My hair

Topics/tags: Autobiographical, short, pointless

When I was a young adult in college, I decided that I wanted to grow my hair long. I had assumed that it would go down my back, like most people’s hair seems to do. I was wrong. My hair had enough substance that it grew out and up, rather than down. I ended up with more of an Isro [1] than the flowing locks I had hoped for. If you’ve seen Middle Son when he picks his hair, you’ll have a hint of what my hair looked like [2].

Now I’m an old adult [3]. I’d like that hairstyle back. But when I try to grow my hair out, I achieve the old goal, rather than the new one. That is, my hair flows down my back [4], rather than up in the air.

I’ve also discovered that it likes to bind to itself into a mat of sorts. It does that even when I brush regularly and use conditioner [5]. Recently, while attempting to brush out the knots, Michelle noted that a likely cause was my tendency to let my hair sit inside my collar when it’s wet. Who knew [6]? Perhaps she’s right; I’ve been a bit more careful since she told me and it seems to be matting less.

Now that I’ve solved the matting problem (or at least think I have), I’ve encountered a new problem. When I rolled up the windows in my car today, I managed to get my hair caught in the window without realizing that I had. Opening the door was a surprising experience.

How long will I let it get? I’m not sure. I kind of like the crazy old hippie professor look. It goes well with the coat and tie. And it’s not like I can easily undo the change if I cut it significantly [7]. My hair grows slowly, I’d need to wait a few years until it was back to this length again.

The last time I let it grow this long [8], I donated it to Pantene. I may now have enough grey that that’s no longer an option.

My family has mixed reactions to the concept of cutting my hair. One son regularly suggests that I cut my hair and shave my beard [9]. Another son tells me that he doesn’t like change [10] and wants me to keep the long hair and beard. The third son doesn’t express much of an opinion. Michelle suggests that if I’m keeping them long, I should get my hair and beard trimmed so that they look neater.

You know what? I probably shouldn’t have mused about my hair; the musing feels as tangled as my hair and, like my hair, doesn’t have a clearly defined end.

[1] Isro is the term some use for the hairstyle that looks like an Afro on Jewish people.

[2] I never achieved the tight ringlets he has, but I guess I never tried.

[3] Well, perhaps a middle-aged adult.

[4] Well, over my shoulders.

[5] Okay, I don’t know whether it does that if I don’t brush regularly or fail to use conditioner, since I brush and use conditioner. But I expect things would be worse otherwise.

[6] Probably every woman and man who has had long hair.

[7] Or, more precisely, have someone else cut it significantly.

[8] Well, not quite this long.

[9] It appears that he forgets what I look like beardless.

[10] Or at least not rapid change.

Version 1.0 released 2018-05-24.

Version 1.1 of 2018-05-24.