Summer shearing

I am the queen of hair trims. This is a result, I think, of the fact that I didn't have a haircut from third grade until my senior year of high school. In college I had sporatic haircuts, generally disappointing and occasionally disasterous! In grad school, however, I discovered the miracle that is the gay male stylist. I would sit myself down in Joe's chair and say "Joe, make me beautiful." Joe was, by the way, not his real name, but he was well-known from the world of Latin soap operas, apparently, and didn't want anyone to know who he was. I'm still not sure if I believe this, but the man was a wonder with a pair of scissors. After my first appointment with him, I was a goner. My poodle-like hair was immediately transformed into manageable, stylish, and even DESIRABLE! After leaving Houston, I met my current love, Matthew. Matthew sports a truly awful mullet. I sometimes feel like it is a requirement as a male stylist to have horrific hair of your own.

At any rate, ever since my sophomore year "pixie cut" (which ended up resulting in a full two years of bad hairdays as it grew out) I'd been growing my hair out gradually. I'd cut a few inches off here and there, but it was getting progressively longer... until today. Today I decided it was time to add some excitement to my life. Nothing major, but enough to remind me why I love getting my hair cut.

There are several things I love about new haircuts. I love catching myself in a store window and feeling startled. I love the weightless feeling of my head immediately after a lot of hair comes off. I love the surprising feeling of the wind hitting the back of my neck. My favorite is running my hands through my hair and feeling the blunt ends, the shock of my hair ending before I expect it to. This is especially noticeable in the shower. I love turning my head quickly and feeling it swish around my face unencumbered by my shoulders. And the first time I put on a shirt or scarf and don't have to pull my hair out of the collar.

New haircuts also make me look for other ways to change my appearance. Tattooes always seem critical after haircuts. I haven't ever gotten one, but I'm starting to think more and more about it. More on this some other day.