Let's Talk About My Hair (9/14/21)

Can we talk about my hair? From one side it’s normal . . . the other, it’s best described as bold. Strange thing to talk about right? Yet it’s really not and here’s why: people judge me on it. 

I’m at a place in my life where whispers don’t bother me much. However, I’m also in a place that I have an image to uphold. As an elected official, sadly, you’re judged not always by how well you do your job but also by your appearance. I found a picture months ago of a haircut I LOVED, but it took me those months to convince myself to go for it. 

It’s a sad but real reality that I had to consider what the effects of my haircut would be on my job.

It made me realize I’m not alone in this—people are judged daily on their ability based on a physical appearance that has exactly zero impact on their ability to successfully do a particular job.  

Here’s the other thing it made me realize: I felt EMPOWERED. It was freeing to absolutely love the way I looked. It felt amazing knowing that it would inspire others to be bolder. I’m not a trendsetter and never set out to be, but I’m all for giving others something to rise upon. If seeing me break the norm of what society expects from someone in public life, I’m here for it.

People are gonna whisper. People are going to wonder if I’ve gone off the deep end (I haven’t, I just love continuing to embrace myself). People are going to think I’m somehow less capable of successfully running the office I’ve run for years based upon my hair. And while I’d love to say it’s all right, it’s really not.

It’s not because while I can shake it off and know with confidence I am exceedingly capable of succeeding, others can’t. Others are held down by the judgments that come from projected perceptions.

We can do better, and we should.

So let’s talk about my hair. Let’s talk about how amazing it is. Let’s talk about how it makes me feel good. Let’s talk about how my husband and kids love it (and me too). Let’s talk about how I’m still running a successful office. Let’s talk about projecting the fearlessness that something as simple as a haircut can provide. Let’s talk about positive image instead of negative.

Let’s talk about it, and let’s start with my hair.