Yesterday I happened to be driving around town a different way than my usual. I passed by a unique house that I recognized. It had distinctive diamond-shaped windows in a bay. All of a sudden, a memory came flooding back. December 1961. My brother Benny and I were featured on the cover of the BYU newspaper magazine. I remember sitting for this photo shoot. I remember being fascinated by those windows. I had only seen windows like that in story books before. The photographer took the picture from outside.
Another less happy memory also came back. My mother used to do my hair up in pin curls over night so my extremely straight hair might have some life the next day. Instead of just sleeping in the painful pinned curls, (which I loathed) I had to wear them pinned up all day, too, to get ready for the picture. (How mortifying! I was too embarrassed to see any of my friends.)
My mother knew nothing about how to properly cut her children's hair, either. She buzzed our brothers' hair to very short, and she used sewing shears to cut the girls' hair. Mom didn't know about barber shears that are designed specifically to cut hair. (Oh no, one pair of scissors should be good enough for any job, right?) Well, my hair was too slick for her sewing shears. When she'd cut my bangs, she'd realize that they were crooked. Even though I held my head very still and straight, the bangs were always crooked. She'd keep "straightening" them until they were reduced to fringes at the edge of my scalp.
This picture is a testament to that fact. From then on, I've been continually self-conscious about my hair. I'm not sure that I've ever had a good hair day.
My mother knew nothing about how to properly cut her children's hair, either. She buzzed our brothers' hair to very short, and she used sewing shears to cut the girls' hair. Mom didn't know about barber shears that are designed specifically to cut hair. (Oh no, one pair of scissors should be good enough for any job, right?) Well, my hair was too slick for her sewing shears. When she'd cut my bangs, she'd realize that they were crooked. Even though I held my head very still and straight, the bangs were always crooked. She'd keep "straightening" them until they were reduced to fringes at the edge of my scalp.
This picture is a testament to that fact. From then on, I've been continually self-conscious about my hair. I'm not sure that I've ever had a good hair day.
Having this memory of sitting under the Christmas Tree, though, brought up some better memories, too. Our Christmases as kids were always magical. That's where my mother and my Aunt Janie really shined. We did many, many Christmas shows. And I've continued that legacy on ever since.
Here's a cute Christmas song suitable for 2-Part Children's Chorus.
"Under the Christmas Tree".
Here's a cute Christmas song suitable for 2-Part Children's Chorus.
"Under the Christmas Tree".
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