Today I was walking around on 6th Street in Austin with my friend John. In front of us was a woman with hair going just past her butt. I commented to John how nice her hair was. He and I ended up passing her and the lady she was with just because we were walking faster. After we passed them, she started commenting about how nice my long hair was (butt-length). When John heard this, he turned around and mentioned that I had just commented about her hair. We all stopped and chatted for a while and generally had a good time about it.
I enjoy the fact that men and women can be comfortable comnplementing a stranger about something personal like hair. I have shoulder length hair that I usually wear down, and every now and then someone (usually female) says that she likes my hair. Last week, I had put a braid in my hair and a woman in the bank said she thought it looked cute. I took it as a compliment, and noted her hairstyle, which was very short and neat looking. Others in the bank were listening, I could tell,but the conversation seemed to put people at ease as well asa make the two of us feel good about our hair.
When strangers comment on it, it's not a social "obligation," so I tend to take it as a sincere reflection. Any other storoies?