No ponytail

When I was growing up, I had long, blonde, sun-streaked hair that went all the way to my waist. I put it in pigtails, one braid, two braids, French braids, “dog ears” as HP calls them on Inwe, and, of course, ponytails. I had long, thick, wavy ponytails. And since I was a swimmer, I often had long, thick, wet ponytails that dripped down the back of my shirt as I sat in algebra class after a morning practice. Six years ago, when I was preparing to leave for a year in Germany, I cut off my long hair in favor of a short cropped haircut that was much more practical for the shower-and-go lifestyle I would be living overseas. Since college, I have grown my hair back out twice but always cut it back off for the very short “butch” cut shown in my profile. I like my short hair. It’s very easy. When it grows a little, it curls out on the side and looks sweet. Even my mother, who loved my long hair, says it looks cute. My husband does not disapprove.

On Tuesday, I decided to join a local gym. Our apartment building has a workout room with a treadmill and an elliptical trainer, but it’s locked from 10pm until around 6am or so in the morning, and since I start work at 7:30am and sometimes work until 10pm, the only time I have to work out is in the morning. So I went by the athletic club that’s two blocks from work (Lincoln Park Athletic Club or LPAC), and checked it out. It’s a nice facility, and with the teacher discount they gave me (for being a Kaplan teacher!), it’s really affordable. With this newfound motivation, I’ve been perhaps overeager with my regimen. On Wednesday, I rode my bike to work (about a 30 minute ride), then did a Full Body Blast class (in which I became lightheaded and queasy for a few moments in the middle) and then a 30-minute inclined walk. Then I rode to my evening job and home later that day. Today, I rode my bike to work, then did a Hard CORE class, then the elliptical to my target heart rate for 30 minutes. My legs are going to be soooore.

I know part of my motivation for joining this gym was also to meet and be around other people my age. I have a hard time believing I’ll make friends at the gym now – especially since so many people seem to know each other from work or school – but I was hoping people would be friendly. And it’s not that anybody’s rude – it’s just that no one is that outgoing. In the classes I’ve taken, nobody chats before or after. And I always seem to be in someone’s way!

But back to my ponytail. I was looking around today trying to decide why I don’t quite fit in at this gym. There are women of various shapes and sizes, though granted most are thin and trim. And then I saw it – ALL of the women in the gym had ponytails! It was like a requirement for working out there. There they were, ponytails swinging and bopping as these workout women did the stairmaster and jogged on the treadmill.

And so now I feel bereft. I want my ponytail back. And of course, that’s easier said than done. I like my hair long. I have pretty hair – it’s my one vanity. I can do all kinds of fun things with it depending on my mood and the occasion. But it’s also heavy and hangs in my face. So for now, I will embrace my cute cropped hair and be excited about the nice color, how quickly I can style it (about 2 seconds), and how much energy I’m saving by not using a hair dryer. Ah, glass half full again. And maybe I’ll even chat up somebody at the gym tomorrow – Spinning class!