Recently, the cowboy and I flew to Indianapolis, as several of his paintings are on display at the Eiteljorg Museum. It was a wonderful trip and I’m so so proud of my talented guy. But in packing for the trip, I forgot to include an item that I rarely go without unless it’s an absolute emergency: HAIRSPRAY. Yeah, my daughters say I need to get over that. While I fully realize styles have changed, for women close to my age—especially for those in the South—hairspray is just as needed as mints after eating Doritos. It’s a must-have.
As I was sleepily using my flat iron at the airport hotel, I suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d failed to pack my travel can of hairspray. Grrr…I quickly called the front desk to see if a small bottle was available in their tiny collection of sundries. The young girl replied, “We don’t have any hairspray, but we DO have hair gel.” Good grief. Clearly this girl didn’t use hairspray.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I almost panicked. What on earth was I going to do? My hair looked flat and felt way too soft due to the hotel water. Yuck. I could hardly wait to get to the airport newsstand and buy whatever hairspray they had available. At this point, I wasn’t the slightest bit picky about the brand. I quickly unpackaged the little black bottle and zoomed into the women's restroom. With just a few quick sprays, I felt back to normal. Ahhh.
As I sat at the gate waiting to board, I couldn’t help but give my little hairspray drama more thought. Perhaps a woman’s hairspray preference speaks volumes about her personality type. Before you do a double take on what you’ve just read, push on and hear me out. I’ll throw myself under the bus as an example.
I have thick, coarse hair and often compare it to a horse’s tail. Have mercy! So when it comes to styling it with hairspray, I don’ play around. It’s gotta be strong stuff. If the marketing says “extra-hold” then it better be. No, I don’t want a helmet head, but I want hairspray that does what it says it will do: HOLD. I could care less if it’s brushable or makes my hair feel as if it doesn’t even have hairspray on it. I want the real deal. I’m that way in life as well. If a product makes a claim, then I expect it to deliver. And like many of you, I expect the same of other people. If one says they're going to do something, then I expect them to carry through. It's the whole Golden Rule thing, correct? Oh, but sometimes our expectations can veer off track. Our mistrust in others to get the job done, leads to our desire to control. Not cool. Psychologists trace it back to us being disappointed or belittled by others in our youth, to the point when as an adult, we do everything possible to avoid that feeling of unworthiness again....
Regardless of the cause of such behavior, we have to face there’s only one person who's really in control: God.
I may talk myself into thinking that I’m in control of my fate—after all, He gave us a brain and I'm usually confident in my decisions. But sometimes life requires we remain quiet, calm and have faith. Oh friends, it’s an uncomfortable feeling, isn’t it?
Stay with me on this hairspray analogy...
Perhaps you’re one that likes minimal hairspray--just enough to hold hair temporarily, but not too stiff? Personality-wise I’ll care to wager you’re a bit more laid back. You don’t get as worked up over current events or life trivialities as much as this author. Know I’m quite envious of that, as it's the best of both worlds.
But hold on. What if you’re one of the bravest of the braves? You need no hairspray whatsoever. You may roll your hair into wavy curls or straighten it with the greatest of all flat irons, but you don’t need any sticky stuff to hold everything in place. You’re willing to let loose, shake your head in freedom and accept whatever comes your way. I can’t help but think such women are the most resilient and confident. My daughters are like this and have nary a can of hairspray to their name. My gals roll with the punches. They run their fingers through their hair and accept themselves for the women they’ve become.
I want to be like that.
Regardless of our hairspray of choice, if any, we are ALL a work in progress. We must ask God for help with our control issues, regardless of the level of hold. Sure, the process of loosening our grip is uncomfortable, but I can’t help but think it will do us good. Are you in?
I’m sure I’ll use hairspray until the day I die, but if I were to forget it again, I hope I’ll not freak out as I did last week. Rather, I’ll be determined to take a deep breath and go with the flow. Who knows, perhaps I’ll even get a compliment on my new style, or even better, my new light-hearted attitude. Contrary to the popular voluminous saying in the South, “Higher the Hair, Closer to God,” I’m going to come down to earth and realize my hair can too. Rest in knowing He loves you just the way you are.
Brightest of Blessings,
Angie