“Be different” is not anything my mother ever said to me. She encouraged what she knew: traditionalism. She wanted me to grow up, find a husband, pro-create. That was reinforced, by sending me to Yeshiva, by reminding me over and over again, to seek stability. There is everything great about stability; I chose risk. I don’t know that my mother ever imagined I’d backpack across Europe at the age of 19 or that I’d start a feminist zine (twice!) or that I’d raise a daughter on my own. But I did all of that, and so much more. I yearned for my own path, and I forged it. It’s really scary, especially now at 53, the hustle. (There is no side hustle, by the way, there is only the hustle.) But. But. But. I do what I’ve always done: keep moving. Keep forging my path. Keep making sense. This photo of me is from 2011; I wanted purple and pink hair. And so, I went to Cutler Salon and I got the hair color I wanted. I kept my hair in various shades of pink and purple for years, because I liked it. And the more I stare at the textures, the more I yearn for that color again. It’s a woman forging her path. It’s…different.#purplehair #cutlersalon #barbmagazine #supportwomen #ladieslikeus