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"Are you the man with the beautiful hair?" said the 70 year old women standing in front of me at
the post office. I turned around to see if she was talking to someone else but
there was no one in back of me.
"Aren't you the one with long, beautiful hair?" Obviously she had seen me before.
I turned around and pulled my tail out of my coat.
"Yes, I knew it was you" she said.
My hair wasn't washed et and it was sticking out all over the place. And when I pointed this
out to her she said: "But it's still beautiful."
Hmmmmm, I guess I was more surprised than flattered until she added: "You should donate it
to Locks of Love. My grandson did. Yes, my grandson--not my granddaughter."
Needless to say her suggestion spoiled the moment.
Haha, isn't that a moment crusher. Well, atleast she admired your hair, right? I do too, looks great.
I would have said "I'm *one* of them!". :-)
Ego inflates... ego pops.
Oh well.
~JeffL
I would have probably replied "I have a shoe box filled
with enough SHED strands to make 2 wigs. I will donate
those." Realistically shed strands could be used to make
wigs. It would be more work to assemble a wig from these
but it definitely could be done. By this method you can
keep your your mane and donate hair at the same time. A
dozen volunteers could lay out all the hair one strand
at a time and line them up, and assemble a wig in one
day. You might be able to find cheap labour overseas to
do it.
Scott
This picture is painful to look at!
With some people its cats laying all over their computers, but it looks like Scott has a pet tribble keeping his keyboard warm!
Hope you are enjoying the holidays Scott!
It sure does look like a megatribble. I was just trying
to make a point that you don't have to cut your hair to
donate it. There is enough hair in that pile to make at
least one wig and maybe two wigs. Hair charities are
volunteer organizations and I am sure that volunteers
could assemble wigs from shed hair so no one would feel
compelled to cut off years of growth. It is like having
your cake and eating it too.
As for the holidays, I don't enjoy them at all. The weather
sucks and I have to worry about getting the flu. Flu could
potentially kill me due to respiratory problems. I have to
minimize social contact to stay well. This makes winter a
very lonely time for me. Also I have no family, no brothers
or sisters and both of my parents have passed on. If it was
in my power, I would eliminate winter (November, December,
January, and February) entirely forever.
Scott
That's right. Make those Locks of Love volunteers work for their keep. I didn't grow my hair out long so they would have an easier time to make a wig out of it ;)
~JeffL
I have been saving my sheddings for about 3 months now, and I save them alligned, with the root always in the same side.
It's a lot of work so I only save about 40% of the sheddings (I save everytime I comb, but on washing days, when I shed the most, I don't save them anymore because they are too many and get too tangled).
I won't donate it tough... I started saving because I think it's a beautyfull thing to have a braid of your own hair in a box (as i saw on LHC) so I started to save the sheddings, since I definitly won't cut my hair just to have a braid in a box.. I prefer having it on my head ^^ It's fun to see the hair there tough... I have quite a lot of them ^^ It's a nice idea...
Very cool idea, I will try to do the same. I can save 80% of mine and have a large box full of hair. I need to line them up which is a lot of work. I could do it when advetisments come up while watching TV. I have enough to make a huge boixed braid.
Scott
...someone could soon knit a warm scarf with that amount of hair.
Keep it up and soon there will be enough for a sweater!
I have probably tossed that much shedding into the trash the past 6 years. I can't imagine that I would want to save mine. Mine is usually full of dust and stuff too. The other guy who said he saved it aligned, that's kind of interesting. Then you could comb it out, and I wonder if they'd accept it as a donation if it were combed out and clean.
This also reminds me of the guy who put an ad in our community bulletin back home. He wanted the lint from the dryer traps. Reason? He soaked them in fuel and re-sold it as fireplace starters. I understand that lint is useful for paper-making also. True fact: the blue fibers in US money are re-used bits of Levi's denim.
Hi Steve, as long as the hair strands are oriented
correctly no one would be the wiser that the
hair came from shed strands and not from a chopped
ponytail. It is easy to correctly orient it too. Run
your fingers along it and it feels smoooth in the
direction of growth from root to tip and rough going
from tip to root. I need to line mine up and make a
ponytail out of it.
Cool fact, I was not aware that Levi's denim fibers were
in our currency.
