I shaved my head. It's a small thing, just a trifle, but it has big impacts. First, my wife isn't the biggest fan of the new look, but I have a feeling she'll come around after a while. Second, I've been accosted by at least one acquaintance who grew visibly and audibly upset with me for the change.
Tracy and I had just finished moving things to her parents' new house when we decided to finally eat something. It was around 3 in the afternoon and we hadn't really had anything beyond some cheese and crackers. We went to the Wild Hare for a burger and some wings. When we got there, a patron began berating me for my choice of hair style (or lack thereof).
"Why did you do that?" he said.
"No reason," I replied.
"No really," he said.
"Really," I said. "I don't have a good reason."
"But you're a school teacher."
"Yeah," I said.
"Shouldn't you have a reason?"
"Um, I don't see the connection."
"You should have a reason."
This conversation went on and on. Now let it be said that he had obviously had a snootful by the time we got there, but his reaction fascinated me. Why was this man so invested in my appearance? What was his reason for needing a rational explanation? Why was he trying to own an aspect of me that I was comfortable discarding?
I don't have the answers here, but it practically validates the change. The force of his reaction validates the trembles I got before I pulled the clippers cleanly through my hair for the first time. It justifies my hesitation as I stood in front of the mirror for ten minutes with the clippers running. It soothes the distress of the internal debate I waged with myself.
I was ready for change in all its forms. Who know it would be the one I found to be the most cosmetic that would rattle the paradigm the most.
For the curious, here's a picture of the new "do":
I work with a man who had a long ponytail which had grown thinner and more pathetic over the years I've known him. It seemed a desperate effort to cling to some image of cool or youth that simply wasn't working any more. This fall he shaved his head because, he said, "My hair wasn't doing its job anymore.
ReplyDeleteHe looked totally attractive, even downright hot in his new do. It didn't make him look mean or tough; there was no resemblance to skinheads (which is a danger from the viewpoint of people of my age). He looked good.
So do you.