Saturdays were tedious because there were always chores which didn’t actually take that long but after lunch (which I always enjoyed with Grandmother) I had to go to the beauty parlor.

As a kid I didn’t mind but when I got to be 14 or 15 I had other things to prepare for. Of course, many of my friends who were boys would go swimming on summer afternoons and most of us who were girls would sit and watch. Even with swimming caps our hair would get wet and “go back” so we stood or sat on the sidelines. The crazy thing about all that was if there was a dance at the Phillis Wheatley Y you also couldn’t “slow drag” because the boys would be sweaty against your face and your hair would get wet and “go back.” It goes without saying that we were not allowed to slow drag.

read more