Scott
I have been with this board for years, and this is a common "insult" Just some food for thought at the holiday's.
Stop thinking this is so terrible, you have the ability to grow your hair again, those who need it can't. It is hair, and it grows. Donating something that you were blessed with, that you really don't give up but for a short time is a gift that anyone who does it should stand tall and proud. Giving is the ultimate gift. It may not be for you but stop acting like it's a mortal sin. It sounds very selfish and not at all caring.
Hair grows and grows, if your genes have it in them.
Just my take, I can't grow great hair like most on here. But know those receiving the locks of love....really do feel loved.
Best wishes for a great Holiday
Paul
I agree. Saying that your hair would make a great donation is nothing like saying your hair is ugly and you should get rid of it.
Why would someone tell you that you have beautiful hair and then tell you to chop it off.
Anyway, I for one do NOT believe that my hair would end up on someone else's head. I just don't
Indeed, there have been PLENTY of posts here, and articles in the news, and even a wikipedia article about how Locks of Love treat the hair they get.
Donating hair is one thing, donating hair to Locks of Love is throwing it away.
Say the do-gooders were somewhat informed about LOL and instead of hair (which LOL has too much of) asked for money instead (which is what happens to most donations anyway- sold to support the wig making). By your logic people should give money because they have it and can always earn more, certainly in less time than it would take to grow back the length lost to a hair donation. Those that choose not to contribute money to that specific organization sound selfish and uncaring?
From my perspective it is selfish to ask others to donate when the asker is capable of donating themselves. Pile on the rudeness that accompanies the request sometimes- the phrasing is not always a suggestion, a directive like "should" donate is insulting. Their assumption is that our hair is "extra" and is more useful somewhere else, keeping it for ourselves is painted as selfish and a waste. When greeted with such an arrogant person who claims to be trying to do good it is no wonder their efforts aren't applauded here.
Elizabeth
Well Merry Christmas to you too, I guess your insecure. Giving still is bigger then growing your hair. Sorry It just isn't that important to everyone, a simple "I can't live without my hair" Should let people know your needs
I think part of the problem with LOL advocates is a similar lack of understanding of motives and needs.
Elizabeth
- - this wasn't about how terrible it is to cut and donate hair. this was about the rudeness of the person's suggestion. it was said as a backhanded compliment. just because i have the ability to grow long hair and donate it doesn't mean that should by my hair's sole purpose. is that what you do - grow your hair and donate it in an unending cycle? because if that isn't what you are doing, you have no right to tell others that they should be doing just that.
- - i have extra cans of peas in my pantry, does that automatically mean i should donate them to a food bank? how about the extra shirts in my closet? surely i don't NEED them all. but it would be just as insulting for someone to say, 'you have a nice wardrobe. perhaps you should give it to the salvation army.'
- - no one here is acting like it is a 'mortal sin' to donate hair. i have done that in the past, as have others here. of course it's nice to give something to someone in need. but it IS 'sinful' to try and make someone feel bad for having something just because soneone else doesn't have it. according to your logic, my best friend should give me some of her boobs, since she was naturally blessed with nicer ones than i have.
- - insecure? what does keeping natural hair growth have to do with insecurity? just because we choose to keep our hiar doesn't make us insecure. it doesn't even suggest that we would be insecure if we cut it. insecurity has nothing to do with this.
- - you are correct on one small point in your rant: hair isn't important to everyone. if it isn't important to you, then by all means hack it off and give it away. just don't try and make the rest of us do the same. to some, hair length is tied in with religious/spiritual beliefs. that makes it important. to others, hair length is tied in with a confidentself image. that makes it important, also. of course other things may be MORE important, but that still doesn't downgrade the importance of the hair to the wearer.
- - also, no one here has ever said 'i can't live without my hair.' that would be ridiculous. many of us may use the phrase, 'i prefer to keep my hair long,' which is a different concept entirely. it isn't 'wrong' for us to want to keep our hair.
- - nic
- - this wasn't about how terrible it is to cut and donate hair. this was about the rudeness of the person's suggestion. it was said as a backhanded compliment. just because i have the ability to grow long hair and donate it doesn't mean that should by my hair's sole purpose. is that what you do - grow your hair and donate it in an unending cycle? because if that isn't what you are doing, you have no right to tell others that they should be doing just that.
