3
December 2002
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I love being a blonde. Now, I don't know if it's really true that gentlemen prefer blondes, or if blondes have more fun, but I do know that there's something magical about it. There has to be, because why else would so many women go to so many, and such expensive, lengths to get the hair of a golden girl? When I was about five or six, although I'm not really sure exactly how old I was, I told my mother that no matter what, I always wanted to remain a blonde - that even if nature tried to take over, I'd trick her in order to stay a towhead. I remained true to my word. I don't have to do a lot (so far nature has seen fit to only darken my hair, not make me a brunette), and lucky for my pocketbook I only get it brightened about two or three times a year, but the highlights make an incredible difference. It's like my hair has been spun from straw to silk and when I walk out of the salon I feel as if my hair is glowing. I can't keep my hands off it and strangers sometimes react similarly. Today when the colorist was drying my hair another stylist's eyes kept flickering over at me and when I made eye contact with him he smiled and remarked on how beautiful it looked. Of course both the colorist and I said thank you, although on a day like this she does get all the credit. It sounds silly, I'm sure, but I feel blessed and almost privileged to have these goldilocks. Like I'm part of a (very large, not so secret) society or something. You get referred to as "the blonde" and people categorize you in mostly flattering ways. (I think there have been enough television segments and magazine articles done where a brunette reporter dons a blonde wig and then explains the difference in the way people treat her, that you get the idea.) And even though I've only ever lived with hair like this, I know that people do treat blondes differently. I don't know if it's because of the way the light reflects that draws attention or if it's because of the stereotypes or if it's because natural blonde hair in adults is actually very rare and therefore might be considered more special. I don't know why it is, I just know that it is. It does feel a little strange to openly acknowledge that, like I'm supposed to pretend it isn't true, and I'm a little embarrassed to say it, like it's folliclism or something, but it is true - just ask any of the many, many women who lived a significant part of their post-adolescent years with darker hair. Of course you do have to deal with the ditzy blonde stereotypes, the "oh - your color is showing" comments when you do something a little flighty, but I've never been bothered by any of that. I guess because I know that I'm not stupid, so the joke's on them. Recently there have been a few celebrities, like Mandy Moore and Charlize Theron, who have darkened their blonde locks hoping to appear more credible or mature, and a lot of the fashion magazines made it seem as though going chocolate was the new thing to do, but I don't really buy that. One look around the salon today would confirm that while gentlemen may not always prefer blondes, women most certainly do.
The notify is exchanging holiday cards.
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