Full Circle

It is the 60's and Jane is getting ready to start her day. She has 4 children and a household to maintain. Jane is a "Beautician". She has a shop in her home. Her children have been told to behave while there are clients in the home, but that is more of a hope than anything else for Jane. With 4 children and a busy salon clientele, she basically lives in a creative chaotic situation. Jane has been on her own for sometime. She has been a hairdresser for as long as her children can remember. The home she shares with her children and her clientele as well is a small cape cod on Chataugua Ave in a small town called Port Norfolk located in southern Va. Jane moved here because it was around the corner from her parents who would help with her children when necessary. Jane supported herself and her children with the shampoos and sets, perms, haircuts and bouffants of the era.

There came a time in the late 60's to early 70's when Jane became ill. Her youngest daughter, Pam, began to learn the trade at this time and would take over the clients when Jane was too ill to do them. Pam, of course, found herself in beauty school making the trade her official career.

As Janes' children grew up and left the fold, Jane became more ill and soon passed away. Pam was to continue the profession her mother taught her at such a young age. By the mid 70's Pam had 2 children of her own to support. She worked in a local beauty salon in Port Norfolk where she grew up. Pam would even bring her children in after school.

Of her 2 children Janey the youngest, named for Pam's mother, seemed to be genuinely interested in all things hair. As Janey grew up, Pam started her own Salon in the late 80's. Janey spent many weekends and summers working beside her mother. And although Janey was facinated with her mothers genuine creativity and skill Janey vowed to "never work that hard" as she had seen her mother work over the years. But when Janey Turned 17 and was about to graduate form high school with a scholarship to college, she changed her mind at the last moment and chose to go to cosmetology school.

Janey was blessed to work along side of her mother for many years and raised 2 children of her own. During this time, Janey's sister, Lisa had 2 little girls and when the oldest was 13 Janey began to see her, Amanda Louise, named after her aunt Janey, become interested in hair. Janey began to teach Amanda certain things mainly to keep her from messing up her own hair or the hair of her friends. When asked about a career in Hair, Amanda also stated she didnt want to work that hard.

Fast forward a few more years and Amanda finds herself in Cosmetology school after all. She went to work right out of school at a local salon owned by a Corporation. During this time Pams' salon had grown and moved from the Port Norfolk location to a nicer location in Olde Towne, Just down the street.

And wouldn't you know it but the corporation the Amanda worked for decided to close the salon that Amanda was now managing. She began to panic until Her aunt Janey pulled her aside and explained to her the benefits of booth rental and she told Amanda that there was a spot open at Her grandmothers salon.

Pam was thrilled to have all three generations together under the same salon and Amanda soaked up the knowledge offered as well as began to pass on the tricks of the trade that she now held dear.

There has been 4 generations of hairdressers in my family and having three of them under the same roof is incredible. The clients love the history and we love the give and take between the generations. Hair is the family passion. Its in our DNA .

Amanda followed her aunt Janey and Nana Pam to Port Norfolk to live. On the same street that Pam lived on growing up with her grandparents when things were to hectic at home.

We, as a family, have grown so much over the years and it is wonderful to see our lives come full circle and have a newer, younger generation to carry us into the future with creativity and passion that started the women of this family doing hair in the first place.