I know I have a big mouth and often run it when talking about topics that I, in fact, have no real personal experience with. Right now is not one of those times. I’ve got a whole three days’ worth of experience to talk about now, so listen up.
On Saturday April 5, I went to Fossil and got a haircut. Of course, it was free, and the spoils were donated. A whopping eight inches of my beloved mane was cut for the use of a cancer patient, and another two or so was martyred for the sake of styling. As a result, the hair that once nearly touched my elbows now sits on my shoulders. I don’t want to say that I feel naked, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that my back feels a bit vulnerable. If any of you have donated hair, you know what I mean; it’s a serious change.
I’m proud to report that I’ve received numerous positive responses from all sorts of classmates; some of who I’ve barely spoken to until now. I’m a bit more ashamed to say that I wasn’t exactly ecstatic from all the attention. When you change in all the small ways, like if you just went to the dentist and your teeth are all clean or you’re wearing those new jeans you bought yesterday, no one usually notices. We’re used to people not focusing on us, like we have things that are securely private. It’s like a security blanket, keeping our personal lives greatly separate from how our friends see us. Suddenly, when something great happens, like you get braces or cut off half of your hair, people see you. There’s a spotlight that’s much too bright and hot for comfort.
Like this happened to me, it will happen to everybody. Something will change, you’ll be changed and then you’ll have to deal with other people dealing with the change you just went through. I may have just described the whole of life right there; take notes everybody. It’s probably the greatest part about life, actually. Can you imagine what it would be like to experience no change? Despite how long the effects of the change last, whether it be one minute of laughter in a classroom after embarrassing yourself or a month of discomfort every time you try to reach up to twirl your hair only to find nothing, it’s what makes your life dramatic. Good or bad, change is what makes your life interesting. And it’s never a good idea to try avoiding life, especially if it’s because change is too frightening.
