Comment: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (sorry)

When I’m under stress, I pick a song that I like and play it relentlessly on my Ipod. Should it scare me that I have yet another Britney Spears song on endless play?

What’s up with that?

I feel a lot of empathy with Britney. I’ve mentioned this before. I think I know how she felt when she shaved her head; she’d had enough, she wanted to just disappear and start all over again, and hopefully feel much better. I’ve felt that way many times. It’s a pretty universal feeling, at least for women. (If a man shaves his head, people don’t freak out, so it’s not an equal opportunity act of distress.)

Most recently I went and had my hair shorn of all the fake blond highlights I had assiduously put in, and even though I look like more like a guy than I did at age 12, I still stand by my decision. I needed a change, and I got it. I feel a little more like myself, whoever that is.

A really under-rated movie from the early 90s called “State of Grace” had one of the best quotes ever: the main female character is getting a major makeover to adapt to a major life change, and she sees a friend at the salon, and says wistfully, “Change your hair, change you life, right?” or something close to that. Truer words were never spake, spoken, nor spaken.

Seriously, your hair as identity is an obvious thing, sure. But look back to Britney, who has grown enough hair to get natural-looking extensions. She’s come full circle. She is going right back to the way she looked pre-breakdown. If I were her, I’d have gone for something significantly different; for example, a short red bob, or a black “Rain”-era Madonna pixie cut. Instead, she is trying to get back to where she was. I suppose if my living depended on what I looked like, I’d consider being more consistent with my own hair.

Does it say something about my personality that I can’t seem to grow my hair longer than chin length? What does it mean? I haven’t worn my hair this short since I was Miss Hotsy Totsy Boho Actress Waitress Punk Girl.

Aha. Britney wants to maintain her image pre-meltdown. She wants to capitalize on the blonde bombshell she was before her issues became more public. And I want to go back to the sassy, free-spirited punk rocker artist I was many years ago. Aha, indeed.

I should pay myself for these insights.