new thread
Just a quick few comments that relate back to my "Anatomical Completeness and Hair" thread...
Just for the record, I think now would be a good time for me to clarify that in no way do I believe that longhairs are "superior" to any other type of human person. That superiority concept re. hair is just as bad in my mind as to believe in any particular race, religion, or national origin as superior. Life is too big and vast to believe in that garbage. As the movie character Antie Mame said, "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!" If I indulged in believing myself to be superior over another just because of having longer hair, I'd be missing out on many precious things that life has given me, including the many short-haired folks in my life, both friends and family I can't imagine being without. If I ever do make the mistake of feeling a bit smug & superior to others, then all I have to do to remind myself of how wrong I am is to go to the nearest Northern CA old growth redwood forest, and stand next to a 2,000 year old giant... I LOVE feeling that small and unimportant!!!
I think Bill hit the nail on the head when he mentioned Phantom Limb Syndrome, comparing it to how longhairs feel whenever they are missing having their hair. I felt that way even BEFORE i was able to grow my mane out -- like I was "missing something", and that the short hair on my head wasn't making me happy enough (until I would eventually grow it out some day).
What makes me happiest in life (besides having long hair)?
I like to hang out in various dance communities, for example. That's probably my #1 thing that makes me happy in life, to be on a hardwood floor with a fun dance partner and great dance tunes playing all night long -- whether it be Swing, Salsa, C&W 2-Step, or Tango...
I also like to garden, and am happy as a clam being outdoors in general -- and to be with others who share in that same kind of enthusiasm, including just admiring the many wonders of Mother Nature, like even just a beautiful lake or being by the ocean.
I also like to pride myself in cooking a good meal (and in swapping recipe ideas w/ other cooks as well)! Good food is AWESOME (and I have the belly to prove it - LOL)!!
"Birds of a feather flock together!", as the old saying goes. And that's why I come here: to talk about HAIR! My [short-haired] dance friends and gardening buddies or cooking co-workers just wouldn't understand if I talked about the topic of being a longhair to them (LOL)....
- Ken
Hi Ken.
While I do agree that having long hair does not make you superior over a short haired person, just like being of one race does not make you superior to another race, I think longhairs are..... "Stronger", for lack of a better word.
What I mean by that is that us longhairs have put up with quite a load of crap about our hair, mainly insults. Whether it be insults from parents, friends, co-workers, or just plain strangers, there always seems to be someone who wants to see us fail and cut our hair.
But we learn to ignore and to deal with all the bullshit that others throw at us. We grow our hair anyways, and as a result, we are happier because of successfully growing our hair, and not giving in to what society thinks we should do. And this in turn, helps us to be more independent and to think for ourselves.
I know my biggest obstacle is yet to come, as I will be hunting for a summer job in a couple months, and the pressure to cut my hair might be high, but I refuse to cut my hair under any circumstance. I'll go jobless if I have to. It is this that has made me stronger inside. I have a different outlook on life, and peer pressure is almost never an issue for me.
So while I don't see myself as superior to my short haired peers, I feel a certain sense of pride, or achievement when I am around them.
Hey, you ain't dozin off there are ya? LOL!
Luke.
No, not dozin' off one bit, Luke (LOL).... I understand what you're saying, loud & clear!!
Here's how I would word it: adversity of ANY kind will make a person stronger (if faced honestly, and "being true to yourself" wins out over giving in to another person's will).
Here's a few examples of people other than longhairs who have had similar obstacles to overcome:
1) whenever a person falls in love with someone of another race, and the parents disapprove of them dating and/or getting married;
2) when someone no longer believes in following a particular religion, especially a religion that one is raised with from early childhood -- especially when there's harsh family pressure and disapproval involved if one leaves this church or religion.
3) whenever a parent has high expectations of a child to grow up and go in a certain career direction and/or make a certain amount of money, -- or the parents will consider that particular adult child to be a "failure"
4) peer pressure to "fit in" with one's social group, neighborhood, community, etc., regardless of the age factor involved -- even if there are understandable reasons why that person cannot financially or otherwise afford to fit in.
5) whenever a gay person has to face the choice of displeasing his friends and/or family if he comes out honestly to them -- or, forever hide the truth to these friends and/or family, in order to not risk losing their love.
All of the above are good examples of similar experiences to what longhairs often have to deal with, as far as facing the adversity of harsh criticism and severe disapproval from others. Listening to one's heart, regardless of whatever the issue is, has historically not meant taking "Easy Street"; but it is where the sun shines brightest, and will make our lives happiest and most meaningful because of following the same road as our heart.
- Ken
Shakespeare made a lot of famous and insightful comments about life, my guess being that he probably had faced a lot of adversity himself in his own private life (although I have never read much on this particular topic myself). For example, here's a quote that I'm sure most longhairs can relate to: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." WOW, how much of modern society still thinks of men with long hair as "bad", when we here at MLHH are living proof that the exact opposite view can be someone else's honest way of thinking about the topic?
