Since the topic is fads and fashions, I can't see any reason not to talk about the ones of the past too.

Flashback to my early adolescence, late 1970's, when I was in junior high (what is now called middle school). The rage for girls was to have their hair frosted. I wanted it so badly, but my mother resisted. "Oh, just wait 'til it's naturally frosted," said the smiling sweet little old lady across the street. I can't be mad at her because she *was* such a sweet little old lady, but when you're 13, that's not real helpful, is it? My father joked, "Why is it that when women are young, they want to look old, but when they're old they want to look young?"

What I still can't figure out is why my mother put up such a resistance. It's not like I wanted some punk 'do. What's so outrageous and radical about this?



The way she acted, you'd have thought I was asking for this:



But she was dead set against frosting my hair, until I turned that magical age of 16, at which point I would be allowed to wear makeup to school (all of the other girls were doing that at 12 or 13) and wear RED nail polish instead of pink.

What was so important about being 16 that these things are OK, but not at 15 1/2? I still can't figure that out.

PS: Hubby just commented, "Don't even try to figure your mother out."