The Scarecrow.
Monday, 5 September 2022
I washed my hair for the last time today. I woke to find I was shedding long, fine threads – not the usual scruffy bits that regularly clog up the vacuum cleaner. I measured the longest to be about 40cm. I am distraught. Some people go full tilt, ‘take control’, shave it off at the first sign but I’m going to hang on to my locks for a little longer. As long as I can. Until I start looking like a beat-up, flea-bitten, worm-riddled alley cat whose fought its last fight. Yup. I’ll be hanging on by a thread – literally.
I sat in the shower and cried. Washed my hair with some beautiful Aesop shampoo Simon had in the shower (or at least I think it was, he has a habit of mixing and matching … ) then saturated it with a rich coconut conditioning treatment. And sat. And cried. Washed it off, got dressed, got a coffee, logged on to work.
One of the reasons I washed my hair, apart from sharing some quality-time with it, was to get it nice and clean in case I am able to donate it. They ask the hair be clean and free of any styling products so I’ve dried it au naturale. Oh, and when I don’t put any products in or style it, it kind of resembles Worzel-Gummidge-meets-Bon-Jovi (circa 1984) so I’ll be spending my last few days – with hair – looking like a rock and roll scarecrow.
Tuesday, 6 September 2022 – AM
The hair is now falling out 6, 7, 8 strands at a time. It is really really distressing. I glance down and notice some of the ‘other hair’ is also falling out freely. Curious. Guess I won’t be able to blame anyone else for the pubes in the shower ….
I drop Simon off at work early then turn around to hit nightmare morning traffic. My 9am meeting is drawing closer and Google says I am still 40 minutes away. Shit. Slow, steady, breath, pull over at Moore Park to join my Teams call. I give the team a demo of my new party-trick being pulling out strands of hair en masse. They are politely startled. Finally home I settle into work.
I send a picture of the dead wiry threads to my friend Tara suggesting we could make some merkins. She has an even better idea: an Abbie-Action-Figure – with real hair! I’m delighted and honoured at her suggestion. Being a down-to-earth kind of gal, she has suggested salvaging some of the pubes too so we could make the action future super authentic. I knew there was a reason she was in my life.