The Non-Permanent Permanent

When my mother was younger, she often (at least once a year, maybe twice) would go to her hairdresser and change her hairstyle. She naturally had straight hair, but she often came home with curly hair, causing my younger brother to react negatively to it.

Back in the 1980s, perms (real name: permanent waves but also known as permanents) were very popular. They’re not so much today, which makes my brother happy, I’m sure (my mother, turning 74 soon, no longer does gets her hair permed).

But back to the word, permanent. It means “continuing or enduring without fundamental or marked change.” But since my mother (and a great many others) would change hairstyles every so often, the permanents weren’t permanent.

My dictionary defines permanent (the hair style) as “a long-lasting hair wave or straightening process produced by mechanical or chemical means.” Long-lasting, not permanent.

These days, I’m losing my hair, proving that sometimes, no matter what you do, hair isn’t permanent.

Until next time! Use the right words!

leebarnathan.com