There has, it seems, always been a societal fascination with curly, blond hair. I think it must have started with little Shirley Temple. That little girl captured everyone's attention during the Great Depression for being cute and adorable. I think that fascination carries over to this day.
I can think of no other reason for the attention Grace gets out in public. In South Texas I could have explained it in a cultural way. The culture there is predominantly hispanic and blond hair is an oddity. Consequently it draws much attention and in order to ward off the "evil eye" people who have admired something about someone else (hair) will touch it to keep the owner from getting "evil eye." Ok, I understand the sociological phenomena there.
I'd like to understand the phenomena here. Where we take Grace out in public we invariably gets comments from complete strangers about her hair. I really can't find an explanation in the local culture to explain this. What drives people to stop us in the mall, at the store, on the sidewalk and comment on how pretty her hair is? It can only be a nostalgia for the "good old days" of the Great Depression. Those movies of that adorable girl that made everyone forget about the quotidian worries. Those same feelings must be invoked when someone sees Grace's hair. As her parents, we know full well that, while our little angel, she has her less than angelic moments.
I wouldn't trade her for anything, and I want her to experience as much as possible. But I'd like for her to grow up and not dislike something about herself, like her hair.
I can think of no other reason for the attention Grace gets out in public. In South Texas I could have explained it in a cultural way. The culture there is predominantly hispanic and blond hair is an oddity. Consequently it draws much attention and in order to ward off the "evil eye" people who have admired something about someone else (hair) will touch it to keep the owner from getting "evil eye." Ok, I understand the sociological phenomena there.
I'd like to understand the phenomena here. Where we take Grace out in public we invariably gets comments from complete strangers about her hair. I really can't find an explanation in the local culture to explain this. What drives people to stop us in the mall, at the store, on the sidewalk and comment on how pretty her hair is? It can only be a nostalgia for the "good old days" of the Great Depression. Those movies of that adorable girl that made everyone forget about the quotidian worries. Those same feelings must be invoked when someone sees Grace's hair. As her parents, we know full well that, while our little angel, she has her less than angelic moments.
I wouldn't trade her for anything, and I want her to experience as much as possible. But I'd like for her to grow up and not dislike something about herself, like her hair.
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