Aging in wonder
Posted on July 9, 2014
THE STYLIST
Leaning in over the chair, his right arm held up and out in classic ballroom dance form — elbow high, left hand centered, body balanced — he cuts hair. Elegant, poised, and the center of his world. No orchestra, just the sound of the scissors. Snip, snip, snip, snip. The customer sinks lower into the chair. Relaxed. Snip, snip, snip, snip. The sound of an old sprinkler turning back and forth on a warm summer day, comfortably marking time.
“When I was young and an intern, I turned a famous Dutch singer’s hair green.” Willem Arnoldus twinkles over the tops of his glasses. “She was crying one minute, and angry the next. She came in with long blond hair, I added a chemical to her curls — she forgot to tell us she had added metal to her hair in England — and her hair turned green. So she went home with short and brown hair.” Willem laughs softly at this long ago silliness.
So, your advice for women as they age?
“You must accept growing old. It is really important. If you just want long hair to stay young, that’s wrong. You don’t have to cut it short. You do have to look after the color. And look after who you are. You will wear it different when you’re older. If it is grey, you can make it classic and put it up. To make it blond with stripes is wrong.” Image “Be close to yourself. Behave like your age. Because then you are beautiful. Don’t put Botox on your face. Older women can be beautiful. I see them every day.”
And what about for you as you age?
Willem laughs. “When I get older I want to cut only men — then we can talk about women and talk about football. No more talking about trouble with the children anymore or husband’s going with other married women.” He laughs and goes back to cutting. Arm raised. Elbow high. Snip, snip, snip, snip.
Maaike Zaal
“Tot vandaag was ik hier niet eerder geweest, maar ik ben zo fijn geholpen dat ik zeker terugkom! „