It wasn't hard to come up with the above title, not when I am forced twice a week to notice the big red uncomely sign of a salon next to my grocer that reads 'Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow'. And on days when I have to drive further for lack of parking space, I see another sign, 'Medusa'. It always brings to mind old times in Bangalore, a woman I knew and some others who called her Medusa. I never did, I knew her woes. This topic wasn't hard to hit upon either. The archetypal woman would agree that her crowning glory is a cause for concern, worry, or at least some thought on a daily basis. But the inspiration, this particular time around, was my neighbour Swapna. When the big cities boast of salons like Vidal Sassoon, suburban Milwaukee takes pride in Vici Capilli. And so that was where I took Swapna and the whole talk of 'curling' started. She has dense, wavy, short hair. "Insert curls into that, you might give Medusa a complex," was what came to my mind, but I conveyed it in a nicer fashion. She barely listened. For she had her mind made up -- like I had when I was younger. She wanted curls, those that hang daintily and are seen almost always only on women in magazines, television or the silver screen. They are temporary. But she wanted it permanent. I told her that is when they call 'perming' and that ain't so pretty. There was a half-hour discourse on this subject. I had a hair stylist speak to her. She settled for a haircut that day and we headed home. But I am sure that given a little more length to her hair, some encouragement and of course a lot more money, she would head straight back. "Look guys, the grass is really greener on the other side," yelled my childhood friend, Luxmi, one day. She wasn't being profound then, it was just this old TV that was losing colour from its screen. Something to do with the picture tube, I was told. It started from one side and before long half the screen was colour and the other half black and white. So she did make sense. When it comes to 'curling' hair, that is what I think it is all about -- the grass being greener on the other side. Women with straight hair wanting curls and women with curly hair wanting to wear it straight. It is not very popular in our country yet, but if one were to see the large number of African-American women who straighten their hair, it should give us some insight into the curly world. I personally know a few Indian women who would give anything to get their hair straightened. It is not just 'women' who get so obsessed with this; girls of all ages do too. My fascination started as early as sixth grade. My mom had a hair dryer with a set of brushes. And I must have spent more time working with that than with my maths. The results of course were obvious. A few initial years of fascination and the inevitable frustration (parents in my time didn't help you out with such issues), I gave up and resorted to short hairstyles. But in the final year of high school, I took the trouble of growing my hair only to have it curled (in a salon, that too) for the 'social' day. Today I wonder why I went to those lengths; I don't even think it looked good on me. Once into college, out of my hometown and in Bangalore where the possibilities are endless, I started saving money to get my hair 'permed'. Never told anyone, never asked for a second opinion. Three hundred and fifty rupees and two hours in a Frazer Town parlour, and I finally had curly hair. Only then came the advice on the 'special' brushes, shampoos, conditioners, gels, do's and don'ts. After a first month of ecstasy, a second month of reality and a third month of finality (throw in the difficulty of maintaining the mane, I dare not call it hair, all this time), I decided that I had had enough. Luckily, there came along an invitation to Tirupati with some relatives. You can guess the rest -- I shaved my hair off and decided to give the spiritual aspect a try. They say it is the letting go of ego. Must admit that does happen, looking the way one does, but for me it was also letting go of all that mess. Then followed a period wherein I was, proverbially, getting in touch with my inner self. All that reminiscence and an hour later I called Swapna and told her that she must give 'perming' a try if she still felt strongly about it. I concluded, as I read once in the Quotable Quotes section of Readers' Digest, that the best way out of a situation is right through it. Curling my hair on that last day of high school and 'perming' it with my hard-earned savings were the best things I could have done for myself. It made me happy then and wise later. It stripped me of the obsession I had for curly hair. Else, I would still have been wasting time wishing and hoping for curls, the time I now use to focus on more meaningful aspects. Lekshmi Nair is happy with the way she looks now. Well, at least she's not unhappy. Tell us what you think of this diary Be part of an exciting venture! Write a Diary!
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