Since the time she could voice her emotions, my daughter has thrown tantrums every time I have had a hair cut.
All of 12 years now, she is more fiery in tongue and mind than ever before.
"WHY DID YOU CUT YOUR HAIR?" she would ask in all her anger and rudeness.
My haircut is an annual affair.
Not because of my daughter, but because of the slow growth of my hair.
And if the haircut goes awry.... it would take me 9 months to out grow the bad cut. A rectification cut is impossible as it would make bald and I'd remain that way for way for too long.
So, before every hair cut, I do a thorough reke with reference checks of the hair stylist and inspect some cuts and styles done by him on others.
Yet, before every haircut, butterflies flutter in my stomach.
As I get into the barber's chair, I am draped in the black hair cutting coat, I glance at my self in the big mirror with bright lights while he sprays the water to wet my hair.
Strangely, my hair always looks its best when it is about to get chopped. Doubt sets in.... should I, or shouldn't I get them cut ?
I do some deep breathing to get a grip on my wavering thoughts.
I close my eyes as he combs through some knots, and steady myself for the sound of the sharp scissors, the first snip that will slice off the first lock of hair, my gut tightens in doubt....
Will it be a good cut ?
or a bad cut ?
My mind races through the years of hair cuts I have had, dared and endured. I run through the final haircut of each stylist, what had worked for me and what looked worse on me. How he or she had held the scissors, how they had sliced thru my hair, their style of cutting (bottom to top , or top to bottom, in to out or out to in) and how much time they had devoted to my hair.
Yup.... when it comes to a good cut, everything matters.
Lost in thought my face is very serious now, I look as though I am in a witness box to be scrutinised.
So, here's my hair raising story, before and after the cut ....
Tension of the haircut before the cut,
and
Tension of facing my daughter after the haircut.
And the moment my daughter lays her eyes on me after the hair cut, the scene goes thus...
She : What ! You had a hair cut ? (she asks in shock and disbelief)
Me : *Silence*
She : WHY? (rudely)
Me : *Silence*
Tears flows down her cheeks
and her rudeness flows in rapid speed.
She : SO MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO CUT YOUR HAIR.
Me : *Silence*
She : YOUR PREVIOUS HAIR STYLE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO LOOK GOOD ON YOU AND YOU HAVE MESSED IT UP.
After her initial outburst, her temper normalises and life is normal for all of us again.
But, after so many years, the protocol remains the same.
She hasn't changed her approach. And I always forget to take her permission.
But what I do not understand is that...
Hair : is Mine
Hair being cut : is Mine
Probability of sporting a bad hair cut for a year : is Mine
Tantrums (irrespective of it being a good or bad hair cut) : Entirely Hers !
Yesterday I had my annual haircut. It was radically different from the previous style. When I returned home in the evening, my son commented on it but there was no reaction from my daughter.
Morning, all was well and she didn't say anything about the cut.
Afternoon, we had a peaceful lunch because... she didn't say anything at all.
Evening, she went out to play. No tantrums displayed.
The new haircut was now a part of me and she had accepted it gracefully.
Late Evening :
Me : Please pass me your school diary ?
She lifted her eyes from the laptop and passed the diary to me.....
She : Mom, What have you done to your hair ?
Me : *Silence*
She : What ! You had a hair cut ??? (in utter shock and disbelief)
Me : *Silence*
She : WHY? (rudely)
Me : *Silence*
Tears rolled and rudeness flowed in high pitch and rapid speed.
She : SO MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO CUT YOUR HAIR. BUT YOU NEVER LISTEN.
She : YOUR PREVIOUS HAIR STYLE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO LOOK GOOD ON YOU AND YOU HAVE MESSED IT UP.
Me : But You took 24 hours to notice my haircut. And it's not that bad. She even charged me a bomb for it.
She : YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME. NOW I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU. I AM GOING TO SIGN UP FOR ALL NETWORKING SITES LIKE WHAT'SAPP, FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.
Me : Oh no ! that is quite a heavy penalty for me!
