Toe Head

It may surprise one to know that the color that has shaped my entire personality, lifestyle, & life is Toe-Head. However, I may not be surprised much at all to know yall didn't know the two word hyphanated phrase, nor that it is indeed a color. Well, it is indeed a specific hair color and it has influenced the entirety of my life. Toe-Head : the lightest of platinum blondes & usually associated with children, a white-headed youth. Now yall wont find that definition in a dictionary, and for readers under 35, thats not on wikipedia or google. Yet. Thats my definition based on a lifetime of experience.

Life as a Toe-Head is uniquely challenging in the Ozarks. I rekon it would be elsewheres as well. If they exist elsewheres that is. Its hard sayin, not knowin. But like i said, it has its own unique challenges in the Ozarks, and i have experienced them all first hand.

For one, it is possible and probable for a toe-head to have their scalp sun-burn. It is not probable nor possible to find a suitable sunblock for the area. Sunblock in general is a toe-head challenge. While the other kids are already jumping off the banks and into the river, the toe-head child is still rubbing down in the invisible armor of SPF.

Then there are the wide variety of skin irritants that grow wild in the Ozarks. For a Toe-Head even the grass seams to cause a rash. I once accuired an undiagnosable rash from an unseen assailant that flew into the car window, landed on my thigh, exploded, and then decentegrated before i could see what it had been. The rash was instant, the recovery took months of creams and benadryl to heal.

Childhood as a Toe-Head was indeed challenging. And then i grew up, beautiful. Decades of teasing, being called an albino, never ever being able to blend in with a crowd, and then one day my accursed white hair became my CROWN. Thats right, what was once the bane of my existence became my most valued asset. I was more surprised than anyone else to learn I am considered beautiful, and it is mostly due to this now a pale yellow hair of mine. Ive never been much on beauty and fashion, and due to a combination of laziness and lack of talent i decided to let my hair grow long. My decision was based on the idea that all i would ever have to do is wash, condition, brush, ponytail holder, and Tah-Dah hair is done. I had no idea that decision would change my life and how the world seen me.

With long platinum hair to my waste i was no longer the red-faced, Toe-Head girl. As a young lady with gorgeous hair, my entire identity changed. I had become GoldyLox, and she ROCKS! GoldyLox is beautiful, confident, charming, and poised. GoldyLox is everything the Toe-Head child dreamed of becoming one day. As GoldyLox the insecurities of my childhood were disapaited. However, new unexpected challenges would eventually arise.

I had no idea that due to the color of my hair my intelligence would always be in question. "Dumb Blonde," are words that set my soul on fire. I absolutely hate to hear a "Blonde joke," and all too often i have repeated the sentence, "Don't let the blonde hair fool ya, I'm smarter than I look." I have even experienced the need to file complaint with the human resources department of my employeer for discrimination, due to being called, "Dumb Blonde," by a supervisor. This too has become a blessing though, it has given me a better understanding of discrimination based soley on appearance than i would not have gained as a brunette.

What i thought of as a cruel curse in childhood eventually became one of my greatest blessings. I am still in need of sunblock for my scalp, that in 40+ years i am yet to find, so i wear a hat. I still have sensitive skin and an ability to aquire a rash from seemingly nothing. To this day i am yet to blend in with a crowd. Honestly, i wouldn't want it any other way. There are most certainly benefits to always standing out in the crowd, and having a look thats unforgettable has its own rewards too. So I have learned to embrace the inner Toe-Head child, and to love my now golden hair.

I have always hated being called Blondie, I knew there had to be an alternative. Then one day a buddy got an ear full of my personal complaints for referring to me as such, to which he replied, "Excuse me Goldy Locks." I was not sure why but this nickname immediately felt better, sounded better. So I read the children's story, and adopted her name as my empowering identity as a blonde in a brunette's world. I am GoldyLox. I will not answer to Blondie. Infact when someone mistakenly refers to me as Blondie, i quickly correct them. Blondie stays with that idiot Dagwood. GoldyLox messed with 3 Bears and survived, thats my kinda girl. Thats why GoldyLox ROCKS!