The most memorable thing about the Friday night Y-Dances to me was Wendie Miller’s perfect flip. I don’t know why, because, to be honest, she wore that flip every single day to school. Okay, sometimes Wendie had just a simple — but thick — and also perfect ponytail. When Friday nights rolled around in the fall and those dances became the highlight of our week, I would long to achieve the Wendie Miller “do.”
My mother had gone to beauty school, so she knew her way around the current hairstyles, but makeup was more her specialty. She worked as assistant to George Masters, the famous makeup artist. Together, they did people like Ann-Margaret and Jackie Kennedy. But there I was, nearly a midget. (Sorry, I have always called myself that, even though it is not politically correct. Let’s pretend it’s still the 60’s. Midget. Shortest girl in my grade. Except maybe Susan Slutsky, who was a touch shorter. No, I’m not being politically incorrect again — her last name really was Slutsky.) (more…)