new thread
You may remember that I posted that I was going to have my head shaved for charity. Well, it didn't happen that night, but it did finally happen on April Fools Day.
I raised over 3600 dollars to have my head shaved for charity, including 700 in the last half hour. When the time came, 60 people cheered me on as they watched 2 and a half feet of hair come off my head, carefully laid aside for Locks of Love. I even went so far as to make the first cut myself; with a trembling hand, I held the clippers to the front of my hand and buzzed off the long hair at the front, which I used to brush back to cover my balding scalp. with just a few swipes, 2 foot long strands came off easily to reveal what I would have looked like in a few years if I kept the hair. I have to say that the bald top with long sides looked stupid, so I was glad to feel those clippers buzzing off the rest. I also decided to let them take off my bushy beard so to make a completely clean start. In a matter of 2 minutes, it was over. Years of growth were gone in 2 minute. I was left with only eyebrows. I went home and looked in the mirror to survey the damage. They left patches of beard and missed a spot behind my left ear, so I took my beard trimmer and sheared off those last long strands. I then applied shaving lather to my face and head and shaved myself clean.
The result? I absolutely love it. I'm sorry it took me so long to do it. So I guess I wasn't a true longhair at heart. It's also weird looking in the mirror and seeing no hair or beard but a really hairy chest. I also noticed that I have sprouted a lot of back hair, something I never noticed before. Also, the 20 extra pounds I've put on in the past year are more noticeable to me now. So, despite being, furry, and bald, I'm getting a lot of attention from females who want to rub my head. Maybe I'll get back to the gym, then have my back and chest shaved. The other fun part was walking into work yesterday and today and watching jaws drop and eyes pop. Oh, and everyone seems to enjoy rubbing my rub; I can't say I don't enjoy it.
I'm going to keep my head shaved for a while, but I think I'll grow a goatee to go with it. So, here's where we part company guys. I can't see me ever having long hair again. It was fun for a while, but now this is a new me, and I'm motivated to get in shape and move up in my life. Thanks to all who encouraged me to follow my heart. And for that Hair Religion guy: I read your advice, but I didn't take it. I can see how someone who loves their hair to the point of making a false idol of it and forming a religion around it would be against any organization that had anything to do with haircutting, but 2 charities benefitted from my headshaving, and that is a feeling far more satisfying than I ever could imagine if I'd kept my hair. Who knows, I may meet the woman of my dreams looking like this now, and my entire destiny could changed. You never know.
Thanks again, guys, and goodbye and good luck.
Bald and Happy,
BALDwin (formerly Goodwin--actually, that is my real name, so I guess I can't really change it.)
What is the purpose of making such a point of telling us this? Hoping that we might follow your social example? Too bad, it won't work.
>> And for that Hair Religion guy: I read your advice, but I didn't take it. I can see how someone who loves their hair to the point of making a false idol of it and forming a religion around it would be against any organization that had anything to do with haircutting, but 2 charities benefitted from my headshaving, and that is a feeling far more satisfying than I ever could imagine if I'd kept my hair.
Well, it's nice that you THINK that your hair MIGHT be used to make a cosmetic change for someone, guess we'll (you'll) never know!
Of course I love my hair, it's part of my body, so your opinion on it is worth squat.
As for making a "false idol" out of my hair, it sounds like you have bought into someone's version of an imaginary god and possess a barely functional understanding about religions, their gods, beliefs, history and psychology.
If you had bothered to take even a glimpse of my site you would see that your ideas of my "religion" and position on "anything to do with haircutting" are amazingly incorrect. (ahh, bothersome details!)
You bet those "charities" benefitted but we'll never know just how since they don't disclose their financial activities. If it makes you feel so great then just keep telling yourself what you want to hear, just take your L.O.L. nonsense somewhere else.
Sounds more like a sick freak show where people are paying out money to get someone to cut off their hair...and the person cutting their hair doesn't even get any...and knows it!
Anyone who would turn their hair into a cult has no tolerance for other peoples views. I enjoyed my long hair for a time, but that time has passed, and if getting rid of my long hair benefitted other people, then so much the better.
I am HAPPILY going away, as you suggested, if staying means associating with people like you. I'm sorry that you can't just be happy for me and wish me good luck. Cutting my hair has made me and countless others happy. Holding on to your hair has only made YOU miserable.
