Monday, May 30, 2011

Red, White & Blue


This is my son, Angus.
This is the photo I'm saving for his wedding day.
I took it last weekend on our camping trip to Balsam Lake. It was Canada's first long weekend of precious summer and I share it with you now because it's the States' first long weekend of summer and I thought Gus' colour scheme seemed appropriate. Red berries, white whipped cream, blue hair.
I didn't want to let him get it dyed blue. I tried every reason I could think of to talk him out of it.
1. You have beautiful blonde hair; why do you want to screw it up?
2. People will tease you.
3. Old ladies have blue hair. Next thing you know you'll be schlepping about in knee-highs and support hose.
Finally I realized it's just hair. It'll grow back. And since I radically changed the colour of my own hair, I can't really talk.
Gus has had peacock-coloured hair for a month or so now and I'm actually getting used to it.
I think my concern about the hair wasn't anything to do with hair. I worry about who he is hanging out with. I wonder if the rebellious hair colour means he's rebellious in other parts of his life: is he experimenting with drugs? Is he smoking? Is he drinking? These are the things that really freak me out. He's only 14 and I see so many young people who have ruined their lives with oxycontin and drunk driving. And I sure hope he never gets anyone pregnant or quits school.
His hormones are kicking in and he seems angry a lot. He fights with his brother all the time – it just drives me up the wall. He lies to us with a straight face about unimportant things – all I can do is hope he's telling us the truth about the important things. I remember being like this. Man, I wouldn't go back to being a teenager for anything. It was probably the worst time of my life. So much rides on getting through this trying time unscathed. All I can do is try to show him the way, pick my battles and keep the lines of communication open.
Some days, though, I find it overwhelming; depressing.
It sure makes me appreciate what my own parents went through.

By the way, everybody's been complaining about Blogger lately, and I'm no exception. I have found, however, that the problems disappear if I switch Browsers. For example, I usually use Safari but last week when Blogger took a big dump and then sort of recovered, my Safari left me stranded. I couldn't comment on other people's blogs, I couldn't post to my own.
The first fix I tried was updating all the software on my computer. Then I switched to Firefox. As a result, I can comment on any Blogger site and post to my own without problems.
I'm not saying that justifies Blogger's screw-ups because I'm just as pissy as everybody else, but it does help.

I've been working on a summer publication at work these last two weeks and our theme has been summer music. As a result this song has been running a loop in my head. It speaks to me of golden summer days and, hey, it's about hair!

13 comments:

  1. Dark years.
    That's what I call the stage between age 12 (or whenever the hormones kick in) to around age 19 when they go off to College or University. Then when they get to the other side of the Dark Years tunnel, lo and behold, they are delightful people! And you're left scratching your head wondering where that new found person has been for the past 6 or 7 years.

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  2. I understand Mom's concern. But I have to say, that is one beautiful and happy looking kid.

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  3. Awe. Poor kid. I don't miss my teen years at all. I reckon all you can do is love him and love him--whether he likes it or not. Lol. Lou's right though, he does look happy.

    Man, I am dreading my boys hitting that age. Ugh. Lol.

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  4. My teen years were the worst of my life too, by far. I think you've got it right - love is the most important thing in the world.

    (I'm a big fan of firefox)

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  5. This one should go over great with the bride right before the honeymoon.

    You plotter, you.

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  6. I love the hair. One of my kids had hair that colour, except he wanted me to help him add black stripes. It looked fine! Another time it was fuscia. He's made it to age 28 and I found which battles need to be won and which do not! Happy days!

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  7. Yeah, I worry too. About my kids, my rebellious son with an angry streak running through him. I have to trust them, though; they have good compassionate hearts and heads. Though Will sees Gus' hair and wants to do the same! I said when you're 14 (he'll be 12 this summer).

    Um. Blogger. True suckola. I switched around with browsers as well, and they'd eventually crap out on me. What I found seemed to work was to sign out, then sign back in to google but NOT STAY SIGNED IN. That worked, then lost all my followers for a few days. Sigh. You get what you pay for. I keep threatening to walk to wordpress. Stay strong, mama. Peace...

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  8. he looks so happy!

    I am dreading the teen years with Kiddo

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  9. Yeah, I see the American tie-in with the Gus' hair and the berries and cream. Though it still scream Smurf to me.

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  10. Peacock colored hair made me laugh! Like you said, I'll grow out. And just think about your grin the day you show his future bride the blue style.

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  11. I totally love it! You'd laugh at some of the hair I had at his age. All boys go through a phase with their hair. It's natural. Or it's not. You get the idea.

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  12. Blue is very becoming on the lil' guy, Cathy ... Hope you're well!! And yup, Blogger is pissin' me off as well!!

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