new thread
As an avid cyclist and fan of cycling, I've been following the Lance Armstrong cheating saga with great interest. I've also followed the career of his one time teammate Tyler Hamilton. Tyler was caught cheating, denied it for years, and then finally came clean and told the truth when he was put under oath by federal authorities.
Tyler had always had very short hair. Here he is after winning the olympic gold medal in 2004:
He had to give the medal back.
What's interesting is that after he told the truth two years ago, his hair has been much longer than it used to be. Granted, it's still short by our standards but the change is quite striking on him.
I've been reading his book that just came out that I've linked to below and it described how much he has changed since he told the truth and what a relief it's been for him. He's basically reclaimed his life. I'd like to believe the longer hair is an outward sign of his changed persona.
I know for many of us becoming longhairs was a key part of our journeys in finding ourselves and becoming our true selves. Perhaps he feels the same.
The co-author of the book said that he immediately noticed the longer hair as part of Tyler's changed image. The book is a very good read even for non-cycling fans.
Who knows, maybe he'll keep growing it all the way out!
The Secret Race
I was an avid cyclist back in the 70s and early 80s.
I no logner ride, too many lunatics on the road, too many bikes being stolen. Too many drivers who are careless about opening doors, complaining about bikes on the road, etc.
I was extremely disapppointed to hear about Armstrong and the doping charges.
One thing that always puzzled me about Armstrong is why he
didn't take his own sample, have it independently tested to
compare to the official results (maybe his guilt is why he didn't do that?)
I'm especialy disappointed in this since in the early 80s
we built a human powered vehicle to challenge the land speed
record at the time for a human powered vehicle. (No we didn't break it although we came close.)
Tyler Hamilton has a presence on facebook with his coaching business. I asked if the longer hair signified his new self and he liked my post. I'd take that to mean that he has indeed grown his hair as a sign of his change.
"...for many of us becoming longhairs was a key part of our journeys in finding ourselves and becoming our true selves..."
*****************
Over the years of being an active member of this community, I have seen so many guys of all ages truly develop their ideals, values, morals and personalities while on the longhair journey. Long hair appearance is only a small part of our experience.
To quote "Book" of the Serenity Series:
"...The journey is the worthier part...."
******************
Thanks for bringing this point to the board, Jason
In June, 2,000 my wife and I were driving a rental car in the foothills of the Pyrenees in Southern France on a steep windy road. We came upon the pack of race bikers on the Tour de France. There were more cars and trucks closely following behind the pack with camera gear than the actual bikers themselves. We pulled over for a half hour to let the parade of bikes and vehicles pass. Don’t recall seeing any ponytails under the helmets. Some must have used stimulants to cycle so fast up the steep grade.
Don
Hey Jason,
Growing my hair out has been a significant part of my journey. I feel more confident in my own identity. I feel that I have claimed my long hair as part of my identity and, for the most part I am accepted and respected and loved for who I am. Being a londhair is part of who I am. As my hair gets longer I rejoice in it and others just accept and appreciate that being a longhair is part of who I am. There are some, who make negative comments about my hair, however, these are becoming fewer and fewer. When a negative comment is made about my hair I feel a distain for the comment, not the person who made it. I feel a sadness that such a comment betrays a "small mindedness".
Raymond
Years ago there were negative comments about my hair. Now that
i'm 58 years old those comments have all but disappeared. At the
age of 58 i'm now that eccentric 58 year old man who has long hair,
always wears shorts (even in winter), and wears what he wants when he wants no matter what other people think. It's one of the great things about getting old. Nobody can tell me how to wear
my hair, what I can and can't wear.
It's been a number of years now since the last complaint about my
hair. So for this long hair it's great to get old and eccentric.