Explain how my hair resembles a cult.
Do you know what a cult is?
Explain how your own religious beliefs do not resemble a cult.
Describe how on my website and in all my postings on this board I demonstrate a lack of tolerance for anyone other than those trying to tell us longhairs how good it is to have short hair as opposed to the long hair like we have.
You presume to know me? How internet of you.
Why should we wish you luck when you come on here and make such a demonstration of how you got rid of your long hair and are so glad that you did? Did you not realize that this is a support board for long hair? What did you think we would say? Yay, away with long hair?
Who specifically (beyond your imagination) besides yourself has been made happy by your losing your hair? The people giving money for you to get rid of your hair? I think that they got more a sense of satisfaction that they gave money are such good people for doing so. Was it the "charity"? Maybe. You just gave them free product that they can turn into cash (if it's good enough not to throw away); they certainly don't make wigs out of MOST of what they get (they even admit that). Was it people who get the wigs? You don't and won't even know if they will ever get even a strand of your hair for reasons already mentioned. So, who are all these people who are getting all this happiness out of your act of destroying your hair?
Not that I care what you do but to come on here and make such a smug announcement of it goes against the spirit of this board.
And how the heck do you come to the brilliant conclusion that my hair has somehow made me miserable? Could you come up with a more unintelligent comeback?
At least, that's what YOUR paranoia will tell you.
I did something good for both myself and for others, and you see nothing but EVIL in it. Misanthropes like you shouldn't even be allowed to be on the internet.
Paranoia, is that your professional opinion of a handfull of sentences on an internet chat board? Or just the desperate insults of someone with no good input for a board that seems contrary to his personal decision?
I don't see the presence of evil in anything, evil doesn't exist!
So, the rightous one has has spoken! Why shouldn't I be allowed on the internet? Who are the people who should be allowed on the internet?
What other things should some people not be allowed to do? Why should you be the one to decide this?
It you are truly a man of the cloth, of the Universal Life church, then you would just wish me good luck and send me on my way. Instead, you choose to be argumentative and devisive. I feel sorry for you. I'm not even reading your responses at this point--they are not the words of a man of the cloth, and man of peace and encouragement. That is what ministers are supposed to be, even Universal Life ministers--a friend of mine got a Univeral Life ordination from responding to an ad in Rolling Stone Magazine. I'm just deleting your messages and responding anyway.
Good luck with your hair and your religion, man. I hope it gives you the fulfillment you seek. I'm happy with my decision; just be happy for me, wish me well, and send me on my way.
>>It you are truly a man of the cloth, of the Universal Life church, then you would just wish me good luck and send me on my way. Instead, you choose to be argumentative and devisive. I feel sorry for you. I'm not even reading your responses at this point--they are not the words of a man of the cloth, and man of peace and encouragement. That is what ministers are supposed to be, even Universal Life ministers--a friend of mine got a Univeral Life ordination from responding to an ad in Rolling Stone Magazine. I'm just deleting your messages and responding anyway.
Do you know anything about the ULC? How can you define anything for me because of my association with the ULC?
I think that you can go on your way all by yourself, you've even said a few times that you were leaving but just keep posting and throwing personal insults at me. Is that a demonstration of how a "man of somebody's cloth" should act? What do you expect?
Please heap you pity on me I need you sorrow so much, it will help me to be just like you (at which point you will be satisfied?).
How do you delete my messages on this kind of board and why, are you scared to read them? It would do you good to examine them and if you are able to actually respond to what I have asked you in them. Otherwise you are just spouting verbal vomit.
For someone who keeps insulting me and typing condencending remarks toward my character I am befuddled as to why you need me to "send you on your way". Now GIT! How's that?
You will get no well wishes from someone who you've called paranoid, a fanatic, a cultist, a coward, a misanthrope, accused of doing things that haven't been done, rejected, implied that is in need of charity, said lacks good reason, said is intollerant of other people, said is miserable, said does things so they can feel superior, said you fell sorry for, whose messages you are deleting AND who you state shouldn't be allowed on the internet...all within about an hour.
What DO you expect?
My purpose was that others here encourages me to follow my heart, and I am posting here to follow up and to thank them. I would never impose my personal beliefs on others. You cannot possibly say the same for yourself.
