Long Hair and Swimming Goggles

When my sister and I were kids we were never allowed to grow our hair long. I am forever scarred by the fact that being the only short-haired girl in my infant school year, I didn't get a decent part in the nativity play (very conservative headteacher with very narrow minded views giving out the parts, in my opinion). Who knows what I might have been if I hadn't had this searing disappointment at such a tender age.

We compensated for our lack of hair in a variety of ways. I had a necklace made of limpet shells (the type you find on the beach with holes in them) threaded onto a piece of grey string which I wore on my head - it hung down in such a way that it banged on my back - this is what long hair felt like (I thought, when I was oh maybe three). And in our make believe games, my sis and I would wear tights on our heads and pretend the legs were bunches (good imaginations, you understand, are something to be nurtured).

I haven't discussed this surrogate hair with anyone other than my sister before and have no idea if this kind of hair-envy goes on a lot or we were unique in our affliction. However, reason to believe that it runs in the family - my niece (who at two and a half hasn't got the hair growing power to get long hair even if she wanted it) has taken to going out with a scarf wrapped round her head turban-style, like you do with the towel when you've washed your hair, pretending that its long hair. Oh and she teams it with swimming goggles (unsure of the reason but perhaps to look like Jackie O) which she refers to as gobbles. Long hair and big shades - my kind of look!