Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Woe-Hawk

Hair is a renewable resource.
Dyed. Cut. Whatever.
Within a few weeks, whatever outrageous style had been conceived and achieved, is vastly changed.
For these reasons, I never balked when my kids wanted something new. Hair-wise. I dyed my son's hair blue when he asked. And I gave my sons Mohawks--ditto.
When we arrived at Daddy's apartment for a visit, he was less than...enthusiastic about their choice of style.
Until I dragged out the ol' photo album and pointed to the above picture. Taken when Daddy was sixteen. (He's the one on the right.) And leaving him without the proverbial ‘leg to stand on’.
Now I'll let my dear cousin, Anne Stringam Tingle take over the story...
Diane -
I knew enough when I was a little girl to find this story funny. I was a little scared of Grandpa - he was quite stern, but I knew that what Mark had done was hilarious to everyone, except probably Grandpa. Certainly, Mark thought it was a huge kick.
I loved your Dad very much.
Anne 


I was a little girl living on the Milk River Ranch with my parents when my Uncle Mark was a cool cocky college student working on the ranch for the summer.
Grandpa and Grandma Stringam spent a lot of time at the ranch: Grandpa teaching my dad how to run a complex ranch operation and Grandma teaching my mum how to be a ranch wife and how to cook for hay and harvest crews as well as a bunkhouse full of hungry cowboys.
One lunchtime, after Mark had been sent into town for some baler parts, he trooped into the kitchen with the other ranch hands. They all knew the routine - wash hands and hang up your hat on the hooks in the entrance.
Mark swept off his hat to reveal a sassy, fresh mohawk hair cut.
There was complete silence as Grandpa slowly surveyed the desecrated cranium. Finally, he spoke: “The house rule and common courtesy requires that men remove their hats at the table. Mark, in your case, we will make an exception. Go get your hat.”
Later that summer, after the mohawk grew out, it wasn’t quite as sensational when Mark got a reverse mohawk (with the middle strip shaved and sides left long).
However, Grandpa reinstated the hat rule at the table - every man bare-headed, except Mark.
There is a codicil: Dad told my brother that the reason he and Roule Gilchrist (in the picture with Dad) got a Mohawk in the first place was because Aunt Mary (Anne's mom) bet Dad 5 bucks that he wouldn't.
Ha!

20 comments:

  1. Heeheehee! Great story.

    As i always said when my kids wanted to do something odd with their hair, the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is two weeks.

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  2. That's funny! My grandson had his first professional haircut this past week for his first day of school. My husband wanted a Mohawk for him, but knew better haha! (Rena)

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  3. Love this story and I agree with you about hair. When my son was very little, he once, when angry with me, threatened to get a Mohawk and dye his hair. I told him to go for it.

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  4. Teenage rebellion is often shown with their hair. It is the easiest thing to do, and makes a big impact. It has been going on forever. You have to do it when you are young because time has a way of taking away your options.

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    1. Too true! I laugh at the man in our church congregation who talks about his rebellious hair days. He's totally bald now...

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  5. I'd rather see a funky haircut than piercings and tatoos.

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  6. Love your stories! I also let my son have a mohawk. So funny you let your son dye his hair blue. I was the same way. Its only hair. Not worth the battle.

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    1. Exactly! In a few weeks, the matter will be moot! Meanwhile, you had a good laugh together...

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  7. Great story. Which reminds me of my own mini rebellion when I died my hair blue. I was then a brunette (salt and a smattering of pepper now). It didn't really show until I got into the sun when I had a bright blue halo. Probably the only halo I will ever have.

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  8. Yup,that teenaged rebellion. My son's hairstyle wasn't that extreme but I just shrugged and told him to go for it. And, after a while, he got tired of his "hairdo". I kind of like Mohawks though.

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    1. Mohawk ARE quite tidy. ;)
      Yep. With no opposition, Kids kind of catch on on their own, don't they?!

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  9. Never bet a daredevil; you'll lose every time :D

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  10. I remember telling my mum "it's only hair, it will grow out/grow back" whenever she made a bit of fuss over my kids hair choices.

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