Mind Mumbles: Big

I have big hair. Naturally. Not by choice, not by accident, I was born with it, and I've carried it atop my head my entire life.

I wear gel, mostly, to tame the frizz. The curls look better with goop on them, and I feel better that my head is not tickling the noses of the nearest eight people. Sometimes, I'll even straighten my hair. This proves to have its own challenges, but I generally prefer sleek, controlled, near-to-my-head hair. This morning, I chose to go the straightened route, and Little Miss asked me if I could keep my hair "like this forever and ever?" No, kiddo, I can't. My hair doesn't always cooperate, nor do my mornings, so....thanks, though. I like hair that hugs my head. I don't like poof. I don't like big.

I've noticed, however, not everyone shares this sentiment. I'm not saying it's wrong, or right. I'm just pointing out it's different from my personal preference.

I've known people who do their hair big on purpose. By choice. Who don't feel comfortable unless their hair is considerably apart from their head. I remember back in my previous life, two friends and I went downtown for a night out. This was before smartphones, and disposable cameras were still a thing. I pretty much always carried one with me, because I was cool like that. There was one gal we tried to take a picture of discreetly (it didn't work, however), who we soon dubbed "Shark Fin". It looked like she had one sticking straight out the back of her head. Upon closer inspection, I realized she had styled her hair to look that way. On purpose. She could have knocked people over by turning to the side, but seemed not to care. It was big. It was pointy. It was incredibly unnatural. And it was her hairstyle of choice.

I don't get it. As someone who has big hair, and who could make it bigger at the drop of a hat (see what I did there?) I don't understand the comfort or solace others take in styling their hair big. There are some ponytails that are half the length they could be, because they adopt a bump-it-on-steroids styling approach.

Call me old-fashioned, out-of-touch, whatever you will. I find such an interesting dichotomy in style choices. I have big hair, but by choice, I reign it in. Others have tame hair, but by choice, they make it big. Isn't it funny?

{Does big hair make people more studious?}

I remember being a kid and people telling me, "People pay to have hair like yours," and I always thought, "Why on earth would people spend money on this?" It tangles. It mats. It will never be featured in a shampoo commercial. Of course, I did grow up in the 80's where the unwritten 11th commandment pertained to having big hair. I assume to compensate for the shoulder pads that were in every blouse and blazer, though I have no research to back that up.

If you're a big-hair-kind-of-gal, good on you. I don't understand you, but I admire you for finding your style and embracing it. I do what I can to keep things "tied down" with my hair. Letting it go au naturale drives me batty. It's in my face, and the faces of those around me. It gets in the way. It puts on a show. It tries to inhabit its own zip code. I can't handle it.

I'll go big with my dreams. I'll go big with my television screens. I'll go big with my pinochle bid. (Actually, that's a lie, I'm usually scared to bid high...) I just can't bring myself to go big with my hair.