Beard of the Week
I am one of those people who tends to find redheads — men, in my case — something special. It's not an exclusive thing with me, and it doesn't approach a fetish; rather, it's more like extra credit on the attraction score card.
Sometime ago — I think I was still in graduate school, so this would be at least 20, 25 years ago — I happened to mention this to my mother. She wasn't startled at all by this, merely commenting that I must have gotten my taste from my grandfather (i.e., her father) Orville.
For my part, I took the information in stride and didn't think much of it. Indeed, it seemed plausible, since I'd heard somewhere that boys inherit their hair characteristics from maternal grandfathers, something I certainly hoped would be true since my grandfather Orville lived to a ripe age with a head full of lovely silvery white hair. So far, so good: my hairline has barely receded but my mousey dark-brown is slowly turning very silvery, as it has been for years.
But I digress. What has struck me recently concerning this intelligence about my mother's father is: how did she know? So far as I know, my maternal grandmother did not have red hair, so how did my mother come by this knowledge? I'm sure there are many sensible and innocent explanations (e.g.: he told her once!), but I rather like the slight aura of mystery I've created for the story.
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on Tuesday, 16 May 2006 at 01.32
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Women are attuned to this kind of thing. He might've gone "woohoo" at the sight of a redheaded movie star or two.
I remember my mother mentioning good-naturedly that my dad was quite taken with Dorothy Lamour. How did she know? She might've asked him who his favorite movie stars were, I suppose. Or she might have noticed a particular willingness on his part to go see a movie Lamour was in.
My mother's favorite movie stars included Ginger Rogers and Loretta Young. She noted when I was a kid that I was very impressed with Rhonda Fleming, a redhead. And of course, Marilyn Monroe, a blonde.
on Tuesday, 16 May 2006 at 23.14
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male-pattern baldness (or lack thereof) runs in the female line — that is, it's on the X chromosome — so look at the men on your mother's side of the family to know what your coiff-future will be.
(my uncle alec – mum's brother – was classic male pattern bald from 25. I'm holding out a little further; grey in the beard but not a lot on the scalp yet.
on Friday, 19 May 2006 at 00.10
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Now, SW, you've got me thinking about Mae West, who fascinated me, and Joan Blondell, whose beauty mark fascinated me, and Eartha Kitt, whose voice fascinated me, Colleen Dewhurst, whose voice also fascinated me….