What We Perceive

I'm getting my haircut today. I will be leaving in a short while to drive 45 minutes to get my haircut by a nice Argentine man named Oscar, because 1. Oscar is a most excellent hairdresser, and 2. My mom is tired enough of looking at my mess of a current hairstyle that she is willing to pay Oscar's outrageous prices for me. (Which is why I haven't cut my hair for over a year--I don't trust a lot of stylists, but I can't justify Oscar's pricing very often--and my hair hasn't bugged my mom enough until now for her to volunteer. :) )

My whole build-up for this blog is to reflect a bit on what we perceive as reality, and what actually IS.

For example, today I am fully optimistic that Oscar will take me into his skilled hands and work miracles with his scissors. I will come out looking younger and thinner. And that is him just working on my hair--no scissor work anywhere else. ;)

In reality, I will come out of his overpriced salon with my mom poorer and my head lighter. I might lose weight in there, but it will be because of the volume of hair he removes. NOT because I would be in need of a new wardrobe to fit my now-svelte body. If Oscar could really make people look younger and thinner with a haircut, he could charge ten times what he does and still have a line around the block with women wanting to sit in his chair.

Have you ever looked in the mirror after going to a little extra trouble with your makeup and clothing and thought "Man, I look good." Maybe fought the urge to give yourself the 'gun' and a wink...?

I have. Okay, maybe not the gun and the wink part--but certainly a turning of the head to catch different angles and make sure I wasn't missing something.

And then, have you had someone take your photo and you see it and suddenly you wonder if you have trick mirrors in your bathroom because you are certain you didn't look like that 5 minutes ago when you had your finger on the trigger and were forcing back the wink that you are fairly sure would have looked more like a twitch if the photo is anything to go by?

Where did that extra weight come from? Someone let me leave the house wearing THAT?

Gun, shmun...someone shoot me now.

Not only do I get caught thinking that I'm more attractive than reality would show, but I also have a youth complex.

I see someone who is younger than I am and I am sure I don't look that old.

Hint to those with teenagers....DON'T ask them if you look older or younger than someone you think must look older. You'll actually get the truth. Well, if you have my daughter you will get a deer-in-the-headlights look as she wonders frantically if telling you the truth will dock her allowance or get her grounded...but the result is the same.

So you see why I am now convinced that I will go into Oscar's chair with too high of expectations and come out briefly thinking that I have gained what all vain women want--youth and beauty--I will think people are checking me out. Wishing that they looked this good.

Then I will get home to reality, where the best comment will be "Your hair is shorter". I will try my hardest to remember to let it go at that and not press for more data.

I like my fantasy.

Reality pops up frequently enough to keep me humble and a bit cranky, but in another flash of dreaming I will just chalk the crankiness up to 'unpredictable' or 'mysterious' and then stay away from mirrors and cameras--and 15 year old daughters--for the rest of the day.