hair

In a Safeway in Sacramento, the woman at the check-out counter said to me "I love your hair."

"Thanks!" I replied, "I do it myself."

"You must not have a man at home who yells at at you if you cut it off, then," she said with a smile, laughing.

I smiled slightly and said "No one gets to yell at me" and thought but you don't have to accept this system, these systems, that your hair should be long, that long hair is feminine, that femininity is even worthwhile, that your husband or boyfriend or anyone has anything to say, much less to shout at you about it, that possessiveness is indicative of being desired or cherished, that this is what love looks like, and I said "Have a nice day."