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I love my grandfather deeply, but I'm curious to why he always tells me "We need to get on that mop" meaning, we need to cut your hair... I'm not going to say hes stupid or anything, he was raised in the late 20's and early 30's, but when did someone in society make everyone think that long hair is something that is bad, or not accepted? He actually has some long hair himself, but its on the top of his head (he uses it as a comb over type thing). I cut his hair on a regular basis because he doesn't like it over his ears, but the top of his head, the hair reaches to his nose practically... I'm not going to insult him or anything, but I was just curious to how so many people are mislead or even misjudging what people want. I think he views long hair as being some what trashy, and I can see where he gets that from. We live in a VERY "hickish" town, and I admit, I don't like seeing some of the long hair people have around here... I'ts usually some uncombed thing that someone left on their head over the years but never gave it care. Could that be the reason he nags at me constantly?
I suppose it is like so many things that we are "handed" growing up. I was taught, growing up in Alabama, that black people were "dirty"; that gay people were "perverted"; that Catholics were "pagans"; that liberals were communists, ergo, "evil"; that women were inferior to men . . . and the list goes on. Of course, in the course of growing up and trying to find my own way, I found none of these to be true, in fact, most often, covers for what I did find to be true.
I accept that my elders were doing the best they could. I also accept that I don't have to accept what they handed me in the process. That you can be gentle in helping care for you grandfather and at the same time not accept what he says about your hair sounds like you are involved in the same process.
Robert
What I call it is "Stuck in his ways" and convincing him otherwise would probably be impossible. Just go on with your care and love for your grandfather and when he brings it up, just tell him you like it this way. I am sure he won't force it on you, just disagree with you. He's at least intitled to that the same as you are intitled to have your hair the way you want it. Life's not always fair, you know. Peace!
I know during the 60's it was considered rebellious to have long hair. He might have gotten his prejudice from that.
How cool that you cut you Grandad's hair, and he still wants to diss you about yours, that's called family. Don't give it a second thought, as others have said, it's just what they were raised with.
My (now) 97 yo Grandma didn't say much when I started to grow my hair long, but I got the idea she didn't like it. She told me it was "pretty", her diabolic way to get me to cut it, LOL. I told her my wife liked it and that was the end of that.
I farm her farm, prolly worried about what the friends and neighbors would think. Our town might be considered "hickish" my many, I don't know. We are in NW IL, nowhere near as hickish as further south. I experience no recriminations, that I know of, from having long hair. At least those that don't like it have the good manners to keep quiet since my choice is none of their business.
You are a good soul helping your Grandad, just keep on keeping on and loving him.
Best regards,
T
I do not have any evidence to support my theory, but I believe that the government was involved with hair lengths. Looking back into time, our government went through long hair then to short hair. The majority of people just plain and simply follow society. These values and beliefs are injected into our children from their parents. Most people do not question assumptions and opinions or can not determine them to be. The fact that there is conflict in our world displays our ignorance in the human race. It seems to be easier for people to look at others and say "That is wrong" or "That is not how I was raised" or "That is not what the majority of our society is doing". The list goes on and you get the jist. What many people fail to realize is that everything can be questioned. Look how many years it took for African-Americans to have equal rights. The many years of ignorance we displayed because their skin color is black and their hair is tightly curled. Differences are hard to accept by many, why? I really have no answer for that and if I did, our world would be closer to perfect. Unfortunately, it will probably take hundreds more years for the majority of our race to be "Critical Thinkers". Prejudice is not only limited to race and religion, but it still happens within the same two. "Control and Power" need to disappear before you will see any of these changes. I choose to question all assumptions and opinions, not just accept them and move on. We have not eliminated prejudice from our society. We tend to take care each of them only when it becomes necessary. Control and Power..remember these two words, for they answer many of these questions.
You are correct, the government did have much to do with hair length and it stemmed from the military. In the first world war hair length real became short for several practical reasons but did you know that the Gillette company started back then and invented a new razor which the army adopted as standard equipment? That is why (and when) the clean shaven face began to become the standard for men...because of a new product and the support of the armed forces.
Kind of like how the military helped out the cigarette companies by giving the WWII GIs smokes as part of their daily rations.
Hair length in modern society was "trimmed" to shape by modern warfare. War sucks for lots of reasons.