I did glimpse at your site, and as I said, I rejected what you had to offer. Nothing personal, but just because YOU write something down doesn't mean it's right. And so what if the charity uses my donations for operation? ALL charities have operating expenses. I had thought about cutting my hair anyway, so why shouldn't others benefit from it? I have done charitable work all my life anyway--I'm communicating with YOU, aren't I/
It took guts to do what I did; it only takes cowardice to publicly criticize it anonymously. But, as I said, I expected this reaction out of you. Thanks for not disappointing. You obviously believe that my sole purpose of posting here was to get YOU personally to cut off all your hair. You've allowed your personal paranoia to overcome all good reason and take my post to EVERYONE here to be a personal affront to YOU. I just realized that I am wasting my time trying to convince a paranoid fanatic otherwise, so I'll just leave now while still ROTF and LMAO at you.
>>I would never impose my personal beliefs on others. You cannot possibly say the same for yourself.
Do explain, please include quotes from my site and previous posts to back this up.
>>I did glimpse at your site, and as I said, I rejected what you had to offer. Nothing personal, but just because YOU write something down doesn't mean it's right. And so what if the charity uses my donations for operation? ALL charities have operating expenses. I had thought about cutting my hair anyway, so why shouldn't others benefit from it? I have done charitable work all my life anyway--I'm communicating with YOU, aren't I/
What was I offering other than time tested advice?
What did I write that was not "right"?
Who said anything about the "charity" using the money for it's operations? It gets tax free donations from people for that too.
As I said before, if it rings your bell do it, just don't do it because you were blatently or very subtly convinced to do it.
Charitable work is good...at least that which you know that your efforts and resources are getting to the people who actually need it.
>>It took guts to do what I did; it only takes cowardice to publicly criticize it anonymously. But, as I said, I expected this reaction out of you. Thanks for not disappointing. You obviously believe that my sole purpose of posting here was to get YOU personally to cut off all your hair. You've allowed your personal paranoia to overcome all good reason and take my post to EVERYONE here to be a personal affront to YOU. I just realized that I am wasting my time trying to convince a paranoid fanatic otherwise, so I'll just leave now while still ROTF and LMAO at you.
And your self praise is the real reason you did it, eh? I didn't criticize you for thinking that you were doing charitable work, I did take issue with your taste in coming onto a long hair support board and making such a point about getting rid of all your hair and loving it more than having long hair and going on about how such "good" causes need it. Like we are at all interested in something like that. Don't you think that if it were just about charitable work that longhairs would rather do something else that didn't involve shaving off all their hair? I like how you mentioned the beard part too as there are a number of guys here that have expressed their love for beards.
Yeah, you won't be disappointed in this kind of reaction because you knew full well where you were, how we view hair and the kind of reaction you would get even before you posted. Thanks for thinking so much of us.
Paranoia nothing! I get people on a regular basis trying to convince me to donate my hair away using the same kind of "suggestive" ways that you have done. When you say that "I am wasting my time trying to convince a paranoid fanatic otherwise" have you not just told us what we already knew?
...with a 10 foot pair of scissors--er--I mean "pole."
well, while *I* personally think Long Hair looks better and is more natural, and personally i feel even SOME longhair is better then being completly bald (hey i'm slighly balding myself and i don't plan on cutting)
BUT
if YOUR happy with your new look then thats good, i'm happy for you, if you werent happy with Longhair you should do what makes YOU happy because after all it's YOUR hair
i just don't think many people on this board are the type that would follow your example of a shaved head :-)
also be carefull about those charities like "locks-of-love", most of the time the hair dosent even end up being a wig given to people in need, a lot of times it gets SOLD or even DISCARDED
personally I would never cut my hair short/buzzed/shaved, but if he wants to more power to him. different strokes for different folks.
It's nice to know some people support my decision. As I said, it was my choice, and I would never force it on anyone. I obviously like long hair, or I would have never grown it. It's just that, for me personally, I feel that its time has come and gone. Some people here just can't seem to accept that, and feel the need to ridicule and belittle just so THEY can feel superior.
Thanks, jOE! I always felt that longhairs were gentle, peace-loving beings--for the most part.
