Staceymarie Dodge
Professional Hairstylist
Hilliard, Ohio
When I walked into Studio 31 Salons I met a very pleasant, small, blond woman named Staceymarie Dodge. I could tell right away that I had never met anyone like her before. She has her own way of doing things and takes pride in being different. The thing that made her stand out to me during our interview was the way she described herself. She said she’s “spiritual,” rather than religious, she’s” domestic,” while being “fiercely independent,” and my favorite, her explanation of how she’s a “walking contradiction.” She is twenty-six years old and has been doing hair for going on nine years. She says, “One of the reasons I love doing hair is because I would just like to have an impact on as many people as possible and hopefully it’s a positive impact.” Staceymarie is definitely a people person. She loves meeting new people and learning as much as she can about them. There were several things about her that made her seem rather eccentric.
How would you describe yourself?
This is something I have put a lot of thought into over the years. I really think that I have come to the conclusion that I’m a walking contradiction. So it’s hard for me to really say, “This is who I am.” I think that I am kind of all over the spectrum. For example, I know I was raised Catholic but I’m going to be an Anthropologist. I would still call myself a Catholic, but also an evolutionist. I am single by preference and very, very independent but I am extremely domestic in that I cook and clean and sew and I enjoy doing those things. I was always considered one of the preppy kids or popular kids in school, but I was also a huge geek and still kind of am. I think that whenever people first look at me, even now, they would never think that I was smart, that I was a science fiction nerd and that I was good with computers. I have always felt the way I feel about myself being a contradiction. As far as who I am as a person goes, you may see one thing but what you think is not really the case, so I think irony is a big theme in my life.
What are some highlights of your life that you feel have led you to where you are today?
I guess my parents would be the first and foremost highlight of my life, and the single largest contributor to who I am and where I am today. I always thought that my childhood was pretty traditional but the older I get I realize it really wasn’t that traditional. I mean both of my parents worked; they 50/50 shared responsibilities and they were very gender neutral. My dad was equally in charge of childcare. In that sense, it was untraditional. My whole family bases their identities on being a member of this family. Which is a good thing, but I was always very different. I was fiercely independent and I wanted an identity outside of my family and what my family thought my life should be like. I would say that was definitely the biggest struggle. Originally I faced it by running away, moving to Oklahoma. I guess you could say running away or you could say it was an expedition to find my individuality. I guess removing myself from my family is how I faced that struggle. I definitely think that they have influenced the decisions that I’ve made, but they weren’t always positive decisions. They didn’t always have positive outcomes. I think I went through a phase where I did the opposite of what my parents expected of me or the opposite of how they would’ve wanted to influence me. But as I get older I realize that it was all of the positive things I was working towards. I would say that my dad is my hero. I’m a daddy’s girl so he can really do no wrong in my eyes. He has been the shining example of what it means to be a man, what hard work is, what dignity, self-respect, sacrifice, standing up for yourself, all of that is. Yeah, he’s definitely my hero. I would say meeting my ex boyfriend Brock and moving to Oklahoma, was a pretty huge event and obviously had a lasting effect on my life for many different reasons. It kind of gave me time to figure out who I was separate from my family and helped me gain a sense of independence that I could do things on my own. That was something that I think I really needed to do before I could be back with my family.
Almost immediately I started to see what Staceymarie meant when she said she contradicts herself. She is talking about how her family is the biggest highlight and the number one reason she is where she is today; at the very same time she is talking about how she ran away from them to find herself because she desired an identity apart from them.
What do you think has led you to your career, hobbies and your behaviors?
Career, that’s a funny one because if you would’ve told me in high school that I was going to be doing hair or that I would even want to become an Anthropologist one day, I would have laughed at you. So, those are things that I kind of just fell into. I have been a hairstylist, which I consider a career, for I think it’ll be nine years in September, isn’t that a long time?!? I know, man I’m old! It’s a good fit, but one that I never really intended. Hairstylist slash full time student or what do they say? Professional student, that’s what I want to be. I think that I’m successful. Am
Professional Hairstylist
Hilliard, Ohio
When I walked into Studio 31 Salons I met a very pleasant, small, blond woman named Staceymarie Dodge. I could tell right away that I had never met anyone like her before. She has her own way of doing things and takes pride in being different. The thing that made her stand out to me during our interview was the way she described herself. She said she’s “spiritual,” rather than religious, she’s” domestic,” while being “fiercely independent,” and my favorite, her explanation of how she’s a “walking contradiction.” She is twenty-six years old and has been doing hair for going on nine years. She says, “One of the reasons I love doing hair is because I would just like to have an impact on as many people as possible and hopefully it’s a positive impact.” Staceymarie is definitely a people person. She loves meeting new people and learning as much as she can about them. There were several things about her that made her seem rather eccentric.
