Another Blog on Hair

This summer I bought a chi flat iron, just to be able to be versatile with my hair. Last year I cut it because I got tired of not being able to do a whole lot of stuff with the big fro, and I needed a change. I'm not one to spend money in a salon on my hair, so what I can do with a fro is very limited. So i bought it for change and also because it's not good for me to wash my hair every morning when it is so cold outside....

Well, now it is getting cold, so last night i decided to straighten my hair (via the chi iron). Everyone had a comment, which was expected because since i have been teaching at my school i have always had a fro. Got a similar reaction when I first cut my hair. The comments I got from students were interesting to say the least. I got "I like your hair," but there were other comments that really got me thinking when i got home. Here is a list of some of the comments from my students and other students that I have never taught:

• "You look sexy" (i thought this was completely inappropriate until i realized that was just a word equivalent to "hot")
• "You look like a movie star"
• "Oh my gosh, you look really pretty"
• "You look younger"
• "You look older"
• "Now you look about 20, so does that mean I can holler at you?" (yes, this was a student)
• "Do you have a date tonight?" (I guess they think I haven't had a date in 3 years since I haven't worn my hair straight in 3 years)
• "Let me take a picture"
• "You look soooo different"
• "I didn't know who you were"
• "That was not a good choice"
• "We want the old Ms. H back"
• Boys swarming around my classroom door and grinning at me all day
• 8th period students standing around my doorway looking during 2nd period

All in ONE day. Now, most of the comments were positive; one student hated it. At first i was thinking "damn, am i THAT unnattractive???" so many students were saying how pretty i looked today, and i wondered what they think of me normally? But when i got home, some of the reactions really saddened me; not because my feelings were hurt, but it just reminded me how brainwashed some of my students are and what their ideal of beauty is. I received soooo much attention today because i didn't want to catch a cold from walking out in the cold with wet hair! What a mess...should i not do this again?