Gee, sounds just like what I said but minus the details. Go back and read my posts in this thread, you will find it a couple of times.
So what is the issue you have with me?
You know, if you scroll down to the bottom portion of the board you will read my response to your post which was a single sentence giving helpful advice to someone (you) with doubts having to do with the issues of this particular board and the decision they were considering.
Then after lavishing praise on yourself for ditching your hair you had to say in response to my simple but helpful information, "I can see how someone who loves their hair to the point of making a false idol of it and forming a religion around it would be against any organization that had anything to do with haircutting,".
This is ALL your fault, why don't you own up to it? You didn't need to rip on me that way. Nor did you need to make such inaccurate statements about me and my support for longhairs. After numerous insults and mischaracterizations you try to say, just be nice. What is your deal?
I have to admit that this sort of thing is a necessary burden to bear from time to time on chat boards, there always seems to be someone who will do something strange (like go on a board where guys are trying to grow their hair long and tell them how he cut his hair and loves it shaved) and then start calling you names if you respond in a way that doesn't seem to stroke them. They also ALWAYS avoid the questions that you pose them in response to bizarre things that they say about you, the topic, what you've posted, others who share your views.
We've seen it before, we're seeing it now and we'll see it again.
Thank you for your kind reply. It is much nice than the one the other guy gave me.
I would never impose my values on someone else. I'm only posting this here because this worked for me.
I understand about Locks of Love, but since the hair was cut anyway, it would have been discarded anyway. At least this way, there is a chance of it being used for good, rather than ending up in the garbage. 2 charities benefitted, and I got the haircut I had been planning on anyway.
I enjoyed having longhair for 8 years, but since I am balding, my longhair time has passed and it is time to move in a new direction. While this is my personal view, I understand that others may not hold the same, and I only hope that they would wish me well.
As for others following my example of a shaved head--I HOPE not! I want everyone to follow their own examples and pursue your own dreams. I would never impose my own personal mores of anyone, and I hope that others here feel the same way.
So, thank you once again to everyone who encourages me to follow my heart, and thank you once again for your kind words, Cactus Jack.
Goodwin (now Baldwin) Actually, my name IS Goodwin, so I guess I can't really change it.
I see a rather nasty little argument going on here. Well this is my view. It was your hair so it's entirely up to you what you do with it. If it makes you happy then that is all that is important. I personally wouldn't ever take part in such an activity, but that is my decision.
Good luck with your new image Goodwin!
Yeah, kind of sucks doesn't it? I'm afraid that the nastiness is on his part though, right from the first post of the thread. You are saying the same thing that I have said more than once so everyone already knows my position on hair.
Quite...
I commented at the time that Goodwin should check out some of the comments on Locks of Love. I remain sceptical about them and their motives - and extremely distrustful of the motives of those who would persuade someone to cut their hair for "charity." It smacks too much of (un)subtle manipualtion.
However, if someone chooses to change their image then so be it - it's entirely up to them. If I started losing my hair, I'd cut it short. I don't like long hair when it's thinning out. That's my choice. Fortunately, my genes have decided otherwise...
Geez, the more you go on, the less interested I am in anything you say. Let it go! No one died over this....and thank god you still have your hair!
And as far as LOL....what do you think those wigs are made of....straw?
Chill out
Yes he does go on doesn't he? But in his post said that he shaved his hair off.
Well, I suppose that he thinks that they get made out of his own hair. Synthetic fibers aren't straw but they aren't real hair strands either. L.O.L. claims to make some real hair wigs for some little girls but gives those few kids who do get a wig and are under 6 synthetic fiber wigs (see that info on their own website). And since
L.O.L. only uses about 3% of the hair they get for wigs while the rest goes into their pocket or in the trash, it seems like a rather iffy cause, wouldn't you say?
Yeah, I wish he would have, he really slung a lot of mud at me unnecessairly.
Well, then I guess you weren't that 'attached' to it...
Have you realized yet that you came on a longahir board, specifically designed to support longhair, and practically told us to shave our heads? Wow. I mean, I'm glad that you're happy and you feel your life is turning around, but I hope you realize I never plan on shearing off my locks and I can bet you about no one else here does either. So why drag out such a post? To me, your post sounded as if to swerve me and coax others that if they are sorta-balding that they should donate their hair and will instantly have a new start in life.