She : Yes, thats the price to pay for having your haircut WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
And I realised, with age her protocol had gotten tougher !
********
All of 12 years now, she is more fiery in tongue and mind than ever before.
"WHY DID YOU CUT YOUR HAIR?" she would ask in all her anger and rudeness.
My haircut is an annual affair.
Not because of my daughter, but because of the slow growth of my hair.
And if the haircut goes awry.... it would take me 9 months to out grow the bad cut. A rectification cut is impossible as it would make bald and I'd remain that way for way for too long.
So, before every hair cut, I do a thorough reke with reference checks of the hair stylist and inspect some cuts and styles done by him on others.
Yet, before every haircut, butterflies flutter in my stomach.
As I get into the barber's chair, I am draped in the black hair cutting coat, I glance at my self in the big mirror with bright lights while he sprays the water to wet my hair.
Strangely, my hair always looks its best when it is about to get chopped. Doubt sets in.... should I, or shouldn't I get them cut ?
I do some deep breathing to get a grip on my wavering thoughts.
I close my eyes as he combs through some knots, and steady myself for the sound of the sharp scissors, the first snip that will slice off the first lock of hair, my gut tightens in doubt....
Will it be a good cut ?
or a bad cut ?
My mind races through the years of hair cuts I have had, dared and endured. I run through the final haircut of each stylist, what had worked for me and what looked worse on me. How he or she had held the scissors, how they had sliced thru my hair, their style of cutting (bottom to top , or top to bottom, in to out or out to in) and how much time they had devoted to my hair.
Yup.... when it comes to a good cut, everything matters.
Lost in thought my face is very serious now, I look as though I am in a witness box to be scrutinised.
So, here's my hair raising story, before and after the cut ....
Tension of the haircut before the cut,
and
Tension of facing my daughter after the haircut.
And the moment my daughter lays her eyes on me after the hair cut, the scene goes thus...
She : What ! You had a hair cut ? (she asks in shock and disbelief)
Me : *Silence*
She : WHY? (rudely)
Me : *Silence*
Tears flows down her cheeks
and her rudeness flows in rapid speed.
She : SO MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO CUT YOUR HAIR.
Me : *Silence*
She : YOUR PREVIOUS HAIR STYLE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO LOOK GOOD ON YOU AND YOU HAVE MESSED IT UP.
After her initial outburst, her temper normalises and life is normal for all of us again.
But, after so many years, the protocol remains the same.
She hasn't changed her approach. And I always forget to take her permission.
But what I do not understand is that...
Hair : is Mine
Hair being cut : is Mine
Probability of sporting a bad hair cut for a year : is Mine
Tantrums (irrespective of it being a good or bad hair cut) : Entirely Hers !
Morning, all was well and she didn't say anything about the cut.
Afternoon, we had a peaceful lunch because... she didn't say anything at all.
Evening, she went out to play. No tantrums displayed.
The new haircut was now a part of me and she had accepted it gracefully.
Late Evening :
Me : Please pass me your school diary ?
She lifted her eyes from the laptop and passed the diary to me.....
She : Mom, What have you done to your hair ?
Me : *Silence*
She : What ! You had a hair cut ??? (in utter shock and disbelief)
Me : *Silence*
She : WHY? (rudely)
Me : *Silence*
Tears rolled and rudeness flowed in high pitch and rapid speed.
She : SO MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD YOU NOT TO CUT YOUR HAIR. BUT YOU NEVER LISTEN.
She : YOUR PREVIOUS HAIR STYLE WAS JUST BEGINNING TO LOOK GOOD ON YOU AND YOU HAVE MESSED IT UP.
Me : But You took 24 hours to notice my haircut. And it's not that bad. She even charged me a bomb for it.
She : YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME. NOW I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU. I AM GOING TO SIGN UP FOR ALL NETWORKING SITES LIKE WHAT'SAPP, FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.
Me : Oh no ! that is quite a heavy penalty for me!
She : Yes, thats the price to pay for having your haircut WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.
And I realised, with age her protocol had gotten tougher !
********
No comments:
Post a Comment