Revealed - Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Well, I did it today. I went to work without "Abby" the wig. It was one of those quiet decisions you come to in life. I looked at my hair in the mirror this morning and thought I might be able to finally put the wig to rest. So, I pulled out my gel and tried to tame the "chemo curl" that has attacked my head of late. This time, however, I trimmed the hair that kept sticking straight up and put an extra slab of gel on it, then I drove to work. I called Marilyn from the parking lot and asked her to meet me at my car. I thought it would be a good idea to get a second opinion on the matter. God bless Marilyn. She walked outside in the cold without a jacket in order to inspect my hair. She thought it looked short, but left the decision to me. So, I asked her to send Lea out to the parking lot as well. I figured since she is a hairdresser, she would give me an honest opinion. She gave me the "go ahead."

I have walked into the backroom at Martindale’s probably thousands of times over the years feeling a myriad of emotions. This morning was almost indescribable. A little bit of trepidation that people would think I look like a boy rather than a girl, joy over finally being able to walk outside without the wig, etc. But, no matter what feelings I had, it was a moment I will never forget. Most of the staff did a double-take, a few did not seem to notice. Later, I ceremoniously presented "Abby" to Mark, the Sales Manager, as a "reward" for all his hard work at Martindale’s. :) :) :) :) It did not surprise me that he actually put her on his head. To tell you the truth, it was a bit maddening because he looked pretty good wearing her. He reminded me of Paul McCartney circa 1968. People were taking pictures of him. This kind of thing is an unusual event at Martindale’s. One you would want to capture on camera for posterity, or more likely, for bribery at a later date. Then, an amazing thing happened. Mark actually walked out into the store in order to show the staff working on the sales floor his new look. Mike, Chris, and Heather looked at him in shock. I have to say it is a secure man who can do something like that!

All day customers kept asking me if I had gotten my hair cut. Well, not exactly..... Anyway, I am getting used to having such short hair, at least, for now. It is amazing how easy it is to take care of at this length. Even though I still feel that I resemble a guy, a number of people, male and female alike, have remarked that this length looks cute. One last note, I am thinking of donating "Abby" to Bryn Mawr Hospital’s free wig program in order to help another woman undergoing chemo. I am sure "she" will do as good a job for someone else as "she" did for me.