Sunday, July 22, 2012

Lightening...

I cut my hair very short.  I just didn't want to be bothered with it anymore.  I've gradually been going a bit shorter for a while, but I got to the point where I could really understand why some women, and men, shave their heads.  The feeling of freedom and lightness...of projecting a different image of yourself that is less based on how you look.  I've never been one to fuss with my hair, but it was definitely a part of my personal image.  I'm getting older, and I want to find a new image that suits this stage of my life.

Yeah, it's different, but I like it for now.  Just for fun, I bought a box of hair colour from the health food store.  My hair goes darker during the winter and I don't really like that.  So the colour I bought was supposed to turn my hair "golden blonde"...instead, it went kind of orange.  Oh well, it will grow out.  I have a bunch of grey hair and the new colour covered them up.  Surprisingly, I missed the grey.  I didn't miss the darker colour though.
The letting go had a ripple effect.  I pulled out a couple of boxes of files.  Some of which I'd been carting around with me since I was a teenager.  A lot of notes from books I'd read, insights I'd had, goals at different times in my life, poems, old receipts, old brochures from companies I had wanted to support.  I over-filled a shopping bag with bits of these papers that I no longer needed or wanted.  We also have a lot more scrap paper now, using the other side of some of the papers I was getting rid of. It felt good to get rid of them. 

It is as though we slough off layers....and then things settle for a bit...and then it's time for another layer to go. 

It is so nice to live with just the things we use, or really like.  To get rid of excess.  In some ways, I kind of miss having a bit more home space.  I don't miss extra housework, I don't miss extra "stuff", but every now and then, just a little more space, another table, or shelf, or cupboard, would be really nice.  Mainly because of the kids and their projects.  It's all good though.  I have so much to be grateful for right now.

6 comments:

karisma said...

Hi Gorgeous! The hair cut looks great. Have you ever used lemon to lighten your hair? You just squeeze the juice right on and go out in the sun. Gives you naturally lighter hair without the chemicals. :-)

I am in the process of de-cluttering also. Every time I go away, I come back and wonder how I have accumulated so much stuff. Sometimes letting go of things can take time hey? Especially those kids projects that bring back fond memories. My daughter has threatened to call hoarders in and tape me if I don't sort it all out and part with it. She just can't see the value in her little brothers old projects at all. LOL

Take care, hugs xoxo

Anonymous said...

Letting go can be so hard at times, hey. Whether it be hair. Or just "stuff". You are beautiful, as always.

Annette said...

Thanks Ladies! You are both so beautiful, and natural and inspiring!

I have used lemon but did have any luck with it.

Living in a caravan, I can't afford to hoard and we have to be very efficient.

I've never seen the show, but I imagine that having 'Horders' come to your home would be pretty embarrasing. That threat would be pretty motivating to do something with the old projects etc hey?!

Earthwand said...

The cut looks fantastic! But you are always radiant.
I think about doing the big trim .
I had a box of keepsakes similar to what you described; they were shipped over to Aus in an antique wooden box ... customs incinerated them for me, lol. At the time it was awful, but I survived.
Go gently x

BlissfullyJaded said...

Random question not related to your blog - are you still travelling to Port Macquarie on a regular basis? We'll be there over Christmas and was wondering if there's any chance of catching up. :)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AUunschoolingConference/message/136

Annette said...

Jenna, no, I'm not going to Port Macquarie regularly as my family that had moved there have moved on to other places.
I see that you are from Darwin? I loved it when I lived there many years ago. We are hoping to go there next year, perhaps we can catch up then?
In Joy, xo