Random Embarrassing Memory Triggers

As I was getting the my girls ready for the day I saw that I had completely missed a 'crazy' purchase from last nights trip to Kmart my girls had with their Dad, the dreaded colour hairspray! In the hands of my younglings I was preparing for the worst. Good thing though the husband grabbed it and proceeded to spray the eldest daughter's hair OUTSIDE on the verandah (thank goodness). I was watching the hairspray go on and a 30 year old long semi forgotten memory resurfaced. One that could have been bad for me socially. So here it is:

(Google Image Search for 1989)

Circa 1989 (Year 6, 12 year old me). I wasn't a very popular kid and lived on the other side of my small hometown Gerringong. A place that had a beach, small urban town, dairy farms, and a small primary school. The other kids in my grade at school all lived in the middle of town and around the beach area so they were all better friends to each other, cooler with their surf clothes and had more social gatherings.

(My hometown, Gerringong)

Anyway, I had heard along the grapevine that a girl in my class was having a slumber party. I wanted to go but I didn't have the popularity to qualify as I was never asked. So my Mum suggested I invite a few of these girls to play at my house. They showed up and we hung out in the backyard at my house. At one point they were talking to themselves and I summed up the courage and asked if I can go to the party too. They looked at each other and said I could. I was so excited! The host girl of the party said it was a costume party and the theme was 'Something starting with P'.

So all week I wracked my brain on ideas and talked to my best friend about it. Finally my Mum came up with an idea: Pink (as in the colour). So the night of the party rolled around Mum helped me dress all in pink clothes and even sprayed my hair pink!

I was dropped off at the party and the other girls just looked at me. I said that I was told that the theme of the party was 'Something starting with P'. NO ONE ELSE WAS IN COSTUME!!

We all trooped off downstairs to the party room. It was a large rumpus room with a food table, lounge room furniture and a glass sliding door. The other girls started chatting amongst themselves and I was left alone on the other side of the room sitting with some empty plastic chairs. It was quiet being there but I was used to it due to my hearing impaired ears and not able to hear what people say in noisy rooms so I just looked around the room. There was music in the room but not loud, then something caught my attention. Some more people showed up to the party and stayed for a while, some boys from our grade. I had no idea they were invited and they ended up talking to the other girls on that side of the room. All up there would have been 15 people over there.

So the party ended and the boys left. The girls and I walked up to the bedroom where we were all sleeping over and got changed in pyjamas. The following morning the other girls suggested we go to the beach for a morning swim. So I went to the bathroom to change and tidied up my pink hair and walked with the other girls to the beach. We arrived and they all proceeded to sun bake while I went off into the white wash for a swim. Being from the other side of town beach visits weren't something we did a lot in our family. I was standing in the water when another girl from town who was a little older and the nicest, friendliest person came over to me and said she loved my hair. I said thank you and she walked back to where she came from.

On the return trip to the house I was staying at, one of the other girls asked me 'Why didn't you wash your hair out in the water?' I thought about it and replied that I didn't know how to get it out. They all laughed and I thought nothing more of it, collected my stuff from the house, thanked the family I was with and waited form my Mum to come and pick me up.

So that is how a random event can trigger a 30 year old memory.