I have a birthmark!

Well! I'm very nearly seventy-one, and I've never known before that I have a birthmark! It's on the back of my neck, but above the hair line, so it's not usually visible. My hairdresser Anne - who comes to my house - discovered it while cutting my hair shorter at the back (I was ready to try out a bob). 'You've got a birthmark, Lucy, under your hair.' 'Really? Are you sure?' I hadn't known. 'How big is it?' 'Not very big, and it'll still be covered by your hair.'

You sometimes see birthmarks in more prominent places, some of them awkward or embarrassing for the person concerned, so I was relieved that mine was out of sight. I've juggled with mirrors since, to get a good look. Anne was right: it isn't very large, and certainly not the bright scarlet colour sometimes seen. So I'm not much concerned. Still, if I ever have to undergo a spell of chemotherapy, and temporarily lose some hair, or even all of it, then I might be more self-conscious about that patch of darker skin on the back of my neck. 

What's curious is that Mum never told me. And also that this birthmark was never listed as an identifying feature, on my passport for instance. Perhaps she was reticent about drawing attention to what in her younger days would have been regarded as a defect in a child, even though my birthmark must be simply a matter of skin pigmentation. (It has absolutely never given me trouble) 

Apparently there are also many superstitions about birthmarks, and although I doubt whether Mum would have given credence to any of them, there was - when I was a child - still much everyday belief in old wives' tales and similar nonsense. Mum would want me to be free of comment from other mothers. She'd want a perfect child. (I must have gradually disappointed her)

I've never been one for tattoos. Now it seems that nature has willy-nilly given me one. And of course it may be that if I do ever lose my hair, and the thing becomes obvious to all, I will get remarks like 'That's an unusual tattoo! It looks just like a birthmark!' Oh well.

And the bob? Well, here are a couple of shots, taken by Anne with LXV:

A true bob would have shorter hair at the back. I'm getting accustomed to this length first, then may proceed to something that reveals more of my neck. I'm a bit wary of going there all at once, as (a) I feel my neck is rather thick, certainly not graceful, slender and elegant; and now (b) I need to get used to having a birthmark that would be all too visible on a windy day. (Although it must have been revealed many times on windy days in the past, so why am I worried? Silly me) 

As you can see, I wear Starfishie all the time. My little starfish pendant - a souvenir of Orkney - comes off only at bedtime. She goes well with other favourite neckware items too. And Starfishie will go nicely with my seventy-first birthday present, a silver bracelet. That'll be the subject of a post to come!