Why Did I Stop Cutting My Hair?

45^th class reunion just ahead, it’s been ten years now since I stopped cutting my hair. Some will be surprised and most won’t care, but one or two more curious types might wonder, so here it is: letting my hair grow was the only meaningful protest I could imagine at the time.

Just before the 911 disaster, I looked pretty much as in the photo on the left throughout the following four years, but finally couldn’t take it anymore - that is the national political climate.

Every day for four years, talking-head television monitors waxed about terrorists, homeland security, more terrorists, yet more terrorists and more homeland security- orange threat levels, red threat levels, etc- and nothing but.

While Rome was burning... ANYONE paying the least bit of attention could see real problems looming in finance, pension funds, infrastructure, health costs, education, drug use, prison sentencing, and whatnot, yet the nation at large could see nothing but mostly-imaginary terrorists 24/7.

But the Sixties were over, America lusted for war, and I grew my hair. Some things have changed since then, now it’s Gay Marriage and whatnot, I’m sure I will never cut my hair again...

And why should I? Historically, long hair often indicated royalty and holiness, while slaves, prisoners, defeated armies, and lower classes in general were often required to sport shaven heads.

And today - do you know why most men prefer short hair? It is because WW I trench warfare brought flea and lice infestations, prompting orders for short hair and establishing a military tradition that soon permeated masculine society. Come the 21^st Century, most men who don’t fear head lice but wear their hair short are consciously or unconsciously aping the masculinity of soldiers.

Johnny Cash had reasons for wearing black, and though I am surely no Johnny Cash, I understand the Man in Black's commitment.