When I was a kid, every summer without a choice about it, my dad would give us all buzz-cuts at the beginning of summer, --- something I relished about as much as liver & onions or brussel sprouts for dinner. Coming of age during the mid - late '60s, just after the Beatles came to America, and right at the beginning of when hippies started showing up in numbers on the planet, you can guess just how popular and "cool" I must have felt with no hair on my head...
Years later, a good friend of mine and dance partner came over to my brother's house, noticing this picture on the wall of me with my older brother and 3 step-brothers, back in 1965... "Just look at how cute you were as a kid, --- what happened?", she joked.
I think I may have had to endure another 2 or maybe even 3 summers of those damn crew cuts (my father being an ex-Navy man, he thought we all looked really "sharp" that way - lol!), --- until one year I broke down and cried and cried about how much I hated short hair, my step-mom backing me up about it being time to allow me at least a tiny amount more hair... and whatever year that was, that was my last time I had to go through those nasty yearly buzz-cuts!
I'm SO glad those days are long over; but I have to admit, the pic is cute, --- in spite of not liking that enforced hairstyle!!
- Ken in San Francisco
PS - Pic was taken at Niagra Falls, on the border between New Yok state in the USA; and Ontario, Canada. I'm the one with the dorky-looking smile on the far right!
It is a cut picture of you all. I, on the other hand, was born to Bay Area hippies in the early 70's and had bowl cuts and tie dye's most of my young life. Sometimes my mom would let my hair go for months and would get pretty long. I got confused with being a little girl a lot. I had really blond hair which looked "girly" I guess. I didn't mind, though. I buzzed my head when I was in the 5th grade to mix things up but the hair grew back as I couldn't stand it either.
PS...I miss the San Francisco bay area very much. I was born and raised in the south bay and then lived in Santa Cruz for a number of years before moving away last year. I miss it there terribly.
Ah, the joys of being a military brat. I was an Air Force munchkin, and had buzz cuts every summer through the 6th grade. I had the priviledge of letting it grow out all the way to a crew cut during the school year. How out of step with the real world was that!
Then I hit high school football. Our coach wanted us to "bond". Buzz cuts for 4 years during football season. This was 1968 through 1972. This was the high time of war protests, free love, flower children, etc. Most guys had hair that could be put in a tail; you were considered strange if your hair was too short. We definitely bonded, as we stood out like a sore thumb! No one else would hang around with us.
Entering college, my draft number was 38. I was one of the multitudes who joined ROTC on campus. Hair above the ears again! I think someone was trying to tell me something!
One comment to make about ROTC; the classroom part was actually pretty cool. We learned about planes, fighters, guns, BIG guns, etc. Once the draft was over, I actually inquired about the possibility of staying in the classroom part, but no dice. I had better things to do than march around an empty field in 100° heat in Baton Rouge.
So, finally, my third year in college, I had hair! It was a long journey.
And now, 31 years later, I have hair again!
Now I'm the one with the dorky smile!
Big George
Oh thats Sweet lol