The Butterfly Effect

No, this is not a post about 2004's science-fiction psychological thriller film starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart, but rather an ode to the claws of cuteness that sat a perch my first grade tangled hair for the entire duration of the 1999-2000 school year.  The butterfly clips were not simply a 90's fad, but a cultural phenomenon that shaped me into the lanky, rosy-cheeked individuals that I am today.  What exactly was the effect that these plastic winged insects of the order Lepidoptera had on me?

1) They taught me to think outside the box.  My brother used the Easy Bake Oven without my permission?  No big deal, I would simply remove my clips to make an instant stockpile of winged weapons that were then strategically placed on his bedroom floor.  I was well aware that Legos can't touch butterfly clips in the "sharp pointy things that make your barefoot hurt like a mother when you step on them" category.

2) They taught me that pain is temporary, but pride lasts forever. Attaching a butterfly clip to my cheek is not one of my finer moments, but what's a girl to do when her friend challenges her to a contest as to who can keep the clip on their face the longest?  I mean, there were Dunkaroos and Fruit-By-The-Foots, not to mention bragging rights at stake!

3) They taught me that imperfection is beauty. One of the wings of my butterfly clip broke at recess and I was devastated, but no one even noticed.  In fact, one girl thought I had bought it like that and was jealous that mine was different than hers.  Score!

4) They taught me that life goes on.   Inevitably (maybe it was 2001, the exact date is unknown), butterfly clips became a thing of the past.  A remnant of a forgotten era, they were placed with my polly pockets, spiral shoelaces, and power beads, nestled into my baby blanket, packed into a huge chest and brought up to the attic where they currently reside. I grew up, they became obsolete.  Change is the only constant. Beauty is skin deep. One in the hand is worth two in the bush. Yada, yada, yada.

5) They taught me that memories fade, but bald spots (due to the twisting and pulling of various strands of hair tightly back into a clip) last forever. 

Peace, love, and bald spots

Awkward Girl