How would you describe yourself?
This is something I have put a lot of thought into over the years. I really think that I have come to the conclusion that I’m a walking contradiction. So it’s hard for me to really say, “This is who I am.” I think that I am kind of all over the spectrum. For example, I know I was raised Catholic but I’m going to be an Anthropologist. I would still call myself a Catholic, but also an evolutionist. I am single by preference and very, very independent but I am extremely domestic in that I cook and clean and sew and I enjoy doing those things. I was always considered one of the preppy kids or popular kids in school, but I was also a huge geek and still kind of am. I think that whenever people first look at me, even now, they would never think that I was smart, that I was a science fiction nerd and that I was good with computers. I have always felt the way I feel about myself being a contradiction. As far as who I am as a person goes, you may see one thing but what you think is not really the case, so I think irony is a big theme in my life.
What are some highlights of your life that you feel have led you to where you are today?
I guess my parents would be the first and foremost highlight of my life, and the single largest contributor to who I am and where I am today. I always thought that my childhood was pretty traditional but the older I get I realize it really wasn’t that traditional. I mean both of my parents worked; they 50/50 shared responsibilities and they were very gender neutral. My dad was equally in charge of childcare. In that sense, it was untraditional. My whole family bases their identities on being a member of this family. Which is a good thing, but I was always very different. I was fiercely independent and I wanted an identity outside of my family and what my family thought my life should be like. I would say that was definitely the biggest struggle. Originally I faced it by running away, moving to Oklahoma. I guess you could say running away or you could say it was an expedition to find my individuality. I guess removing myself from my family is how I faced that struggle. I definitely think that they have influenced the decisions that I’ve made, but they weren’t always positive decisions. They didn’t always have positive outcomes. I think I went through a phase where I did the opposite of what my parents expected of me or the opposite of how they would’ve wanted to influence me. But as I get older I realize that it was all of the positive things I was working towards. I would say that my dad is my hero. I’m a daddy’s girl so he can really do no wrong in my eyes. He has been the shining example of what it means to be a man, what hard work is, what dignity, self-respect, sacrifice, standing up for yourself, all of that is. Yeah, he’s definitely my hero. I would say meeting my ex boyfriend Brock and moving to Oklahoma, was a pretty huge event and obviously had a lasting effect on my life for many different reasons. It kind of gave me time to figure out who I was separate from my family and helped me gain a sense of independence that I could do things on my own. That was something that I think I really needed to do before I could be back with my family.
Almost immediately I started to see what Staceymarie meant when she said she contradicts herself. She is talking about how her family is the biggest highlight and the number one reason she is where she is today; at the very same time she is talking about how she ran away from them to find herself because she desired an identity apart from them.
What do you think has led you to your career, hobbies and your behaviors?
Career, that’s a funny one because if you would’ve told me in high school that I was going to be doing hair or that I would even want to become an Anthropologist one day, I would have laughed at you. So, those are things that I kind of just fell into. I have been a hairstylist, which I consider a career, for I think it’ll be nine years in September, isn’t that a long time?!? I know, man I’m old! It’s a good fit, but one that I never really intended. Hairstylist slash full time student or what do they say? Professional student, that’s what I want to be. I think that I’m successful. Am
I as successful as I want to be, no, but I think I’m successful in two ways: one just because I pretty much do whatever I want and believe that I can do whatever I want, when I want. That sounds so selfish [laughs], but you know what I mean don’t you? And secondly, how I envisioned my life when I was much younger is consistent with how my life is now. I don’t feel like I’m behind on any preset goals. Hobbies? Reading, sewing, playing basketball, running, cooking, baking, playing Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, movies I love movies, learning. Honestly, everything (with the exception of cooking, playing basketball and sports those things stem from family) but really everything else: behavior, hobbies and even career wise comes from something I have maybe experienced along the way and thought, “Oh, I really like this I’m going to continue doing this,” just gained through life experience. I think that I’ve always had the attitude that I’ll try anything once. I guess those things have spontaneously come through experience of my life. Which is what I think what life is really all about.
What was your first dream and how has it changed over time? Has age had an effect on your dreams?
