JOLIE HUGHES,
NEW LONDON, NH
1968. I was 7 years old and in 2nd grade when I was aware of one little girl’s shiny, pressed hair, so different from my own brown pixie haircut. I want to know how it got that way and another girl told me “don’t ask her about her hair” as though I had done something wrong. I felt deep shame and embarrassment then and carried that with me as an adult that I wasn’t to ask questions or learn/admire/reach out.
As a little girl all I wanted was a doll that looked like that little girl, because I thought she (the girl) was so beautiful.
