free hosting   image hosting   hosting reseller   online album   e-shop   famous people

The Dream

     It was happening again. Maureen was giving a baby shower for her younger sister, Marie, before she had one herself. Only two years earlier, it was Maureen giving a bridal shower for Marie. Maureen's job as a secretary at a modeling agency required long and unusual hours, and she could not seem to get into a meaningful relationship for any length of time. Maureen was pushing 35, and was feeling even more pressure from family and friends about getting married and starting a family at this shower. Maureen also received a lot of pressure from her older relatives about her hair, which was past her waist. Marie also had long hair, but not quite to her waist. She also caught a lot of pressure form the family about her long hair, but not as much as Maureen had to put up with.

     The shower progressed to the point where it was time to open the gifts. There were the usual items, strollers, clothes, toys, and such. There were some envelopes that contained money. Then came the envelope from Aunt Helen. Marie opened what she thought would be more money, but, instead there were two gift certificates at a solon for a "New Mother Makeover". "Thanks, Aunt Helen. I was going to do something about my hair after the baby was born, anyway. I'm thinking about going shorter, about my shoulders. But why are there two certificates?", asked Marie. "One's for you and the other is for your sister, so she does something about that outdated, overgrown hairstyle she wears, and we can be doing one of these showers soon for her!", said Helen, staring  right at Maureen. Maureen could only look down at the floor. "Come on, Maureen. Let's do this together tomorrow night! Maybe a new haircut will give you a new outlook on life. How long has it been since you did anything with your hair?", asked Marie. Helen looked at the family picture Maureen had up on the wall, taken when she graduated. "Looking at that picture, at least about 20 years!", said Helen. Maureen was still looking at the floor when the others started encouraging her to let go of her long hair. Maureen started to get teary eyed when she looked up and said, "Do you all think my long hair is that outdated and boring?"

     "Maureen, your hair has been long forever, it's not that we think you're outdated or boring, we just want you to try something different. Look at Marie. She taking the plunge, just like she did five years ago when she got that cute perm.", said one of Marie's friends. Maureen looked down again. "OK, maybe it's time to do something about my hair. I'll go tomorrow with Marie and get my hair cut.", she said. Helen agreed to a 6:00 PM. for Marie with Sally, and Helen had a 6:00 PM open and would do Maureen herself.

     After the shower was over, Marie stayed behind to have a sister to sister chat. "Maureen, your time will come. It's not like you're an old maid., you're still only 34. A lot can happen. Maybe you just need to do something different. I know you like your job, but maybe don't make it the center of your life. I know you take pride in having such long hair, but if you try something short and don't like it, it will grow back. Listen, if you chicken out tomorrow, I will take care of Aunt Helen. But do give a new haircut some consideration.", said Marie.

     That night, Maureen mulled over what type of short style would look good on her. Marie was usually on her side when everyone else pushed for a shorter style. Now even Marie wanted her to give up her long hair. Maureen knew if she cancelled the appointment with Helen, there would be a lot of family friction. She pinned her long hair up underneath itself to see what a chin length bob would look like. Her mind was troubled by giving up her long hair under peer pressure, and she went to bed with these thoughts on her mind.

     Maureen went into a dream just before it was time to get up. In the dream she could hear clapping and cheering. She saw herself in a long, red cocktail dress with a white sash declaring "Miss Hair 1998". She was holding a bouquet of flowers. Her hair was not its normal length, either. Instead of several inches below her waist, it was several FEET below her waist and dragging behind her on the floor. As she came to a series of  steps, she saw a railing and a bright light behind. She went up the stairs, several feet of hair dragging behind. As she got to the railing, she looked left. There was Aunt Helen holding a weed eater with several feet of hair wound around in it and about three feet of ponytail hanging out from it. As she started towards Helen, Helen got a big grin on her face. The cheers subsided as she went to Helen. As she got closer, the crowd started to boo. Maureen turned around quickly and started to run with Helen chasing her. The crowd started to cheer again. Then she saw Marie in a wedding dress holding a baby on one arm and hedge trimmers in the other. Marie took the hedge trimmers to her own hair and chopped it off. Then she started to Maureen and offered her the hedge trimmers. Again, the crowd turned from cheers to scowls. Maureen turned and ran to the stairs. As she got there and started down the stairs, the hair dragging behind her got caught on the railing and she fell down. Catching up to her were Helen and Marie. They said, "There's only one way out!", holding their lawn cutting tools. They repeated this over and over. "There's only one way out, there's only one way out!". The light got brighter, the cheers got louder. Then the alarm went off and Maureen woke up, relieved.

     Maureen didn't bother washing her hair this morning, only to go get it cut that night. She just left it hang down and free and went to work. There were  some new up and coming models due in for a for a chance to do a shampoo commercial. Interviews were being done today and shooting starting on Tues. morning. It was going to be a busy day. On the way into work, she thought about her strange dream and about her last day with long hair. The day was not as busy as she thought. Only three models came in and one was chosen by 3:00. The model they chose had very long blonde hair, about as long as Maureen's. She and Maureen started talking about having longer than normal hair and the attention it attracted. "I don't usually wear it down like this, and it don't seem to attract any attention when I do wear it down. I'm going tonight to get a chin length bob with my sister." said Maureen. "Oh, no. don't go do something so drastic. You will regret it. My mother made me cut my long hair off in high school as a punishment for getting caught with my boyfriend when I was supposed to be babysitting. I was treated differently like I was not popular any more. The guys didn't come talk to me so freely. I said then I would never have short hair again.", said the blonde model. She left and Maureen thought about what she said. "This is strange, the dream, this model taking the time to talk to me. Maybe something is telling me not to cut my hair.", she thought. So, Maureen called Marie and asked if they could delay the appointment. Maureen explained she was not chickening out, she just need some time. Marie was OK with this and got the appointments moved to Thurs. night. Maureen felt better as she went home that night.

     Maureen came into work the next morning expecting to prepare for the day's shampoo commercial shoot. As she was making coffee, one of the shampoo company's people complimented her on her long hair. "Thanks, I was this close to cutting it off last night, but due to a strange dream and talking with your blonde model, I changed my mind." said Maureen. "Good choice. We chose that particular girl because of the length of her hair. It was in good shape, also. Great for selling shampoo!", he said. Everything was ready, but the blonde model was still not there. Maureen sat and chatted with the shampoo exec and photographer about ways of caring for extra long hair. Then the phone rang. Maureen picked it up and it was the blonde model. She was calling from the airport and explained she had a family emergency and was on her way out of town. Maureen transferred the call to the modeling director and he was not happy. Quickly, he came down to where the shoot was to take place. "OK, the shoot is off!", he told everyone. "I will reimburse you for expenses for staying another day as we call another model. "Don't call anyone. I'll use Maureen over here. She has great long hair and will fit the job perfectly.", said the photographer. "Maureen is a secretary, not one of my models." said the director. "I can't stay another day. Maureen , how about it?", asked the shampoo exec. "I would love to!", said Maureen. Maureen was perfect for the shoot and things went so well that a return trip was planned after Maureen got a chance to experiment with this company's hair products for a while.

     After this, Maureen thought, "What if I would have cut my hair that Monday night?" What was behind the strange dream and the blonde model? Somehow, someone was trying to tell me not to make a mistake and cut my hair. Maureen did not keep the Thurs. night appointment. Neither did Marie.

The Dream is fictional. Any similarity to an actual event is accidental.

Back the the Storybook