The Night We Accidentally Set My Hair On Fire
I recently reconnected with someone I had not spoken to in more than ten years.
Her name is Janell. She was one of the first women in my professional network when I was just starting to build a career, and she holds a permanent place in my heart. She is also the woman who once set my hair on fire.
Let me explain.
Early in our careers, Janell and I decided to support a fellow networking friend who had just started a Pampered Chef business out of her home. Neither of us felt ready to host a party alone, so we agreed to host one together. She offered her house. I came over early. We prepared the food side by side.
As guests began to arrive, the two of us stood near the door greeting them. Janell had set out a row of beautiful candles along the entertainment center just inside the entry. I had done my hair up to look my best, which in that era meant something close to half a can of hairspray.
You can guess what happened next.
The next thing I remember is six pairs of women’s shoes circling me on the floor, because someone had grabbed my torso and pushed me down so they could beat the fire out of my hair. All I could see were those shoes and the ash falling from what used to be the back of my head.
🔥 Just for fun, we asked AI to reproduce that moment in an image. This one made us giggle out loud, so we included it for your viewing pleasure. I think it captured the moment and the emotions quite well. The only thing that is missing, is the hilarity that followed after we put out the fire.
I will never forget those shoes.
For the rest of the night, we kept reassuring our guests that the burnt smell was not the food. It was my hair. I lost a sizable chunk in the back and it took a few haircuts to rectify.
Not many women can honestly say they have set their hair on fire. And yet so many of the women I know describe their daily lives that way. Running around with our hair on fire. The song “This Girl Is on Fire” 🎶 has always meant something a little different to me than it does to most people. (Pun intended.)
When Janell and I reconnected, the first thing one of us said was, “Remember when we set your hair on fire at the Pampered Chef party?” And we laughed the way you only laugh with someone who was there.
Then the conversation shifted.
Fast forward twenty years. Janell became one of the few women to build a brand-new Wyoming college district from the ground up, serving as its founding president. I found my way into the C-suite. The stories we traded still had a “you would not believe what happened” quality to them, but the content was different. They were stories about leadership at altitude. Stories about being the only woman in the room. Stories about the kind of isolation that arrives quietly after you have done everything right.
The laughter was still there. The texture had changed.
By the end of our call, we had traded stories, book recommendations, more laughter, promises of mutual support, and a commitment not to wait another ten years.
🤏TINY TWEEK Challenge
Who is your Janell? Who have you lost touch with that you would giggle with over an old shared story, or lean on for support in this current season? Reach out. Send the text. Make the call. The reconnection is closer than you think.
