It may seem crazy, but, my hair deserves its own category.  I sat down to write the Pink Highlight story tonight and couldn’t decide what category to put it into.  Initially, I just knew I wanted to share the story.  Then I remembered I should choose a category if I can.  I thought about putting it into the “health” category.  I do believe that having one’s hair “done” by the right person is very healing on a physical and mental level at the very least.  I have as much, if not more, relief from a hair cut as I get from a massage or acupuncture treatment.

I could also have put it into the “gender” category.  I have spoken or written about countless stories in the last several years about how I am treated by the general public, by anyone who doesn’t know me, depending on my hair.  The length of it has had a great deal of power during different phases of my life.  The cut of course.  I have had a lot of styles.  A lot.  I have also had a lot of colors and the color also changes how people treat me.  Eventually, I will share specific examples that back up my theory that people are nicer to me when I have wild colors in my hair.

I could write about my hair in the “family/friends” category as I value my hair person in my inner circle of support.  I have a friend who referred to herself once as a “hair slut”.  She goes to a different person every time she gets it cut.  I am the opposite of this.  I have to have complete trust and faith in whoever I am going to let touch my hair.  It isn’t about their skills as a hair stylist either (although this is a bonus).  Once I find the right person, I am devoted to them.  I know that this is appreciated.  And once they trust that I mean it when I say that they can do whatever they want… they are free to be creative.  It also goes well when they understand that I won’t “cheat” on them and show up at the salon in someone else’s chair.

I have written one essay titled “Hair” and it is published on the Sexing the Political (STP) website.  I am going to leave that one in the “Wollner’s Writing” category since it was published.

But I will write about my hair in its own category now and, over time, you will understand more clearly as to why it stands alone as a key topic in my life. Stay tuned for pink highlights…