School Picture Hair pt. 2

Be afraid. Be very afraid. I can't believe I'm posting these. I guess I just get some voyeuristic thrill of the possibility of someone looking at pictures of me from my most hideous stage in life and imagining the look of utter horror on their face.

But can we make this a learning experience? You know I'm all about education! If your child is somewhere between sixth and ninth grade, you can show these pictures to him or her and they will be assured that yes, their picture could possibly be worse than it is. (I'm having trouble with pronouns here people, so just work with me on this, ok?)

Aren't you just overwhelmingly thankful that you never have to go through that Junior High stage again???? If not, perhaps you didn't feel as awkward and ugly and awkward as I know I did at that age. Glasses and braces. Unmanageable hair that probably needed washed and zits. Appealing combination, no? Add in an attitude and did I mention awkwardness about everything and you've got me as a thirteen year old.

Do you remember walking into a room, thinking everyone was looking at you and it wasn't because of your glamour? Do you recall appallingly honest statements coming out of your mouth that you had no idea were even in your head? (Oh, wait. That still happens occasionally. Maybe I haven't grown up!)

In fact, I know I haven't. Just this week, my daughter's class was in the library researching and she and her friends were looking at me and laughing. Laughing. Gosh. At me? I thought I had outgrown that fear that was a holdover for so long from high school, that if three cute girls are sitting together and laughing it was going to be at me. (they weren't,by the way)

Do you remember being obnoxious and laughing and knowing that you were being obnoxious and just couldn't help yourself? Remember the out-of-control sweating, the continual facial breakouts, the teen angst, the horror, the utter horror of being that age?

And last of all, do you remember the Dorothy Hamill haircut that spun so gracefully when she was ice-skating in the Olympics and the shag haircut (precursor to the mullet) and Farrah Fawcett's feathered hair (Jennifer Anniston of the '70s, doncha know).

And did you ever attempt to have your hair in any of those styles? The shag wasn't too bad, Dorothy's haircut wasn't totally out of my reach (disregard the sticky-outy bits), but Farrah on a thirteen year old failed miserably!

Now don't laugh, okay? I'm laying myself out all vulnerable for the edification of future generations!



Now, go ahead and be brave! Get out your own Junior High pictures and laugh. And rejoice that you are who you are today and not stuck in that time-warp! And now you have the experience to remind your child that this stage in life won't (thankfully) last forever.

Even when it feels like it!