new thread
Hello Guys,
I hope you are all doing great and looking after yourselves.
I just saw Chris' update photos - WOW, Fantastic!
You are blessed with super fast growing hair and it is starting to look very long now. The facial hair really compliments your image - makes you look like a real man.
And i just saw Joa David's 26 month update, further down the page. Commendable progress, do keep it up!
Your hair is looking morre magestic at each periodic update and i am always excited to see your hair getting longer and progressing to your ultimate goal of waist/butt length.
What am i up to?
Looking after my mother who has been through a very stressful and life threatening experience. She is going to need more treatment but things are looking positive and the tumor has already shrunk considerably after the first phase of chemo + radiotherapy.
I have also been working quite a bit. Working with my father and learning his trade which is painting and also another job which involves irritating customers all day, lol.
My educational studies(.ie uni) is still on hold till next year but i will have to go back first semester 2007.
I also bought a synthesizer and thus trying to teach myself a new instrument in my spare time. It is difficult but really rewarding and fun to challenge myself with an instrument that i have no prior experience with.
*Regarding my hair*
I have no immediate plans of growing it back to the length that is was previously. My hair is currently about 2-3 inches long and is in short, tight curls. I may grow it a few inches longer for style and asthetics but nothing that warrants ponytail length. Maybe 6-7 inches maximum. Growing my hair was most defifintely a great experience for me but something that i made the personal decision to cut short. Considering my future career interests in the corporate world, the time investment in maintaining long hair, etc etc. I came to the conclusive decision that i don't need long hair to be myself or be happy with who i am. I have grow up alot myself over the past 2 years or so. I'll admit, occasionaly when i go to a rock concert or see a guy with flawless long hair it makes me wish i still had my long locks, but generally, for the most part, i have absoloutely no regrets or retractions(not that would be possible anyways, lol). This is because i systematically thought out all the the options, choices and direct consequences of these choices and made a decision accordingly, a decision which was final and absoloute.
I wish all of you happy growth and more importantly happy health, both mentally, spiritually and physically. I will on occasion randomly check the boards and view progress update photos but i don't think i will be posting very often.
I'll admit that i have lost interest in hair and it no longer is the primary focus/ambition/interest of my life since i have made the cut. I think the need to share knowledge and provide support to new members is required though so i may even decide to post for these reasons. The friendships i have made through the board and this community are something i really admire. It's more than just about hair, it's about friends, and i still regulary keep in contact with several board members.
This post has been too long-winded. I will cut it off here for now, even if it seems like an abrubt end. This was just meant to be a dropping in note but turned into a massive post. All the best to you all, Jean.
Hi,
Nice to hear news from you.
You are welcome to post here anytime you want, regardless hair lenght you have. I've really enjoyed all your posts, including that one. Full of profound words. It doesn't matter that you've cut it short. Anyway, I hope, that here are only few (if any) followers. We, here, are doing what best fits for us internally, but with care for external world. You've tried something new up to you, you now know what is good for you.
You've tried at least one way more than many other people, even if you haven't taken it. Great.
PS - Wait until you finish an university and take a job, and regrow :-)
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Adalbert
Hi Jean,
Thanks for the update, and great to hear from you! And, as I've said to many people, many times... Long hair is not for everybody. BUT, in the experience of growing it out, one certainly can learn much about one's own self, --- no matter what the end result! In my case, it was not only the experience of growing my mane long for 9 years (during the '90s); but the experience of having suddenly cut it short in Y2K that taught me that I am indeed a longhair, --- both in my heart, and on my head! But we are all different. The joy of self-discovery and then being true to ourselves after that discovery is a journey that, in the end, we are the only ones who can walk it and face it alone (even while in the midst of another's company and companionship).
May your life continue to be blessed, and my sincerest hope for a speedy and full recovery for your mom from her illness. My best to you!
- Ken
Great to hear from you Jean, I am sure I am not the only one who was wondering how things were going for you and your family. I am so glad that your mom is doing better with the treatments. I am sure that is a great relief to all of you. I have been fortunate so far in that my own parents are still healthy so I have not had to deal with such issues , hopefully never will.
Also glad you are happy with your decision to cut your hair. You made the decision after careful consideration and now you are free to pursue other interests with your energy. Learning the synth sounds like a lot of fun, I love that sound :)
Post here when you can, we are always glad to hear from you. And a good thing about hair is that you can change your mind about growing out much later on in life (like I did). You really don't have to make a "final" decision, just one you are happy with for now.
