Hey, beautiful hair! someone called. You know how you know when a street remark is directed at you. I looked around. She continued to compliment it & asked how I got the lavender color in.
It's not all that unusual for people around town to stop me & admire my long silver-purple hair. Generally, though, it's an older man "I love when women don't dye their hair!") or women my age who lament their own too-short too-thin too-whatever hair.
This time it was a girl in her 20s. Not only that, a Crusty girl in her 20s. The Crusties are, from what I understand, homeless travelers, usually with a sad dog, multiple piercings & facial tattoos, all of which my new friend had, in spades. They're reviled around here for their fighting, drugs/drinking, & belligerence.
She was lovely. Sweet as can be, despite the distraction of blue lines falling from her lower lip. I wanted to compliment her in return (which reminds me a guy once telling me that on his first date, in junior high, the girl said, "You have small ears" & his quick return was "You have small ears too.") but realized that she was giving me the gift of her mildness, her noticing, her stepping across a barrier, & the best thing I could give in return was to appreciate her compliment. And be reminded that people are NOT their stereotypes.
It's not all that unusual for people around town to stop me & admire my long silver-purple hair. Generally, though, it's an older man "I love when women don't dye their hair!") or women my age who lament their own too-short too-thin too-whatever hair.
This time it was a girl in her 20s. Not only that, a Crusty girl in her 20s. The Crusties are, from what I understand, homeless travelers, usually with a sad dog, multiple piercings & facial tattoos, all of which my new friend had, in spades. They're reviled around here for their fighting, drugs/drinking, & belligerence.
She was lovely. Sweet as can be, despite the distraction of blue lines falling from her lower lip. I wanted to compliment her in return (which reminds me a guy once telling me that on his first date, in junior high, the girl said, "You have small ears" & his quick return was "You have small ears too.") but realized that she was giving me the gift of her mildness, her noticing, her stepping across a barrier, & the best thing I could give in return was to appreciate her compliment. And be reminded that people are NOT their stereotypes.