On haircuts, rude personal questions, and unlikely observations about the workplace

[featherynscale]

I have this theory that a woman can tell approximately how old she looks based on the random personal questions asked to her by her hairstylist. (This may also apply to men, but I'm not certain.) When you are very young, you get something like "Are there any boys at school you like?". This moves to "Are you dating anybody?" later (late teens, maybe), which is followed by "Are you seeing anybody?" (early twenties). This yields to "Are you married?" (late twenties) and then to "How many kids do you have?" (thirties). I presume that the pattern continues up until in your fifties they're asking about your grandkids, and in your sixties, whether you've buried your husband. All of this is pretty rude, by my standards, but there it is.

So I've been solidly in the "Are you married?" class for some time, and was starting to move into "How many kids?", which was getting kind of alarming. However, last night, I went in to get my hair cut and got "Are you seeing anybody?". My initial conclusion was that I look younger with less hair. After some thought, however, I began to wonder if the implication was less "You're not old enough to be married" and more "You're probably a lesbian, so asking about marriage would be rude."

So I'm apparently either looking younger or gayer these days. I'm okay with either.

On a completely unrelated note, the cover on the light above my head appears to bear some impact markings, as if someone had sat at my desk and fired a BB gun up into the light. This seems really unlikely. But that's what it looks like.

Comments

hair people

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

Maybe you look *both* younger and gayer.

A major reason I let my hair grow long was so that I wouldn't have to deal with those people that cut hair.

...Which, along with my fuzzy memory of high school and earlier, means I can't contribute any experience to your theory.

Re: hair people

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I suppose I could look both younger and gayer. That'd be good, too.

And I understand that some people have a problem with other people touching them without making conversation in a friendly manner. I'm just not one of them. I already have a forum for talking about my personal life to people I don't know, y'know?

Must be the curls.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

I dunno; they always want to talk to me, at length. Maybe I look gay, too.

What do you do 'while' you are getting your haircut? Stare at them in the mirror, thereby making eye-contact and inviting conversation? Look at your lap? Read a book? Masturbate?
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Sorry. Strike that last, I was just wondering for personal reasons.

Re: Must be the curls.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Mostly I try to look at what they're doing to my hair.

Sorry - were you asking what *I* do, or what one generally does?

you, specifically.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

The question was actually for scientific purposes, to distinguish between what I think/expect you are doing while your hair is being cut, from what zylch does. I should have placed that part of it down below.

Re: you, specifically.

[zylch.livejournal.com]

I don't do anything in particular. I usually have a book with me, having brought it to read while I wait (I tend to go to the cheap-o walk-in places rather than making an appointment), but it's nigh impossible to read during the cut itself because 1) if I have my head bent down to read it makes them cut my hair all crooked and 2) bits of hair end up getting on the pages, and that's just ewww.

Mostly, I just look at what they're doing in the mirror, or at things on the walls, or at all the implements of torture hairdressing in their little cubbies, etc. I do not attempt to make eye contact in the mirror.