Best wishes, take care Jean
Hi Jean its really good to hear from you after so much time has passed since you last posted to this great board.First off I'm sorry to hear about what you mom has been going through but it sounds like the treatment is helping her and I'm sure she'll remain strong to beat that thing.I've had several family memebers fall to this terrible disease but many people do make it and I do root for your mom to be one of those lucky ones.Your a great person to basically put your life on hold so as to make life as pleasant as possible at home which says volumes about your character.As for the hair issue you do whats best for your future and I know having long hair when you are young is very tough just trying to break into the real world. Like its been said you can always pursue regrowing your hair once your established in your career and you still have the desire.Regardless I feel that you will be a success in life just by how you present yourself here on this board.Well I know I'll getting a bit long winded here so I'll just end it with my best wishes to your family and please don't forget your friends here on the board as I will always rememeber your thoughful comments over the past year or so.Take care my friend and do hope to hear from you at your conveinience.Mark
Hi Jean,
It's great to hear from you. I'm glad your mom is making progress. I dealt with two sick parents so I know the stress you're going through. I hope things proceed to a complete recovery soon.
You speak in very absolute terms regarding your hair. That, of course, is your right and your decision. As others have said, you could grow long hair at a different point in your life.
It seems long hair means different things for different people. You basically equated your 'growing up' to your decision to cut your hair. I think many of here see it as exactly the opposite. We finally 'grew up' when we grew long hair. It may be that in the end your personal evolution will include long hair or it could be you were never a born longhair.
Jason
Hi Jean, this post is actually short compared to one of my typical tirades. I am happy to hear that your mom is improving and wish her well. I am glad to hear that you are returning to school soon. You really should check in more here.
Be careful with those absolutes; they will get you into trouble sometimes. If you're going to call a decision anything, call it what it is: temporary.
See you later, Bragi
Hey Jean
Great hearing from you on this board and knowing that things are going as well as can be expected for you as well as your Mom.
Ha ha ha..............here is a photo I took a few days ago of Brendan and Heidi after I knocked the starch out of them on a good long walk and run. (Brendan can run so fast that sometimes he flips over himself!)
Thought I'ed enclose this pic for your little Benji to enjoy. :-)
Take care Jean, and my best to you and your family for a great and happy holiday season. (Benji too.)
Justin~
I am very pleased to hear about your mum. I wish her a continued and long-term recovery. Let me also reiterate Mark's point that I think its really commendable that you put your life essentially on hold over this, you are a great son and it really does say a lot about your character.
All the best Jean, and you can indeed be v.helpful and of particular help to those growing long CURLY hair.
Ciao for now :-)
Oh Jean...
I didn't even knew what was going on with you... I feel the need to wish you the best luck with everything =) I really hope your mother does well, just hold on and you'll se it will be gone... I know several people who had cancer and went out of it with no definite harm... Tell your mother everyone here in the forum is with her, I wish you and your family the best strenght and luck...
About your hair, the important is that you are happy =) I am glad you don't regret it, in my case cuting my hair would be such a big loss I would never handle with... But if you don't care about hair that much already, than don't think about it anymore... I'm sure it must have been a great great experience anyway =) Wasn't it? =P =)
Please do never go away... I still think you are a big presence in the forum and I love reading your posts... I hope you'll never be a stranger =)
The best luck Jean, from the depths of my heart... I know you0ve got the courage and that everything will turn out for the best =) Hope to ear from you soon =)
Thanks for all the touching replies everybody.
All your comments mean alot to me.
To be honest, i don't think i have a deeper attachment to long hair in my sub-concious or spiritual side, or "born long", if you like. I came to realise after i cut that it was pretty much just asthetics and physical appearance. Who knows, maybe i just grew my hair to be different or rebel against authoritative figures. Oh well, everybody is different. I am re-growing my hair to a medium length which will look 'cool' and trendy but will not arouse any problems with a boss, employers etc.
Super long hair is not for me and i choose to cut it short before it got longer and longer which would make my decision even harder. And yes, my decision was and is absoloute, although obviously not indefinitely since hair has a natural tendancy to keep growing. There may be a stage in the future when i am older that i decide to regrow it again, but for now, no. I never make rash or hasty decisions. I am one who thinks everything out in life that i do, i love repetion and familiarness and dislike spontainity. I also noted that people treated my different with long hair, especially conservative old people who gave dissapearing looks. Some people liked my long hair while others say i look better with short hair.
It was a difficult decision to make but something i needed to do.
hey 80's
I hope everything goes well with you in the future, and wish your mom a speedy recovery.Just like Ken said, long hair isn't for everybody (you've probably met the most resistance while growing it out than all of us here)....and it really shows if you are a longhair in the heart or not when you CUT it...hope you check in from time to time and don't be a stranger!! :P
Hi Jean,
Good to hear from you!
I sure do hope that your mother does better from this point forward.
Sounds like you've been busy these past several months. I'm sure it will pay off for you in the long run.
Thanks for the update,
- Oren