Every time I’ve gone to an airport since 9/11 I’ve been singled out to be searched and frisked. I’m about as threatening as kitten playing with a cotton ball, so I’ve decided that I’m the Non-Discriminatory Pick (or, depending on whether or not I have a sense of humor afterwards, the Token White Chick), meaning they single me out every time so that when all the could-be-Arabic? people they pull out behind me get rightfully pissed off for being targeted, the security people can point to me being molested with a metal detection wand and say, “What about her? She’s so white she glows in the dark. See?! We don’t profile people at all!”
It’s gotten to the point where I expect it, and it’s influenced the way I travel. I’d rather buy many things when I get to my destination or mail them ahead of me than see my $13 bottle of moisturizer go into the trash because it looks like it might be .01 ounce over the limit.
So I’ve been thinking about letting my hair grow, but I really can’t stand the way it looks while it’s transitioning from Very Short But Manageable to Medium Length But Manageable. That period in between is awful. I have a natural Carol Brady flip that drives me nuts. I have thick hair that’s fine when it’s short and fine when it’s medium, but anything in between makes it stick out like a tumbleweed. (Eat your heart out, Hermione Granger.) So I thought of using extensions during the transition.
Some of you may recall that I road-tested extensions for a beauty blog (now defunct), and I learned a lot. Not only did I test store-bought clip-in extensions, I was asked to try to make my own, which I did and found extremely simple and extremely cost-effective. I also learned how to cut and style the extensions so they’d blend in with my hair, which, as I said, is thick. Most extensions are not. So I recalled all this while sitting here researching my options, and I decided to just go for it. I don’t want long hair (I have a long face), but I thought a medium-short shag would be cute and easy to do myself. I have leftover clips (about fifty), thread and a needle, and the 8″-long human hair wefts are a whopping $8.00 at Sally’s Beauty Supply. What have I got to lose?
Then I remembered that I’m going through two airports in November, and the extension clips are made of metal. Is having cute hair worth getting frisked in front of hundreds of holiday travelers? On one hand, I’m expecting it anyway. On the other hand, do I really want to have to demonstrate the convenience of my fake hair to a surly TSA officer who might decide that my extensions are a threat to national security and demand I remove them?
Decisions, decisions. Being shallow is, like, hard and stuff.
indeed. maybe you should get a weave. they, like, braid your hair and sew it in and stuff. no metal!
I have not flown since 9/11 but I suspect if I did I would be frisked just because I’m so unfamiliar with all the rules and regulations now! As for hair extensions, my hair is so fine I fear if I ever actually tried I’d wind up bald because the extensions ripped the poor little hairs out by the roots!
BTW — I now you are a regular visitor to one of my blogs, but did you realize I have a second one? It is cherrychampagne.wordpress.com if you inclined to read a little more you are always welcome! I originally had grand ideas, a different focus for each, all that stuff you idealistically plan but never happen. Now it is just so I can post whenever I want without drowning the posts.