Yes, adversity is the main idea I was thinking of. And those are all perfect examples of what other people must go through. When I made my original reply, I was fully aware that there are more forms of adversity that make people stronger than growing longhair, but I guess I was speaking purely within the context of longhair.
I'm sure there are many short haired people that face harder situations than us longhairs, and are just as strong, if not stronger than us.
I guess the big picture of my original reply is just that as longhairs, we have overcome one form of adversity, and we have earned a right to be proud. Not superior. Just proud.
No, but we do have better hair.
Bill
LOL, but not only "better"; we also have MORE of it!
- Ken
PS - The old saying, "less is more" does NOT apply to longhairs (LOL)!!
Well now, condition wise I think short hairs have better hairs then us longhairs, their hair is virtually indestructible since they cut it every 2 weeks.
Once again, Ken, you "wow" me with your beautifully-shared thoughts. I'm intrigued by Bill's "phantom limb" theory as it relates to hair. As males in our society are so often emasculated from such a young age by way of hair cutting, I am of the opinion that it goes back even farther than boyhood for some, to the time when, just a day or so old for many, they had another part of their body forcibly removed without their consent. I offer the below-linked article for the consideration of this community...
Hi Validus,
First of all, before I forget to say it: it's great to see you post here again!!
You bring up a very interesting (as well as controversial) topic. I have in fact read other articles on that subject in the past as well -- and I have to say I agree with your sentiments.
My nephew had an interesting experience, as his parents decided to not circumcise him as an infant. However, when he was around 15 his doctor recommended it because of physical difficulties in the area too complicated to describe here. I was amazed that he chose to go through with it; but it was indeed his own choice. To this day, though, both my brother and sister-in-law are glad they decided NOT to remove their son's foreskin when he was an infant (my brother is uncircumcised still to this day, for example).
Whoever thought that such a vanilla topic like Hair could bring out so many other interesting topics for discussion (OTHER THAN "shampoo" - LOL)?.... Just goes to show ya, having an interest in long hair in common can bring out the best in people!
Thanks again, Validus!
- Ken
PS - I also enjoyed seeing your post and pics of your son's long hair -- the only sad part being that I only wish I had a dad as open-minded as you when I was a kid!!
I mostly agree that yes, longhair does not make us superior. But the fact that we can put up with the adversity with pride does. Add to this the fact that we can easily remedy the cause to our problems where as most other forms of adversity can not, and we still choose to experience it. This -in my mind- also puts us one step ahead.
Jarvis
Hi Jarvis,
Many thanks for your reply -- and also thanks for all the replies to my earlier thread I never had time to acknowledge when I was at work!
Growing long hair can (and SHOULD) be "easy" for anybody; but oddly enough, there can often be many obstacles (real, or otherwise) -- mostly social reasons for the hesitation; but certainly also some people have very demanding jobs or other responsibilities that just might be too much weight on their shoulders to consider it (for the present moment, at least).
I felt like that myself when I was in my 20s, due to a certain career path I took at that time (and the dress code restrictions of my jobs when I was that age), -- and yet I knew in my heart that "SOMEday" I wanted to fulfill my desire to grow my hair out....
In hindsight, had I quit those jobs and that career path earlier in life, I could have grown my hair long much earlier than I ended up doing. But hey, we all do whatever we can to figure out life as we are in the process of wading through it -- and as much as I like long hair, it is not the "ONLY" thing in life that I have had to consider sometimes (SHOCKING as that may be to read that statement form me - LOL)!!
I don't have kids, for example; yet if I did, I might be more worried about $$, -- and maybe even put that first (before hair as a #1 priority)... I'm not saying I would; but I'm also not saying I "wouldn't"... I'm not in that particular position to have to worry about it -- so, I don't judge another for whatever tough choices they feel they have to make.
Clear as mud?? (LOL) OK, time for me to stop babbling -- I have to go clean out my cats' litter box now!
- Ken
Great followup post Ken.I really don't consider myself superior to anyone as we are our own unique selves.Wouldn't it be boring if we all acted and looked the same.I guess we would all be equals then.Since we are all different we may be better than others in one way but not in others.Having a burning desire to break from the norm and grow longhair in spite of negative comments does make us superior in the sense that we could care less what others say about our appearance and do what makes ourselves happy.That's how I feel.When I look in the ole mirror I like the longhair lookin' back at me:)Nuff said as the world turns!
Mark
Thanks, Mark -- I feel the same way when I look in the mirror as well (except for the fact that I keep wondering who in hell that old geezer is staring back at me - LOL)!
- Ken
The endless awkward stage....Sigh !!
But, oh, what feathers!!! (LOL)