Confession: I have Thursday hair!

You read that right.  I have Thursday hair.  Most people would be very familiar with the idea of Monday hair - It’s the first day back to work after a relaxing weekend and the last thing you want to do is put any effort into fixing your hair.  You do what is necessary to make you look presentable for work, but everyone knows that the state of your hair is a silent protest to the end of the weekend and the beginning of another week.  


Thursday hair is a lesser known phenomenon afflicting those Christians with a midweek service obligation.  Even if you have a job that requires you to look presentable on a regular basis (mine doesn’t “require” it, but sure appreciates it) Wednesday brings along a need for a little extra effort, not unlike that of a Friday.  Why?  Well it’s simple.  Wednesday night church is the midweek moment to see the people who’s opinions you really care about.  Whether you’re on the worship team and you don’t want to appear disheveled, are just keeping up appearances, or trying to impress someone of the opposite sex, there are plenty of reasons that midweek service induces extra grooming processes.

I know, I still haven’t gotten to explaining what Thursday hair is.  Well it’s simple - Thursday hair is the result of midweek service hangover.  (I’m not talking about alcohol.)  Every good midweek service goer, at least of the single and/or married without school age children variety, knows that the only proper way to fully worship the Lord on a Wednesday night is to go out to eat after the midweek service.  When I was in High School a very large portion of our 800 member youth group converged on Applebees.  It was naturally the best option since they offered Happy Hour which included ½ price appetizers.  Considering there were a lot of Bible College students in the mix, cheap was the way to go.  Ironically, many moons and a different state later, I find it funny that my current church peer group, those under 35, again choose to be patrons of Applebees.  

Since Wednesday service turns into a midweek explosion of spirituality and socialization, Thursday morning brings on sleep deprivation and a social hangover.  Your, nearly redeemed from the weekend, sleep habits have been jolted by the midweek revelry and Thursday morning hits you like a Mac truck.  The last thing you want to do is put any effort into getting ready for work.  If you’re like me you don’t have to worry about impressing your co-workers.  The people you really wanted to see, and be seen by, were at the midweek service and are unlikely to be run into on Thursday.  Hence, Thursday hair!  Much like Monday hair, it is a silent testament to the night before and a protest to the day ahead.  Friday your hair will be back in shape, that is if you have plans for Friday night, or at least washed.  But as for now... you have Thursday hair and you don’t care who knows it.  (Though... more often I find Thursdays betraying me and revealing my Thursday hair to people I would rather not know about it.)

What does Thursday hair look like?  Well for me Thursday hair is bangs pinned back with bobby pins in a pseudo cockeyed bump on my head and a faint remnant of the curls that were on Wednesday.  For some it might be a half hearted attempt at reviving the once curling locks with some spray or a run through of the curling iron.  For others it may be that plastered look that comes from using the straightening iron on hair that was gooped with product the day before.  It might even be a pony tail, at which point I must state that if you are going to wear your hair in a pony tail it should be accompanied by long earrings.  At least that’s the rule my friends and I have always had.  Guys seem to get off easy on Thursdays.  Perhaps Thursday hair for them is actually reflected in a little extra scruff on their faces, or a little less gel in the hair.  Maybe even better yet it’s reflected in yesterday’s gel still in the hair.  

I do realize that all of my musings about Thursday hair I only consider that people refuse to wash their hair on Thursdays.  For those daily hair washers out there... I assume Thursday hair is a quick wash and blow dry while running out the door.

I know I’m not alone in this!  Tell me about your Thursday hair, or other weekly rituals!  Whatever your Thursday hair looks like I hope this gave you a little smile to help you through to Friday!