I can’t remember a time before having my mother’s pronouncement in my head – about my head, inside and out. YOU ALWAYS FEEL BETTER AFTER WASHING YOUR HAIR.

I have passed this on and included Mother’s corollary that you should always lather your hair twice.

I don’t know what it is, but for me it works. Just this morning I was sulking around in my psyche trying to figure out my next step and realized, on top of everything else, my hair felt not silky clean. I took the easy way out first – I combed it and wound up with ordered, but weighted down hair. Then I realized that was never the easy way; it is only the prolonging of discomfort way.

So I took off my shirt, leaned over the kitchen sink with its sprayer and washed my hair – TWICE, MOTHER – and, I feel more cheerful. Why is this? It it the smell of the shampoo? the water washing over my scalp? the bending over, putting my head in a different position? rubbing my scalp with my fingers?

It can’t be just the effect of action, because were I to vacuum or go get the mail or bend into the refrigerator looking for the last low-carb cinnamon roll yogurt, I wouldn’t feel as if the sun had come out.

I’ll tell you one thing: I don’t know why it works, but I’m just going to go with it. I don’t care if it’s nothing, biological sensory science or witchcraft.