I love hearing stories of my friends younger years and how they grew up, what their fondest memories are, and their crazy stories about their parents. Everyone has their favorite family vacation stories about the Grand Canyon and embarrassing Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures. On many of these topics, I can relate some. However, many events of my youth have the same common denominator. Hair. When you have parents who met in barber school and both still have thriving careers in the trade, your life will forever be about hair and the industry that surrounds it. Here are some memories that only those who grew up with hairdressers/barbers as parents can understand.

From a young age, I can remember spinning in the salon and barber chairs, Coloring mannequin heads in the back room with conditioner, and creating foil hockey pucks to kick around the salon. I couldn't enter the barber shop without grabbing the largest of handfuls of hubba bubba gum although regretting it ten minutes later when my gums were sore from chewing all of them at once. I was the coolest five year old getting highlights as a kindergartner and taking on the hairdresser persona for preschool pictures wearing hoop earrings and looking like a mini Britney Spears. Although my preschool nuns didn't approve of my parenting, i knew it would pay off eventually.

During grade school, i would have birthday parties at the salon and every social event was planned around a spa day for me and my adolescent gal pals. Anytime the school had an auction or event, you could bet money that one my parents was auctioning off hair products or free haircuts, unlike the other parents who donated golf clubs and bottles of wine. The parents who showed up in their polos and khakis felt underdressed when my parents walked in head-to-toe in black always dressed like they are going to a high class social event (or the club). Anyone that can stand behind the chair for 12 hours a day with four inch heels on is my hero. While all my friends took sick days during school, I would take “sick days” to go to New York and walk up and down the aisles of large hair shows and conventions with my mom. My "model career" started early when I became a hair model for those generic hair books in the waiting area of salons. *insert embarrassing photo of me*

I can remember people coming over for haircuts in our kitchen and full highlights in our bathroom. The late nights at the salon and barber shop were my favorite. Thats when everyone would wind down, cut loose, and laugh about the day. Friday nights at Applebee’s with all 15 girls from the salon ended up being something I will never forget. People around us probably thought it was odd that a 7 year old was sitting at the bar with a bunch of 20-30 year olds. What I did learn is that any drink the older girls were drinking could become a virgin drink so that I could feel cool, too.

During high school, I quickly learned how cool it was to have parents who did hair because I never had to worry about paying for homecoming or prom up-dos or worrying how I’m going to pay for the freshest balayage color. All my friends would tell me how lucky I am to never have to worry about hair or ask me how I know so much about it. Thanks to my parents, I will always be welcome at Salon Centrics and beauty supply stores. What made all my parent work pay off was that I won “Best Hair” superlative in high school. To this day, my mom still tells me that is her proudest moment.

Now I have realized not to take their skills for granted. I now know that their trade is not just a job but an artwork. It’s more than just standing behind a chair all day, cutting and blow-drying hair. It’s building relationships with people, creating a welcoming environment where people can come in and feel their absolute best and most confident. People don’t go to hairdressers for just a haircut but an experience to make them feel the best that they can. I constantly look back on all of the memories and laugh at all the things that I grew up with compared to my peers. Growing up in this environment caused me to grow up faster than other kids my age. I became more adult oriented due to the fact I learned how to check people in for their appointments and greet guests before I learned how to ride a bike. I heard barbershop talk I wasn't suppose to, jokes I didn’t know the punchline to, and was surrounded by people who have known me before I was even born. I was born an only child but gained countless older brothers and sisters that taught me what I needed to know about life, boys, school, and everything in between. Parents would say that this isn’t the ideal way for a kid to grow up but I can’t think of any other upbringing that I would rather have.