Saturday, April 7, 2012

Vanity, and Element of Faerie Tale

I've started reading Atwood again. Lady Oracle this time. I'm enjoying it, the frivolousness of Joan's character, her long red hair, how envious everyone is of it. Without sounding too ego-centrical, I know how that is. It's so hard for me to cut my hair, it always has been. I'm too "sentimental" as Joan put it, and in the worst possible way. It's grown so thick as I've aged and perhaps it's because three summers ago I decided it would be a good idea to cut it all off that I'm terrified of getting it trimmed. Last week I took the 22 bus up to Lakeview to get a trim, and well, I don't think two inches is a "trim" per say but hey. Everyone keeps trying to convince me that it looks alright shorter but needless to say I've worn it up more than usual.

During my hair appointment women kept walking by telling me how beautiful it was, "Don't ever color it," they warned. "I know so many people who come in here for that color and fry their hair, it ruins it. Don't ever give it away like that." "I won't," I promised, to who I'm not sure. But sometimes I want to dye it brown, an unnoticeable shade. It's so funny, moving to a city after living in the middle of nowhere for so long and subconsciously, jokingly even, wanting to blend in with everyone else. How can that make any sense? Although, I can't complain when people at the grocery store compliment me on it, or when other women say in jealous tones how they wish they could have a shade of red that blends in with every color imaginable. It's such a small, small thing that brightens my day and in the end spirals back down to a very vain concept. I can't boast for having high self-esteem but when I get a compliment I generally try to take it with good graces. I have bad hair days like everyone, but I think it's safe to say if there's one thing I do love about my body, it's my hair. Something gold, something red like south western sand.

Which brings me to the explanation of the title of this blog, as well as the whole faerie tale "thing" going on with it. Two years ago I took a class on classic story telling and analysis of children's folklore and faerie tales. "Bluebeard" and all its variants is coincidentally my favorite, it's so dark and so prevalent even in today's world, same goes for any of the others. It's so interesting, everything I'm learning now, both in classes as well as just life in general and how much these stories have influenced our world. The "elements" such as vanity, beauty and violence, are so apparent (to me at least) walking down the street, in the magazines and books we read. Television, music etc. It's a lot to absorb, but I enjoy it and feel more informed because of it.

Other than that an introduction, yes? Hello and everything, Je m'appelle Fallon or Me llamo Fallon, whichever you prefer. I'm a student in Chicago, originally from the east cost of the US, however you will find me not often mentioning that region. There's a reason it's known as District 13 (laugh). To be simple I read so so much and write every day, or at least try to. To-Do lists are the only things that keep me going and I'm trying to get back into running. Quick sum up of everything else: vegetarian, size 36 shoes (hint hint wink wink little glass slipper cough), lover of pearls, letter writing, art, literature and reading too much Hemingway this semester hasn't done me any good. That's it I suppose, for now at least. What am I going to do with this? Thoughts mostly. I have a tumblr, and I feel that's not really the place for those. Maybe I just needed this to fill the gap in facebook non-existence-ness. Off to read for tonight, I took the day off from coursework and am regretting it just a little. Hope tomorrow is sunnier/warmer. Chicago took a nose dive in weather the past few weeks after it being in the eighties for most of March. Adios, Au Revoir et al. xoxo.

Music for the day: Simon & Garfunkel, Stars, The National
Books: Lady Oracle, La Perdida, Mockingjay
Weeks left of Spring Semester: 4