I never had a haircut until I was seven years old*. I wore braids, long ones, that my mom braided every morning. I can remember begging her to let me wear my hair down, but in a early run at Worst Mom Ever certification**, she always said no. Then, for reasons that I am not sure I ever even knew, one day she took me to this very beauty shop. We left with my braids in a bag***, and my hair cut into a short bob. Of course, then I wanted a super-short pixie cut, but she vetoed that as well****.

Lubbock, Texas
photographed 8.5.2018

*My mom trimmed my bangs by getting them very wet, plastering them down hard against my forehead, and cutting them straight (mostly) across. This method failed to take into account a cowlick right there in front, so when they dried, my bangs were on the…innovative…side.
**Of course she wasn’t really the Worst Mom Ever, but try telling that to adolescent me.
***Yeah, so we left with the braids. I don’t know what happened to them after that.
****Again, not the Worst Mom Ever, despite my strong feelings at the time.