- - i have extra cans of peas in my pantry, does that automatically mean i should donate them to a food bank? how about the extra shirts in my closet? surely i don't NEED them all. but it would be just as insulting for someone to say, 'you have a nice wardrobe. perhaps you should give it to the salvation army.'
- - no one here is acting like it is a 'mortal sin' to donate hair. i have done that in the past, as have others here. of course it's nice to give something to someone in need. but it IS 'sinful' to try and make someone feel bad for having something just because soneone else doesn't have it. according to your logic, my best friend should give me some of her boobs, since she was naturally blessed with nicer ones than i have.
- - insecure? what does keeping natural hair growth have to do with insecurity? just because we choose to keep our hiar doesn't make us insecure. it doesn't even suggest that we would be insecure if we cut it. insecurity has nothing to do with this.
- - you are correct on one small point in your rant: hair isn't important to everyone. if it isn't important to you, then by all means hack it off and give it away. just don't try and make the rest of us do the same. to some, hair length is tied in with religious/spiritual beliefs. that makes it important. to others, hair length is tied in with a confidentself image. that makes it important, also. of course other things may be MORE important, but that still doesn't downgrade the importance of the hair to the wearer.
- - also, no one here has ever said 'i can't live without my hair.' that would be ridiculous. many of us may use the phrase, 'i prefer to keep my hair long,' which is a different concept entirely. it isn't 'wrong' for us to want to keep our hair.
- - nic
I hope that you crushed the woman for her sarcasm or thoughtlessness and cheek.
I've heard that Locks of Love only uses a small percentage of the hair that is donated. They either sell off or toss what they don't use for wigs.
Scott is absolutely right, save your shed hair and donate that instead. Even if they end up not using it, at least you didn't sacrifice your hair to a trash can or someone else's pocket.
Luckskind, It's always the blue haired old ladies that come up to me and say that I have the most beautiful hair. Never have had had them ask me to donate to locks of love though. It would definitely spoil the moment. I've heard Locks of Love has way to many "gifts" as it is and destroys a lot of donations (burns) much in the same way Goodwill Industries does!
peace, jonalbear
Today's modern technology has created fibers that vary in color and texture and
look better in some ways than natural hair.
There is no need to put someone else's hair on your head.
Hey! Could that have possibly been my mother? LOL
Wait, couldn't have been. She has been deceased for quite a while now.
...since you probably started your longhair Journey after your mother had passed away, she
probably said this years ago when long hair was something new and most people rejected it.
Perhaps today she would have been more accepting?
Nah. Just kidding. Both of my parents allowed freedom of expression as they were very open minded and accepting.
But, perhaps the elderly lady you saw was my 5th grade teacher "Miss Nibby?" (The kids used to call her "The Nib" for short.) And boy............was she ever nit-picking finicky as well as a do-gooder blabber mouth.
Holy moly! Where are you from? I thought only people around here (Upper Ohio Valley, near Wheeling, WV) used "nibby" to mean "nosy to the point of rudeness." I have a cat I named Nibby, and my gaming username is "NibbyCat".
Yes I'd say thats a great build up to a total let down:( I will never understand this concept of donating hair as its only for vanity and it doesn't save lives such as donating a kidney.Also why use real hair when sythetics are available and can be aquired based on demand so there would be no need to waste any.I'm sure they can even order it in the colour of the persons choice sort of like ordering a car.So keep your hair and tell them to get the fake stuff as I'm sure they make tons of it in China anyway.Have a great Holiday!Mark
Yikes! That sounds like something my mother would say! Oh well, at least you got half a compliment out of it. I hope you took the opportunity to "educate" her about Locks of Love.
Response: "You have such a beautiful mind. You should donate it to someone in the state mental hospital who could use a brain transplant."
Bill
I like that - a real crusher!
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! I can't stop laughing. This just HAS to be the funniest response ANYBODY could have ever thought of. :-)
Justin~
I would have to give her the benefit of the doubt. She may have been moved by what her grandson did and meant no negative connotation whatsoever.
I would have thanked her for her kind comment and gone forth with a smile; how many positive comments do you get from those in their 70's about your long hair. Her lack of knowledge about LOL would not have spoiled the moment. She was proud of her grandson.
Big George