Henna head

Having henna designs put on my head was a lovely experience. My friend Mearah has been doing this for a long time, and she's very good. I knew she had some ideas about what she wanted to do, so I went in with no preferences of my own, just put myself entirely in her hands. That was a good decision. :-)

On my way home from her studio, I stopped at the grocery store for a couple of things, and it's the first time I've been out in public with nothing covering my bald head. It felt strange, a little self-conscious, a little defiant; but nothing really traumatic. There were some stares and giggles from children, nothing worth taking seriously. The cashier had some curious questions about the henna. I think the fact that I still have eyebrows and eyelashes and don't actually look sick makes it more like I just decided to be bald, which is bound to freak people out. Their problem, not mine.