Plain ol' Me

DJ Kirkby tagged me with an interesting meme.. to take a self-portrait of when I wake first thing in the morning, before I put anything on, no make-up, no fixing of the hair, nothing. A 'come as you are' sort of picture. The only trouble with that is, I don't wear make-up and I don't fix up my hair, unless you count pulling it into a pony tail everyday. I don't even comb my hair. So I basically look like I woke up all day long.

I am the most natural person you've ever met.. My clothing staples are jeans and v-neck t-shirts with Birkenstock sandals. I wash with plain old shampoo and soap. No lotions or moisturizers, no perfumes, no hair or facial products. Just deodorant (if I remember!). I don't do this as a conscious choice, it's just the way I am. I remember in school, I had a roommate that was not beautiful but pretty in her own way. She always had make-up on and her hair was always styled just so. She always had a boyfriend and was a girly girl. I never saw her any other way until one morning, I woke before my alarm went off. My roommate was just out of the shower and standing with her back to me in front of her closet. She turned around and I nearly freaked! She was horrible looking! I was shocked! All I could think of was that she needed make-up to look the way she did. I determined then and there, that I looked pretty enough the way I was and I didn't need to add all that make-up to change my looks. Through my school years, I saw plenty of other girls without their make-up and it was always a shock to see them 'unmasked'.

I take a shower at night, before I go to bed, because that is the only time I can shower without 3 little ones whipping open the curtains and begging to come in the shower with me. I have showered with all 3 in the tub and it is no fun for me, but the girls are full of giggles laughing at Mommy's butt and hairy coochie. Then they compare boobies and of course I always win for having the biggest pair. I don't need the laughing because my twisted mind will turn their harmless giggles into menacing, mean laughter: HA HA, LOOK AT MOMMY'S JIGGLY BUTT AND HER SAGGING BOOBIES. So, showers at night, in peace. I towel-dry my hair and plop into bed without combing it, and when I wake, my hair is dry with no tangles. Don't ask me how, it just doesn't tangle. I think it is too straight to tangle and after 3 perms that failed to turn my hair into luscious curls, not even a skimpy wave, I give up.

For special occasions, I'll wear a little lipstick, mascara and eye-liner, but that's about it. I'll whip out the dusty hair dryer and the old can of Aqua Net hairspray 'super hold' and my hairbrush that I've had since my school days. I am much happier to be walking around barefoot in my raggy t-shirts and jeans and my hair in a ponytail, though I have been known to complain about how boring my hair is, always in a ponytail. Without further ado, here I am, first thing in the morning...