Dreams, I don’t really like the terminology “dreams,” because I think saying I have a dream about this, kind of gives the impression that I don’t really think it’s going to happen. I guess that you could say I have always thought of my dreams as my goals and maybe that goes back to how me and my sisters were raised. We were raised under the impression that we could achieve whatever we wanted. I remember being a flamboyant kid. Anything I did I wanted to be the best at it. And I was into a lot of different things as a kid like I sewed as a child and always wanted to be a fashion designer. I guess anything that I wanted to do, I wanted to do it big, although I may have changed my mind a lot. Age? Yes and no. It’s like being in little league football and wanting to be the NFL star. Of course you’re going to want to be a pro-football player, but once you get older that’s not always a plausible goal to have. A world renowned hair stylist is not really a plausible goal for somebody who wants to live in Columbus, Ohio. So I would say age, yeah just because you change your mind and you look toward the future more so that kind of goes into your decision making. You decide where you want to live and what’s important to you. But no because I have always (even when I was five, six, seven years old and you can call up my grandma and ask her) said, “I’m never getting married.” You know even today I’ll hear girls my age say, “You know, I always saw myself at 25 and 26 and thought I’d be married with kids.” And I can honestly say I have never thought that about myself. So even though maybe I do want that at some point I don’t feel like I’m behind in that sense. So I guess in that way, no, age has not had an impact. The other day I was talking to one of my friends (I guess I have always been different in this sense), it was her, me and my mom. She says, “You know Staceymarie, I always thought by 25-26 I would be married and have kids and I just always wanted that white dress and da-da-da-da-d.” And I just thought to myself, “No! I never thought that [laughs].” You know what I mean? I mean maybe most girls do think about that. I guess I am open to be getting married one day, but for some reason I was just never like that. I think that is kind of ironic growing up like I did. My parents stayed together which is a rarity. Both of my sisters are now married and always wanted children and a family. Everybody around me followed that model and for some reason from a very young age I knew that wasn’t exactly how my life was going to turn out.
Would you consider yourself an intellectual?
Like intellect? Yeah, definitely, oh I am so psychic [laughs]. I definitely think that I can manifest things. Really anything from an event to a relationship and right down to specifics, but the thing is if I try to do it on purpose, it’s not always what you need. It may be what you wanted but never what you need. So I think there’s a bummer to manifesting or to intellect. Am I religious? I am religious, but not in the organized religion sense. I am spiritual, that’s what I’m saying. Spiritual in that I pray to God every day I say Catholic prayers every day. I wouldn’t say I pray The Rosary every day, maybe like half of The Rosary every day [laughs]. I also meditate at least four times a week which is when I do Yoga and is more of a connection to the universe and I kind of think God and the universe are essentially the same thing. So I guess I am spiritual in that I have faith in a higher power. I don’t believe that anything in life or in this world or in this universe, or multi-verse (whichever way you look at it), is an accident. I think things are on purpose. So in that sense I think that I’m spiritual. I would have to think things are on purpose, because I can manifest things. It wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m going to decide to try to manifest things,” and “Oh, I can, so things must be on purpose.” It didn’t work like that; I realized early that I had kind of a sixth sense if you will, and so I think I’ve always just kind of known that things happen on purpose. The universe or God always brings you what you need. The universe always wants you to be happy. I identify with a lot of Catholic or Christian morals or values, but I do not take the Bible in a literal sense whatsoever.
Catholics believe that God uses creation for His purposes and that it is good. Anthropology, on the other hand, is the study of humanity and how the evolutionary past of humans effect their behaviors. I thought this was bizarre. She relates to a religion that sets morals and values because of who they believe their creator is; but she claims what she really believes in is a higher power and she’s an evolutionist. Another contradictory stand, I thought.
What do you think makes you stand out from others?
I think my appearance is the obvious one: not only am I really blond, but I am also very small. And honestly as soon as I open my mouth to speak that sets me apart in that I think that people instantly know, “I probably have never met somebody like her before.” This is kind of the double edged sword of being me. I would just say I have always thought that I am an easy target to be stereotyped. When people first see me, they might think, “Oh, she’s dumb, oh, she’s superficial, oh she’s desperate, she likes attention or she’s only into shopping,” or that I’m snotty or obnoxious even or that I have to be the center of attention, but I actually think I’m kind of shy when it comes to first meeting somebody. So even if my appearance is flamboyant I don’t think that I’m that outgoing. I don’t know it’s just like the oddest outcome always happens to me. It sometimes may appear that I have a very clear view of what I want or where I’m going but in reality I just let things happen to me. And like I said about my hobbies, things just kind of spontaneously fall into me. That is a contradiction because I know what I want although I let life happen to me.
Kelly Grace
English 367.01
Professor Lohre
5-20-10
What was your first dream and how has it changed over time? Has age had an effect on your dreams?
