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cassy_gGrowing up, I always had short to medium length hair. I spent my first two decades wondering what it would be like to have long thick beautiful hair. Ten years ago I started to grow it out from being cropped up over my ears. For the last four years, I have had incredibly thick wavy red hair flowing in around my hips.
Wednesday I went to have my annual trimming of my hair. As I was sitting there, looking in the mirror it dawned on me. Four years. For four years, I had looked the same. Been the same.
Warily, I asked if she could take six inches off, instead of only two. She then reminded me of Locks of Love, a company that makes wigs from donated hair for children who have lost theirs to cancer or other long term medical conditions. But, that would require ten inches. "Show me where that is?" I asked, still nervous over the prospect.
I had always intended on doing this, after all, growing my hair long, then cutting it 10 inches at a time to donate it. But when I had conceptualized it many years ago, the idea had been to grow it to my knees, then cut it.
She showed me, and ok, it didn't seem too bad, it was still just above my hips. Change is good, in moderation.
Then I remembered reading that little girls liked to have long hair. I had always wanted long hair. But, making a long wig requires hair at least 14 to 16 inches in length. Well, that simply wasn't a round enough number for me. The next thing I knew, I had asked her to cut 18 inches off.
I was feeling remarkably good about myself and my decision to do this. As she was putting my hair in a ponytail and preparing to cut it off in one fail swoop, I felt myself becoming almost giddy. No more hour long showers to shampoo my hair, no more headaches from the weight of it pulling on my head, no more getting it slammed in car doors, or stepping on it when I bent over to pick things up from the floor.
Complete selfishness. Everything else was gravy.
I hadn't noticed it, basking in my glee, but a young handsome Asian man with very long hair of his own had stepped into the hair salon while I was deciding how much of my hair to cut.
When she handed me the ponytail that use to be on my head, I glanced up into the mirror to speak to her, and caught the young man's eye, watching me. At the time, I thought he looked sad, like he was about to cry. I flashed him a beautiful smile, saying whatever it was, it would be ok.
He was gone by the time the hair dresser was done with my hair. His hair dresser came over to tell me how nice my new hair cut was, and to tell me about the man. She said he'd commented on what beautiful long hair I had when he arrived. So she told him I was having it cut to donate it to Locks of Love for children with cancer.
It turns out, he was studying to become a minister of his faith; a faith that believes a person's spirit and soul are symbolically represented by their hair. To him, I was bestowing part of my spirit to a child I had never met, and would never know. It had moved him beyond words, she'd said, and renewed his faith in humanity.
Something inconsequential to me, had found the most unlikely and profound outlet.
Wednesday I went to have my annual trimming of my hair. As I was sitting there, looking in the mirror it dawned on me. Four years. For four years, I had looked the same. Been the same.
Warily, I asked if she could take six inches off, instead of only two. She then reminded me of Locks of Love, a company that makes wigs from donated hair for children who have lost theirs to cancer or other long term medical conditions. But, that would require ten inches. "Show me where that is?" I asked, still nervous over the prospect.
I had always intended on doing this, after all, growing my hair long, then cutting it 10 inches at a time to donate it. But when I had conceptualized it many years ago, the idea had been to grow it to my knees, then cut it.
She showed me, and ok, it didn't seem too bad, it was still just above my hips. Change is good, in moderation.
Then I remembered reading that little girls liked to have long hair. I had always wanted long hair. But, making a long wig requires hair at least 14 to 16 inches in length. Well, that simply wasn't a round enough number for me. The next thing I knew, I had asked her to cut 18 inches off.
I was feeling remarkably good about myself and my decision to do this. As she was putting my hair in a ponytail and preparing to cut it off in one fail swoop, I felt myself becoming almost giddy. No more hour long showers to shampoo my hair, no more headaches from the weight of it pulling on my head, no more getting it slammed in car doors, or stepping on it when I bent over to pick things up from the floor.
Complete selfishness. Everything else was gravy.
I hadn't noticed it, basking in my glee, but a young handsome Asian man with very long hair of his own had stepped into the hair salon while I was deciding how much of my hair to cut.
When she handed me the ponytail that use to be on my head, I glanced up into the mirror to speak to her, and caught the young man's eye, watching me. At the time, I thought he looked sad, like he was about to cry. I flashed him a beautiful smile, saying whatever it was, it would be ok.
He was gone by the time the hair dresser was done with my hair. His hair dresser came over to tell me how nice my new hair cut was, and to tell me about the man. She said he'd commented on what beautiful long hair I had when he arrived. So she told him I was having it cut to donate it to Locks of Love for children with cancer.
It turns out, he was studying to become a minister of his faith; a faith that believes a person's spirit and soul are symbolically represented by their hair. To him, I was bestowing part of my spirit to a child I had never met, and would never know. It had moved him beyond words, she'd said, and renewed his faith in humanity.
Something inconsequential to me, had found the most unlikely and profound outlet.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-29 05:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-29 07:45 am (UTC)I was sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, I hope it passes quickly!
Oh and I am seriously looking forward to Blasphemy being released! Congratulations for getting published in it!