

[AuntiePam]

Enjoy your long hair while you can, you lucky people -- I've yet to see an older woman (50's and over) who looks good with long, flowing hair, gray or tinted or whatever.

It's cuz of gravity, I think, face starting to sag, and long hair just makes it more pronounced. (Think June Carter Cash.)

But I've seen a lot of ordinary looking women whose long hair makes them extraordinary. Have always envied long, thick, hair, with a nice cut. (But not big hair -- no no no.)

Not sure about the piercings and tattoos -- they just seem faddish. (Unless you're the first one who did it.)

Be sure to let us know what you decide and how it turns out.

[Diane]

My hair falls more than halfway down my back. I had it cut once into a
short wedge (went from three feet to about 5 inches) and burst into
tears when I saw it. Call it vanity or Sampson's source of strength but
I've never been able to have my hair cut off again.

Same thing happened to me. I think that is what is holding me back. I have always had long hair, but when I was pregnant with my daughter it really thickened up and grew even longer (must have been the prenatal vitamins). It was to my butt, long enough to sit on and HEAVY! I decided that I was through fighting it and went and had it chopped off to shoulder length. By the time the stylist started I had a small audience. Afterward, I bawled for a week. It has taken me 15 years to get it almost back to where it was.

The thing is, is that I sometimes think I am ready for a change, but it is just so damn scary to know what I may go through again. Maybe I will find a shop with the computer thingy Maryanne mentioned or just get it trimmed an inch at a time.

As far as piercing goes I can't help you there. I have my ears pierced
(in my family it's a rite of passage that we can only do once we are
thirteen) but nothing else. My close female friend had her nipples
pierced and she loves it but I couldn't do it! I think I'm too
squeamish! But if you are going to do it get someone good. Someone who's
clean and knows what they are doing cause I like you and don't want you
to get hurt or sick.

Thanks No need to worry though. I have a friend who is certified to peirce. He has top of the line equipment and a lot of years experience. He swears it will only hurt for a second, but I dunno. I am a total wussy.

The nipples? Eeeeeek - They would have to pure a fifth of Captain Morgan into me first.


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>^,,^<
KITTEN

Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.

Well, I'm a "woman of a certain age" and I have long hair--but I wear it up, in a Tippi Hedren French twist or a Gibson Girl chignon. I never wear it down at work, it would get in my way, and I agree with Auntie--after a certain age, long hair just makes you look like an aging hippie.

[Strainger]

Satan:

From the reactions I got from the opposite sex when posting my picture on another thread, I can honestly say I'm never, ever, EVER cutting my hair!!!

Yeah, no shit! From the reactions you got from the opposite sex in the other thread, I can honestly say I'm never, ever EVER cutting my hair again either!!!

[Falcon]

Strainger -

You look *just* fine the way you are - short hair and all. (More than fine, in fact.)

[BunnyGirl]

Well, Strainger, Falcon's post to you made me go over and check you out on the Teeming Millions. You're cute! Any man that likes cats is okay in my book! Are you blushing yet? Hey....we could form a Mutual Appreciation Society!

[timmar68]

Question for people with long hair...a majority of you freak if someone even suggests more than half an inch cut. Why? I don't get it. Why is it so traumatic?

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MaryAnn
Sometimes life is so great you just gotta muss up your hair and quack like a duck!

[jazzmine]

Flora, how and when did you make the transition to being a "bun woman?" (Note, this is not a derogatory remark).

I guess, since I don't feel any different (just a hell of a lot smarter) than I did when I was 18, it's hard for me to imagine when I have to put my hair up. *sigh*

trisha

[Diane]

Maryanne - My hair is really long but I have about an inch cut off every other month - without freakin.

I think the freakin out happens when more than an inch is chopped off because it takes so long to grow out if we don't like the cut.


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>^,,^<
KITTEN

Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language.

[elbow]

Take care and consider carefully, I have done what you are considering for much the same reasons.
What I had failed to consider was that long hair is low maintenance and short hair is way high maintenance. It's naturally wavy to I had to wash and blow dry it every day to avoid looking like a mental defective.
I'm back to long hair now, comb, tie back, braid and go, never have to blow dry. Yahoo!

[Doobieous]

Well, change takes courage. A Hair cut will at least grow back. Tattoos take much more thought and planning.

I'm considering a tattoo but talk about permanent ...!! And there's virtually an unlimited selection! How do people decide what they want, and know they'll want it for THE REST OF THEIR LIFE?

Quite easy, you think long and hard about something that reflects you (or you pick a design, like the "tribal" pieces, that you really like a lot). For me, it's stuff that is significant to me. My second one will be the Kanji for "satori" - it's when everything falls into place, and you finally get it, and you understand (also used sometimes for "enlightenment"). The Character in Chinese means: to awake, to apprehend, to become conscious, intelligence. Mom says that pretty much fits me . Many times people use animals that have significance (all the rage is Chinese dragons, or tigers, etc...).

And how do they deal with that little device that mothers implant in your brain that says: ONLY TRASH GET TATTOOS?

Well my mom never said anything like that. She just told me and my brothers that if we did get one be prepared for comments (all have been positive so far). Dad thinks theyre cool, and even went into the local tattoo parlor to look at some designs. Grandma doesn't know but at next years family reunion she will see both my first and my second (and so will my entire family on my moms side ).

[Strainger]

Falcon it's about time you got your picture there. You're very cute! BunnyGirl I am very impressed that you like the opera! Let's start that Mutual Appreciation Society. The running part is pretty awesome too! (Yes, both of y'all have made me blush. Better quit, though. My head is big enough as it is!)

Diane, admitedly I prefer long hair on women and am always disappointed to see it get cut off. But, it's your hair. And it does grow back. The eyebrow thing, though: Oooowww!! I can't even stand to look at that (yes, I'm squeamish)!! Then again, it's your eyebrow (ouch). I ocassionally experiment with facial hair. Basically, as far as facial hair is concerned, I just follow the whims of my girlfriend at the time, since I could take or leave it (the facial hair, that is). I recently had a moustache that I shaved off. Didn't care for it. I have grown sideburns level with my ear flaps. I think those look pretty good.

[smilingjaws]

A couple of days ago there was an article in the commercial appeal (memphis paper) that spotlighted a young girl who grew her hair so that she could donate it to an organization that makes wigs for children who need one because of illness.
Wouldn't it be a pleasant thing to give your hair to this organization if you do decide to make a change?
The commercial's site library is down so I couldn't find the reference, but maybe your hairdresser would know about this.
Good luck!

Jazzmine, I found in college that with the shape of my face, wearing my hair up was the most flattering. And I agree with Elbows--short hair is very high maintainance! My hair is straight and silky, which when short just LIES there. So back in college I started pinning it up in a loose chignon.

From time to time I got bored and experiemented with other styles, lengths, colors--but I always come back to this, which really is the best for my face and real easy to take care of (I don't even need to look in a mirror to pin it up, now!).

Besides, it's a classic style that'll take me into Little Old Ladydom . . .

[Diane]

Smilingjaws - That sounds like a wonderful idea, but I think I may have chickened out. :/