Dreams, I don’t really like the terminology “dreams,” because I think saying I have a dream about this, kind of gives the impression that I don’t really think it’s going to happen. I guess that you could say I have always thought of my dreams as my goals and maybe that goes back to how me and my sisters were raised. We were raised under the impression that we could achieve whatever we wanted. I remember being a flamboyant kid. Anything I did I wanted to be the best at it. And I was into a lot of different things as a kid like I sewed as a child and always wanted to be a fashion designer. I guess anything that I wanted to do, I wanted to do it big, although I may have changed my mind a lot. Age? Yes and no. It’s like being in little league football and wanting to be the NFL star. Of course you’re going to want to be a pro-football player, but once you get older that’s not always a plausible goal to have. A world renowned hair stylist is not really a plausible goal for somebody who wants to live in Columbus, Ohio. So I would say age, yeah just because you change your mind and you look toward the future more so that kind of goes into your decision making. You decide where you want to live and what’s important to you. But no because I have always (even when I was five, six, seven years old and you can call up my grandma and ask her) said, “I’m never getting married.” You know even today I’ll hear girls my age say, “You know, I always saw myself at 25 and 26 and thought I’d be married with kids.” And I can honestly say I have never thought that about myself. So even though maybe I do want that at some point I don’t feel like I’m behind in that sense. So I guess in that way, no, age has not had an impact. The other day I was talking to one of my friends (I guess I have always been different in this sense), it was her, me and my mom. She says, “You know Staceymarie, I always thought by 25-26 I would be married and have kids and I just always wanted that white dress and da-da-da-da-d.” And I just thought to myself, “No! I never thought that [laughs].” You know what I mean? I mean maybe most girls do think about that. I guess I am open to be getting married one day, but for some reason I was just never like that. I think that is kind of ironic growing up like I did. My parents stayed together which is a rarity. Both of my sisters are now married and always wanted children and a family. Everybody around me followed that model and for some reason from a very young age I knew that wasn’t exactly how my life was going to turn out.
Would you consider yourself an intellectual?
Like intellect? Yeah, definitely, oh I am so psychic [laughs]. I definitely think that I can manifest things. Really anything from an event to a relationship and right down to specifics, but the thing is if I try to do it on purpose, it’s not always what you need. It may be what you wanted but never what you need. So I think there’s a bummer to manifesting or to intellect. Am I religious? I am religious, but not in the organized religion sense. I am spiritual, that’s what I’m saying. Spiritual in that I pray to God every day I say Catholic prayers every day. I wouldn’t say I pray The Rosary every day, maybe like half of The Rosary every day [laughs]. I also meditate at least four times a week which is when I do Yoga and is more of a connection to the universe and I kind of think God and the universe are essentially the same thing. So I guess I am spiritual in that I have faith in a higher power. I don’t believe that anything in life or in this world or in this universe, or multi-verse (whichever way you look at it), is an accident. I think things are on purpose. So in that sense I think that I’m spiritual. I would have to think things are on purpose, because I can manifest things. It wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m going to decide to try to manifest things,” and “Oh, I can, so things must be on purpose.” It didn’t work like that; I realized early that I had kind of a sixth sense if you will, and so I think I’ve always just kind of known that things happen on purpose. The universe or God always brings you what you need. The universe always wants you to be happy. I identify with a lot of Catholic or Christian morals or values, but I do not take the Bible in a literal sense whatsoever.
Catholics believe that God uses creation for His purposes and that it is good. Anthropology, on the other hand, is the study of humanity and how the evolutionary past of humans effect their behaviors. I thought this was bizarre. She relates to a religion that sets morals and values because of who they believe their creator is; but she claims what she really believes in is a higher power and she’s an evolutionist. Another contradictory stand, I thought.
What do you think makes you stand out from others?
I think my appearance is the obvious one: not only am I really blond, but I am also very small. And honestly as soon as I open my mouth to speak that sets me apart in that I think that people instantly know, “I probably have never met somebody like her before.” This is kind of the double edged sword of being me. I would just say I have always thought that I am an easy target to be stereotyped. When people first see me, they might think, “Oh, she’s dumb, oh, she’s superficial, oh she’s desperate, she likes attention or she’s only into shopping,” or that I’m snotty or obnoxious even or that I have to be the center of attention, but I actually think I’m kind of shy when it comes to first meeting somebody. So even if my appearance is flamboyant I don’t think that I’m that outgoing. I don’t know it’s just like the oddest outcome always happens to me. It sometimes may appear that I have a very clear view of what I want or where I’m going but in reality I just let things happen to me. And like I said about my hobbies, things just kind of spontaneously fall into me. That is a contradiction because I know what I want although I let life happen to me.
Kelly Grace
English 367.01
Professor Lohre
5-20-10
I loved Staceymarie's description of herself, the "walking contradiction" part was very interesting and I could see it throughout the profile! Great work, the direct quotes really give you a sense of who Staceymarie is!
ReplyDeleteWow, she really does seem to contradict herself in a lot of ways! I think it's funny that she admits to it. Some people would be contradictory and not even see it in themselves. Staceymarie is different, knows it, and I think takes a lot of pride in it. There's definitely a huge emphasis on individualism here. She sounds like quite a character!
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