Dare

Before my Mom fled Lithuania, she began her medical-school studies at Vytautas Magnus University. Mom forged many close friendships at that institution.

One afternoon, she and a friend "dared" two of their male classmates to comb their hair while someone snapped a photograph. Lithuanians consider it crass to engage in public in any acts of personal grooming—like hair combing, nail filing, or using a toothpick.

This blurry image captures that notorious "dare:"

 
Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1942 or 1943. My Mom, second from left, gestures to the wild and crazy guys. She sports the same coat she later wore as a refugee.