Two and a Half Stories About Never Saying Never

1. When I was 13 I got an ill-advised sort of punk 80s-style short haircut that caused unobservant people to think I was a boy. Even, once, when I was wearing a miniskirt. As I said, unobservant. Anyway, after about a year of this haircut I decided to grow it out. And my grandmother, flailing for conversation topics, said,

"Your mother tells me you're growing your hair out."
"Yes," I said. "I figure this is kind of my last chance to have long hair." (In the early-to-mid 80s, grownup women did not have long hair unless they were hippies who couldn't let go).
"Oh, I don't know," she said. "Grandmom (her mother, my great-grandmother) always had long hair. You could wear it up."
WhatEVER, I thought. As if I would ever wear my hair up. Gag me, etc.

So now, thanks to the miracle of modern hair accessory technology, and having tried a variety of short to medium cuts that make me feel, well, not like myself, I have long hair that I wear up almost every day. It suits me. And then I can take it down and do that "Why, Miss Jones!" sexy librarian thing. Nannie was right.

2. For many years I have read magazine articles suggesting that families should exercise together. And I would dismiss the idea with lightning speed. Yes, I wanted my children to participate in sports, and I fervently hoped that they would not find gym class the torment it was to me. And yes, I would, sporadically, seek out some form of exercise for myself--tapes, classes, the elliptical--none of them very family-oriented.

Yesterday I went for a run with NSLR and S, and it was so fun. Okay, they still didn't actually run with me the whole time, because they run nearly twice as fast as I do (6:30 miles to my 11). But it was fun being on the trail, and stretching together, and driving there and back. The parenting magazines were right.

2.5 The fact that I am even running is a bit of a never-say-never miracle in itself. And now I feel like the world is my oyster. I could, potentially, try to learn squash and play with the rest of my family (if they play left-handed or something).