My Extremely Very Bad Hair Day

by Mary Jane Dougherty
(California)

An extremely snowy day that February in 1965.

My older brother Norman and I were walking from 2nd Ave and Cordova to Central Junior High located on 15th and C Street in Anchorage. We've walked this journey to Central many, many times, however not with so much heavy snow falling.

We made it through downtown Anchorage and headed for the C Street Market on 9th Ave. A favorite place to stop and warm up and get snacks. Once Norman and I warmed up, we headed down C Street to Central, which was only a few blocks away.

We started down the hill to Central. We were just talking and walking with our heads down as we toughed our way through the snow. You know what brothers and sisters talk about, television shows, school assignments and mainly about the snow. When all of a sudden we heard someone shouting.

We both looked over to the snow-covered street and saw a car with several teenage boys and one was leaning out the passenger window. He was shouting. “Her hair, her hair! She looks so funny!” The other boys were laughing as they slowly drove up the hill.

Norman turned and looked at me and said that my hair was stick straight and soaked. “Ugh!” I moaned. We both couldn't wait to get into the school building where it was warm and dry. Finally, we made it inside. We hurried to the office to get our Tardy Slips and a nice Counselor handed me a towel to help dry my long shoulder-length soppy wet hair.

Norman then told me I looked fine, and I should go ahead to my classroom. We would meet after school to walk home together. I walked into class with my extremely wet hair. Luckily, I only got a few laughs from my classmates. My teacher and friends said they were glad to see me and felt bad about my wet hair.

It was hard to concentrate because I could still hear the laughter and remarks about my wet hair. I'm glad that a hot school lunch was waiting for me.

Great, the bell rang for school to be over. Norman and I were grateful that the snow had stopped and the walk home was so much better than the heavy snow from this morning.

I learned a new hair care lesson that day to avoid any future extremely bad hair days. I would wear a warm, waterproof hat whenever I see snow falling. Maybe even two hats!

Yours Free

Anchorage and Alaska Facts, History, and Pioneers

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