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As we get caught up in the daily (albiet important) issues surrounding the growth of long hair, sometimes we may take for granted or lose sight of the WHY we grow our hair.
I am approaching the end of my 11th month into the journey, and this Old Fart just want to share some observations.
My hair in front is almost to my chin. Instead of dealing with the problems associated with the end of the awkward stage, I am thrilled that I have to do certain things. I find that the hair caught in my mouth is now attached at the other end. I have to move my hair and tilt my head to keep from using toothpaste as another conditioner. When looking down, reading, etc. I have to tuck hair behind my ears, which I can now do. To some, these can be issues. I see them as goals finally achieved.
My hair moves on its own now. For the last 31 years I forgot how I love the feeling of sitting without a shirt and having it brush and break over my shoulders when I turn my head. When I play, I have to move it out from under my guitar strap, and notice when it falls in front of my shoulder as I play.
I am totally comfortable tieing it back in a ponytail in public, especially when I work outdoors. I can feel the end of the tail move against my shoulders as I work. I look at it as a reminder of where I am at and what I have accomplished so far.
Although hesitant at first, and still a little concerned about my final length, my wife loves it. She plays with it all the time when we are together. You can guess the many benefits as a result of that! Our relationship is better because my hair is long. What an unexpected and wonderful surprise!
My oldest (19) daughter caught me off guard last weekend. She had been opposed to her Dad "going bonko" this whole time. At my son's soccer game (I had on aviator sunglasses, a black leather "Indiana Jones" type hat, and a ponytail) she turned to me and said "That looks really rad"! Gave me the warm fuzzies inside.
There are lots of reasons to not grow your hair. There are lots of issues to deal with once you do. We talk about those in depth here.
I just wanted to share the positives I have observed since beginning to grow my hair out. It's now a big part of who I am, moreso than I would have ever thought. As is this forum, and the support it offers. And both will be with me for a long time to come. It's such a simple joy it brings. To state it plainly, I LOVE MY LONG(ish & growing) HAIR!
Big George
That is a very positive outlook on things! We should all try to see things this way. Good for you for staying optimistic! :)
I would definitely agree. Many seem to pay too much attention to the minor inconveniences with growing hair and do not enjoy the benefits enough. Not even 10 minutes ago, I was on the way back to my dorm, and it was VERY windy outside. My bangs had been tucked behind my ears, but the wind managed to untuck them. My bangs are about an inch past my chin now, so hair was all in my face. It was actually kind of hard to see. This kind of thing would piss a lot of people off and make them want to cut their hair, but it does just the opposite with me. It feels cool to have hair that blows in the wind and gets in my face.
Also, just last week my brother's wife said that my hair looked "pretty" and that she wanted to get her hair dyed my color. Like you say, George, we should keep these simple things in mind, because it makes the growing experience much more enjoyable.
-Noble
I know exactly how u feel..ive been growing my hair now for almost two years..maybe a little longer than that now.Its about down to my shoulders..i have very curly hair. I love in the morning having hair everywhere..how it brushes up against my face..how it covers my eyes..its got a mind of its own..right now im sitting by my window and the wind brushes my hair in my face! Yesterday I went to go run an errand and it was a particular windy day..my hair which i usually comb back was all in my eyes..in my face as I walked. I loved it..maybe someone was wondering who the person is behind the hair. I was a mystery...a secret! So I hope to experience more things like that as my hair gets longer!!!: As we get caught up in the daily (albiet important) issues surrounding the growth of long hair, sometimes we may take for granted or lose sight of the WHY we grow our hair.
Big George,
That was a joy to read and made me smile to see someone with similar feelings to the ones I had and continue to have while my hair was reaching new lengths. I'm glad this is working out for you in more ways than one.
Congrats and here's to many years of growth!
Jason
Thanks. I knew our feelings were similar; I recall reading the statement somewhere that:
"I've always known long hair is intrinsic to my being."
Glad things worked out for you also.
George
that's what I'm talkin about!!we need more posts like this here,we tend to sometimes focus on the negatives too much and forget about the tremendous progress we've made as longhairs!!
I, particularly, love how the wind blows my hair in my face (as some have already mentioned here),love how the hair is all messy when I'm sleeping, and am really looking forward to the feeling of hair brushing against my back and on shoulders (even though I'm not there yet,my goal length is mid-back)
Hi George,
I remember I had this same feeling a couple of years ago. You obviously appreciate your hair very much and thats great! I will warn you about guitar strap hazards for when your hair gets longer, I always seem to have miniature disasters with my hair and guitar straps!
Neil
It's wonderful to hear how you're enjoying your long hair, and especially great that your daughter thinks it's cool. I'm also impressed by your superb growth rate (from your reply to a post I made below, greater than 3/4 inch per month--that is one SUPERB growth rate for an older guy, must be record setting) Thanks for a wonderful, inspiring post.
David
What an absolutely delightful post !!
How wonderful that you and yours are enjoying the experience so much....and I think your daughter is "rad" too !
Thanks for sharing, George
Walter White Tail
What a wonderful read this post is!!! You articulated things in a way that I never would have thought imaginable; yet all that you said here I totally feel myself. Many thanks, George, --- I loved every word of it!
- Ken