Thursday, November 8, 2012

It's only hair

I surprised my husband several weeks ago when I told him I wanted to cut my hair short, or even shave it. He asked why I wanted to shave it,  I told him all of my various reasons and he said, "Why is it, that in 12 years of marriage I never knew you always wanted to shave your head?"

Truth be told, since high school, I have had this crazy desire to shave my head. I don't know why but there is an "I'm okay with who I am and others don't need to tell me how to look"message. But I was always too chicken to do it. However, when I know or hear of someone I know who has done it, it reminds me that I've always wanted to do it too. 

In high school, I remember one of my friends had seizures and would have to have brain surgery over the summer. I told her I would shave my head so she wouldn't be the only one with no hair. I thought of it once again when my friend MB lost all of her hair during chemo treatments for the cancer that eventually claimed her life. Last year a friend of mine shaved his head to show support for his nephew fighting cancer. And most recently, one of my friends in UT shaved her head, long story with that.

While I was waiting in a very long line with some friends a couple of weeks ago, we started talking about hair. I said I was toying with the idea of going really short of just shaving my head. One of my friends said she'd shaved her head and it was the most liberating thing ever. It took me a good long time to really settle in to my decision, and when I told LT when I wanted to do it, he said, "Well, I want to be the one to do it."I love that he's knows me well enough to respond the way he did.

So, last night was the night I'd picked a week ago to do it. We used an 8 guard on the razor so it's not bald, but it is short. Now, I realize that if you've never wanted to do it, you'll never understand. But I've found friends who totally get it. And now that I've done it, I get why it is so cool and liberating. 

Okay, I can take this off my bucket list.