Now, I want to belive that didn't mean this, but that's very hard when you lash out and slander Hair Religion and make a few contradictory statements to how said you feel. I side with Hair Religion on this one. Does that make me "paranoid" like how you claim him to be? Heh, I guess that would mean everyone on this board who doesn't shave their head and won't is paranoid? I think not.
Basically, your subsequent replies made me question your true intent.
And why the hell are you coming back here? You shaved your longhair off and don't want it anymore. Go away already. I'm guessing you lament this decision after you figured out L.O.L. isn't as sweet as you thought. This would only prove Hair Religion correct even more, as you probably did it for a false feeling of happiness that some kid may or may not get your hair. Perhaps if you would be slightly more open-minded, you would have seen this.
I hope you don't reply to me with one of those psuedo-friendly replies. You know you truely wanted to flame others that disagreed with you but figured out they made more sense than you.
- Brion
Congratulations on your sacrifice that as a result is going to help children.
I am considering having my own waste long hair publicly shaved bald for charity, especially if I can have it done by a barber who does those marine corps boot camp cuts. ( Just kidding ... or am I ? ).
In spite of a few questionable comments made in this thread, I hope you will continue to be supportive of those here who cringe at the mention of the words " BARBER SHOP ", and I hope that they too will respect your decision to say goodbye to your girly locks.
How one wears their hair, be it past their knees or "nair-ed " should be a matter of personal choice.
While there are those here and elsewhere who will never part with their long locks, I'm also sure that there will be some who may indeed choose to follow in your footsteps. It is nice however knowing that for those who may decide to receive what IMO is the best haircut ever ( The BALDY ) that something good can come out of a date with an electric hair clipper, a can of shaving cream, and a razor.
BTW, if you ever choose to, at a growth rate of 1/2 inch per month, you could possibly be looking like you did before somewhere's in the year 2008.
Anyhow, regardles of the future of your hair, at least you can say that you have had the courage to do something that many here would not.
Sit in a chair and tell a barber ... " TAKE IT ALL OFF ".
Just in case you didn't spell it wrong on purpose, I think the phrase "waste long hair" is quite fitting here.
You are talking about your hair, right? Might wanna let the barber know before he gets any ideas.
If you were serious about this, you would grow out your hair again, and in a few years raise another $3600 for your charity! That's my standard response when anybody says they cut their hair for charity or for Locks of Love. If that were the real reason for cutting, it just seems obvious that they would start growing it again for a future 'harvest' for their charity.
I raised over 3600 dollars to have my head shaved for charity, including 700 in the last half hour. When the time came, 60 people cheered me on as they watched 2 and a half feet of hair come off my head, carefully laid aside for Locks of Love.
The amount of money you raised is highly commendable - the cash is more important than the hair will ever be when it comes to Locks of Love - congratulations for not being one of those people who shaved it off for peanuts.
And for that Hair Religion guy: I read your advice, but I didn't take it. I can see how someone who loves their hair to the point of making a false idol of it and forming a religion around it would be against any organization that had anything to do with haircutting...
The above, however, was unnecessary. Hair Religion's site is a good resource for all longhairs and I enjoy reading his contributions to the board. Your verbal assault is completely unwarranted.
Enjoy your new look - I wish you all the best.
I re-read my original post and feel that I may have been too abrupt with you. I apologize for that. I was making a personal observation, and I did not intend to be obnoxious, but I have a habit of being direct and not seeing the consequences until later.
So, I'm sorry if my original post offended you. I can see why you were offended, and why you counter-responded as you did. Also, I did not post about my haircut to sway any converts. I just posted to follow up on previous posts.
I'm glad that I did what I did, but I wouldn't recommend it--only if someone really wanted to. No one should be forced. I look at my scalp now and realize that I'll probably be completely bald on top within a year anyway, so that made my decision easier. You, on the other hand, have great hair, and you can wear it however you want. I would never cut it if I were you, either. More power to you.
I'm not writing this to suck up to you; I just want to make peace and move on.
Peace.
Goodwin
Well, all right, I can deal with that. Thanks for saying so.
If you would have just said that you had cut your hair and were moving on I wouldn't have had anything to say about it, but I do stand up for myself.
Take care and remember to proofread before hitting the send button.
; )