Alice VS....The Perm

We've all been there -- to PERM or not to PERM!? That is the  question!  When I was in college, I decided I would get a perm, which to me meant adding "body" to my hair, but apparently is code to  hairdressers everywhere to give you the "Shirley Temple" look.  In college, this is  tantamount to being a leper!  I remember the woman at the JC Penny's salon  (STRIKE ONE!)  looked a lot like Stevie Nicks. You remember Stevie? Lead singer  for Fleetwood  Mac and a woman who sported a MASS of hair that was frizzy and had  an  occasional ringlet here and there.  I told her that I thought her hair was  very  pretty  (STRIKE TWO!) and apparently, that signaled the stylist to give me  HER  hairstyle (STRIKE THREE!). Yup! I have black hair and at that time it was  layered and down to my shoulders, so instead of looking like a raven haired  Stevie Nicks, I looked like Rossane Rossana Dana from Saturday Night Live! STUNNING!  There is no way   back up the social ladder when you have committed hari(HAIRY?)-cari!  It's  best  you just pack up your things and move directly into a cave.
 
Now, just to let you know, I have an odd habit (surprise!), when I wake up in the middle of the   night, I like to brush my teeth. I am sure somewhere, there are bells going off in a   sanatorium, but I like to think of it as one of my many, adorable quirks.   ANYHOO, I can remember the night of the hair-assault, I was brushing my teeth   and my darling Mother comes out of her room, stops at the door (it was open as I  was just brushing my teeth) and said, "Brush your hair!" , turns and head back  to  her room!  Firstly, I couldn't get a brush through my hair; and second: it was 2 AM and I was  heading back to bed but my darling Mother was wanting to be  helpful!
 
You would think that would be the end of it, but sadly, this was not my last perm. For some reason, we women   are eternal optimists! We think the next perm will be perfect and of   course it won't be.  Normally, it's worse.  I remember after another fateful  perm years later, I called my boss, a fabulous woman, and sobbing,  told her I   had had a perming accident and could not come in! She said she understood and   gave me several hints that would help decrease the frizz and help me look   somewhat passable as a human being! Remember PRELL?  That was a perm killer for   sure-sadly, it took multiple washes to get your perm calm enough to walk   outdoors!  What is even worse is that we continue to PAY people to do this to  us. Surely another sign of insanity. 
 
Today, straight hair is all the rage- thankfully for me,  that  is easily achieved but OH to have beautiful curls or waves for miles; the  desire  is still there! I have not had a perm for at least 25 years now and have  no  inclination to go that route again though recently, I had to talk my
precious  Mother out of a perm; she was on the ledge, ready to jump, and I, her  loving and  still perm scarred daughter was able to save her from making that   mistake!  Crisis averted for her..... This is Rosanne Rosanna Dana signing off   for now!

Find my blog at: AliceVS.com