One Saturday afternoon, hen is was around 5 or 6 years old (I know I was around that age because we were living in Toombs County at the time) Mama decided I needed a hair cut. Worse than that she decided she was going to give it to me. She stood me on a chair in the living room and started clipping. Then Nell (my oldest sister) came in and told her she was doing it wrong. They started this long discussion about how it should be done. Mama kept saying “You do it this way.” And her hands were showing what she meant. She was zig zagging her hand in the air indicating that you cut hair in a zig zag fashion! Nell kept saying “No, you do it this way.” She was demonstrating a straight line.
The next thing I knew they were trying to prove their points by clipping little bits of hair. Before you knew my head was just a big old mess.
I don’t remember where Daddy was but he got home and saw my head and said “Go get in the car.” I don’t think he even said a word to anyone else. I got in the car and he took me to town. We drove by every beauty shop in town and since it was a Saturday and getting late in the evening they were all closed. So he took me to a barber shop and had my hair cut. The barber did the best he could and it did look a lot better. But that was the shortest haircut I’ve ever had! I almost looked like a boy. And I have often wondered why Mama thought you’d cut someone’s hair in a zig zag?! I do know why she wouldn’t listen to Nell...Mama was always right
