I think that for all of my childhood, my Mom was a hairdresser, a beautician, a stylist or, my personal favorite when I was little (it sounded so romantic), a cosmetologist. I don’t remember her being anything else anyway. For a lot of years my Mom worked at the salon at Dayton’s in downtown Minneapolis. Dayton’s eventually became Marshall Fields and is now Macy’s. She did pretty well, I think.
I watched her practice her craft many times in our own home. All of my Dad’s sisters and other family would come to see my Mom whenever they needed anything done with their hair. Perms, cuts, colors, etc. were all done in our own home. I watched very carefully. I wanted to be like her. When I grew up, I wanted to be a cosmetologist. 
There are even pictures of me putting rollers in my grandfathers’ hair. I think that they must have been the only willing participants in my apprenticeship. Or maybe they were the only ones who agreed to be photographed.
My Mom did other people’s hair for 23 years. Then she did the most amazing thing. She went back to school. She went to college, and a local, private, prestigious college, at that. I will never forget how proud I was of her the day she graduated from Hamline University. I stood there with Jason and Ashley and holding my brand new baby, Emily, as my Mom walked up on to that stage and graduated suma cum laude, with a degree in anthropology, and I was so happy and proud of her.
I still want to be like her in some respects. No, I don’t want to do hair when I grow up. Nor do I want a degree in anthropology. But, while I know that my current profession is respectable and worthwhile and I really love what I do (it’s even a little more in my Dad’s footsteps than my Mom’s), some days, I just think I want to do more. Be more. Live up to everybody’s expectations that they had for me when I was a little girl. Maybe I don’t need to actually go back to school to fulfill those expectations. Maybe it is just a matter of putting my nose to the grindstone.
Whatever the case, when I am my Mom’s age, I hope that I am the woman that they hoped I would be and that I would make them as proud of me as I am of them.
i think you are lucky in that you had a Mom who knew how to do hair and make up and showed you how it was done. I don’t wear make up. If something really special, like a wedding is happening, I will do mascara and cover up and shiny lip gloss, but thats it.
I say that I don’t wear make up becuase I don’t like it, or becuase I don’t have time, but the truth is, I have no idea how to put on eye liner and all that rot. And I don’t want to experiment and figure out how to either.
Its a good thing I have three boys, becuase with any luck, they wont be asking me for make up tips!
As for growing up to do “what every one expects from you”. I think you need to back up and decide what YOU want from you. The key to feeling fulfilled/ being happyis changing for you, not someone else.
besides. I love you just the way you are, neurosis and all!
I think it is always good to want more out of life and work towards goals. However, I also think that you should do that for yourself. Just make sure that the things you work towards are things YOU want for yourself and not things to fulfill the expectations other people have for you or because you don’t want to let people down.
I just know you have it all in you. You are a wonderful person inside and outside, in work and personal life.
That is awesome about her going back to school, I didn’t know that.
You have some pretty cool parents.
What a wonderful tribute Shelli.
You are a wonderful person NOW.Go back to school if YOU want to. Do you think your parents will love you any differently if you do it? NO. When you raise a child to adulthood, your parents are proud. When you end the day with no major boo-boos, your parents are proud!
Your Mom sounds like quite the role model!:*
Blue–By that, I didn’t mean anything specific, I just meant that I am all that I am meant to be.
I’m sorry you didn’t have a mother. If I had been your friend, or older sister, I would have been the one to teach you. You’re beautiful anyway, so you don’t need it.
Dutchy–Oh, I will be doing it for myself. I just want to be all that I am supposed to be.
Fab–I do. I thought I had talked about my Mom going back to school before. hmmm…
Barbara–Thank you.
MM–You are probably right. Mainly I mean to get my ass in gear and write that book or books that I have always wanted to write. My Dad saw in me a long, long time ago, my gift for writing. Even before I knew it. (Hell, I am still learning about it. lol) It is something that I LOVE. (That word doesn’t even do justice to the way that I feel about writing.) I want to be the best writer that I can be and maybe even be a published author some day.
I absolutely love reading your stories of your parents…but. Like everyone else said, do it for YOU. THEY are proud of you, and moreso (I believe) when you’re HAPPY.
My brother called me the other night (I was on my way home from the hospital) just to say how proud he is to have me for a sister…we all need to do that more often.
You’re an awesome person Shelli…don’t ever forget that, or doubt yourself!!
Shelli: Thank you so much for the wonderful tribute…make me cry. And let me tell you that I am proud of you no matter what you do. You had a brilliant mind as a child and still do and if you want to go to school, do so. As you know, I was your age when I decided to give up flipping and flinging hair and put some of my energy into expanding my mind. What a trip that was going to school, I enjoyed each and every second of it and felt like a human sponge soaking up all that information out there in the world. Just think, I even learned how to use a computer!!! :)) No matter what you do in the future must be what you want and like all your commenters said, what will make you the most happiest in life. Toss all those dang insecurities away to the wind and forge on my daughter….love Mom