When I was about ten or eleven, I was at the park with my mother and two brothers -- and I saw this woman herding her toddler... she had pale blonde very straight hair down to her ankles, that she was wearing loose.

Now, the longest hair I can remember seeing before that was mid-back to waist length, which really isn't all that long. So seeing her, with her hair basically being another garment, was really... it was just /neat/. I wanted hair like that! I wanted hair that was a long billowy cloak around me.

Unfortunately, my mother didn't think that a ten year old should have hair to her ankles... so I guess I'll have to try for that kind of length now that I'm older.

Heck, mine is just between my shoulder-blades (no, really, that's really long for me!!) and I can't stand to have it down.

I saw a woman once walking to the grocery with a braid down to her ankles when I was very young. It must've been as thick as my arm, too. All I could think was "WOW"

My mother always kept my hair long (long enough to sit on) when I was a child and she had waist length hair herself so I thought that was the norm until I went to school.  I do remember seeing Crystal Gayle on TV when I was little and vowing to grow my hair out as long as hers.  It hasn't happened yet, though.  I have lost so much hair as an adult now (thinning runs in my family) that it probably won't happen, but I think having 'Crystal Gayle hair' would be the ultimate! Right now I cheat and use homemade extensions to get the 'Rapunzel' look.   

Sorry, this is going to be long--here goes: To make my extensions I go to a beauty supply store that caters to the African-American community. (You can buy bulk hair cheap online, too.) They sell hair in bulk of nearly every color and texture imaginable (both straight and curly).  I buy a bulk bag of 'silky straight' 100% human hair, and some miniature comb clips (they sell them at the same store).  Then I dye the hair (if necessary) to make it the color I want.  You can buy the hair in different lengths (I think the longest is 22") and it is sewed together on a long strip (it's kind of hard to describe).  Anyway, I just measure across the back of my head where I'm going to wear the extensions and cut the bulk hair to match the measurement.  I always cut two or three of these lengths and then sew them on top of each other to give it added thickness (if you use clear nylon thread you can't see the stitches).  Then I hand sew the miniature combs onto the top where I've stitched the hair together.  Next, I hang the hair (by the combs) onto a wire hanger and cut and style it. And voila--fake hair!   To put it on, I part my hair all the way around my head and secure the top portion on my head with a large grippy comb.  The I attach the comb clips on the extensions to my head just below the part line.  I unclip the hair on top of my head and let it fall over my extensions, and then comb to blend the hair together. Sometimes I wear two sets of extensions--one around the middle of my head and then another at the base of my head when I want a really cool mane! I've done this for so long, sometimes I don't feel like myself if I don't have my hair 'on'.  I guess it must look real, because I get compliments on it all the time. I usually just smile and say,"It's not mine, but thanks!". 

I'll try to borrow a friend's digital camera so I can show you what the extensions look like.  I have different colors of extensions for different times of the year (dark in winter, medium-light in summer), so I'll post again as the hair changes!

I'll definitely post a pic!  And though I'm embarrassed to show it, I'll post a 'before' pic that shows what my hair really looks like w/out the extensions so you can get idea of what a big difference it makes to wear them. When I get much older I plan to switch to long silver extensions so I can get the 'romantic sorceress' look.

My first long hair sighting was actually my best friend growing up, too! She had long hair that went down past her hips, but not to the knees...I still remember how pretty it looked all braided and hanging behind her chair..
But I think that's too long for me...*sigh*...I'm 5"4, 125pds and my 29"long hair suits me...am aiming to grow it to the waist!

I probably saw long hair when I was a baby since I was born on an indian reservation and was exposed to it for the first two years of my life but I do not remember any of it.

But, the earliest I can remember is when my older brother had a girlfriend (who he married and divorced) with long hair and her best friend also had long hair.  I was only 5 but I feel in love with her and her long hair.

But, she eventually got it cut short and I was heartbroken

Jerry

Dragging up an old topic, I know.... but the first time I saw REALLY long hair, it made me swear that I would take care of mine.  I'd seen long hair before, but never THAT long - it was trailing about 10 inches on the floor.  And the state it was in....tats the size of both my fists all the way down the length of her hair - and it's not like she was a tramp or anything - she was dressed really nicely, shopping in Marks and Spencers, but her hair was just unbelievable!