Believe it or not, a magazine got me started

[Charlene Marie]

It started when I was in the 6th grade. I'll really date myself here and tell you the year was; 1964. At least once a month my mom and I would drive to another town to visit my grandmother. Sometimes we would spend the night with her. My grandmother had worked for a high fashion
Ladies magazine, and she collected a few hundered magazine from the
1920's-1950's. Sometimes I would be bored and I'd thumb through her
magazines, I liked to see the pictures of the old cars and planes. I'd see
beautiful ladies sitting in beautiful cars. Well I came upon a story about a Sociallite, there were many pictures. It was a " A day in the life of a sociallite" I saw this beautiful woman dressed in a long dress drinking a cocktail at some party. Her hair was all piled up on her head in curls and
for some reason, which I still can't explain, I really liked that picture. I found more pictures of her, in a beauty salon having a facial, manicure,
and having her hair done. I came upon a picture of her leaning back in a chair and a younger woman was shampooing her hair. The lady looked like she was really enjoying all the pamering. There were more pictures of her having her hair set in rollers and finally a picture of a man styling
her hair in a up-do with lot's of curls on top. For some reason, and honestly I can't explain why, but the picture of her having a shampoo
excited me very much. I felt weird about how I felt but I knew I had to
have that picture. So I tore it out and hide it so I could take it home with
me. This fasination increased over the next several months. I was collectingsimilar pictures. I was even stealing magazines from the supermarket and building my collection. Finally one day when I was home alone, I was looking at some of my pictures, I found a lady wearing a bra
and a slip, she was sitting at a dressing table putting lipstick on. Well I
couldn't take it any longer. I went into my mothers room, into her underwear drawer and put on a pair of panties, bra and slip. I really liked
the feeling and I liked the way they looked on me. I just sat there in front
of her dresser looking at myself. I didn't feel ashamed, I didn't feel weird I just felt good. I found some plastic hair rollers and tried to roll up my
hair. My hair was close to the Beatles length, a after several attempts I
managed to pin one roller in my hair. I looked at myself and I was feeling
really good, untill I heard the front door open and my mom calling my name. Absolute panic hit me. I hide in her closet and prayed she would
go outside and look for me. She went from room to room untill she looked
into her bedroom and saw her underwear drawer open and some rollers
laying on top of the dresser. She called my name she sounded mad. I
said "Yes" from the closet. She opened the door and let out a little gasp.
When she saw me I thought she was going to crackup laughing, but she just covered her mouth with her fingers and said; "What are you doing honey? Naturally I said; "Nothing".She took my hand and said, comeon
let's talk. " Are you......playing dress up? No answer, " Are you just curious? No answer, " Have you done this before?" "no", I said.
"Do you like dressing up?" " I think so." I said .

She said, "Well.....sometimes boys are curious about dressing up, it's O.K." " Were you trying to set your hair?" I said, " I guess so."

Twenty years later my Mom told me the reason she took me into the
kitchen and shampooed and set my hair, was so I could see being a
girl was a lot of work and really not much fun. And the reason she didn't
get angry with me was because she didn't want me to feel ashamned, and
have a problem later in life.

She was very cool for the time, and I love dressing upto this day.

[DonnaT]

Nice story Charlene. And I agree, your mom was pretty cool for that era.

You were lucky to have long hair, mine at that time was a buzzzzz cut.

[PaulaK]

Hi Charlene,

I also started from looking at magazines, my mother's occasional VOGUE or HARPER'S BAZAAR. Unhappily, my mother was not as open-minded as yours.

[Beauty]

Hi Charlene,

That was an excellent beginnings story. Thank you for sharing it with us.

One summer my hair was long enough and my grandmother, aunt, and cousins put my hair in rollers and let me walk around. My stomach felt weird because of my brother and cousin, but I felt so good otherwise.

We had company and this one lady thought I was a little girl until they told her I was my mom's son. Then she did a few more double takes. I always looked like my mom, so I was used to that comment. I never saw it though.

Thanks again for your beginnings story that was very cool.

Gracie

[Virginia]

HI Charlene,
Love the story! And yes we all know that being a girl is a lot of work. but ain't it great when we look in the mirror and see that beautiful women we have created looking back at us! I love it!!!!
Virginia

[Sheena]

That was a nice little story. I very much enjoyed it. It was totally different from my beginnings anyway. Thanx for sharing.

[Charlene Marie]

[quote="Sheena"]That was a nice little story. I very much enjoyed it. It was totally different from my beginnings anyway. Thanx for sharing.[/

Sheena, tell me what happened when you first started if you like.
Do you ever visit California?

Thanks for the message.

Sincerely,

Charlene