"Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow"

What is it about men and their hair! It seems the more we try to hold on to it the quicker it goes. And I have tried to hold on to mine as long as I can. Still what I have ended up with is a little bit of hair on top and a lot of hair around the sides. I don't know why it can't grow equally all over my head, but it doesn't.

Do you know how Condaleeza Rice has the Lucy hairdo from "Peanuts"? She has those two little flips on either side of her head. Well I have those too. When my hair grows back there it grows in those two standout places. I look like a round head with wings on the sides. 

The other day I went to my hair stylist. That is what he calls himself. I wouldn't dare call him a barber. Anyway I was complaining about these wings. He confirmed that we had tried just about everything to get those suckers to turn inward but they are obstinate and just won't go there.

Then I said those magic words, "Maybe we should just cut it shorter." Ka-ching! I had hit the jackpot. His eyes almost rolled back into his head as he licked his lips and said, "Well why not." I think he had been wanting to cut it short for ages but never forced the point. But now with permission granted he was raring to go.

Most of the time when he cuts my hair he uses a pair of scissors, and just rarely clippers. But now he pulled out a pair of clippers that were shiny and bright. He started at the base of my neck and he went all over my head. Up and down, back and forth he went and hair was flying off and covering the wrap I had put on to catch the little bit that usually fell. Not today. Today I had looked like a man who had had hair.

When he finished he looked like he wanted to say, "Ta da!" but he didn't. He just said, "How do you like it?"

I responded with, "It's okay." In truth I didn't know what I thought. I was bald. After all these years of putting up the good fight, I was now bald. Now instead of looking like Lucy I looked like Charlie Brown, with an even rounder head.

My wife says she likes it. Most of my friends haven't commented. I guess that says something. Me, I'm getting used to it. It is nice not to have to worry about combing and arranging it. When I get out of bed it looks like it is going to look all day long.

I'm sure it will grow back and maybe I will let it get a little longer but not much. I think I have realized the hair of my youth is gone forever. I fought the good fight for a long time but it is time to admit defeat. It was hair today, gone tomorrow - and now tomorrow has arrived. I can live with that.

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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