Since shaving my head, I think the most staggering realization to date has been the astronomical number of times that I think about my hair over the course of a day. I hadn’t even realized that these thoughts existed as they were so engrained as part of my normal way of thinking…that was until I no longer had hair. Now these thoughts are magnified each and every time I have them, ad nauseam! But even more astounding, I now recognize how much my hair had influenced so many of my daily activities. Being bald has gotten a pretty bad wrap. Frankly, aside from looking a bit unusual or the having the occasional piece of lint from my towel lodge itself between the tiny stubble, I have found many positive aspects of living a life free of hair.
1. Water saver: Having little to no hair has made me more ecologically responsible. I timed it. 2 minutes and 58 seconds! After shaving my head, that was my total shower time from the moment I turned on the water until I was wrapped in my fluffy cotton towel. Initially, the time was so radically short in comparison to my usual shower times, that I didn’t feel clean. So, I washed my body twice – just to be on the safe side. Hugging trees is so passé. Instead, shave a head!
2: Shirt Saver: My morning customs are fairly routine. And, like a lot of women I know, getting dressed is the last item on the long list of my preparatory rituals. Using this particular order, I am faced with pulling my shirt over an already nicely coiffed head. So as not to muss my hair, I would have to stretch and contort the neck hole in such a way so that I could fit my head AND hair through it. Despite this acrobatic stunt, I would still be faced with fixing some part of my hair that inevitably got squished in the process. In addition, if the top was made of any fabric aside from 100% lycra, it would sag and gap at the neck. No more. I can pull shirts over my head with confidence. Even turtlenecks!
3. Nap without getting nabbed: I love napping…always have! However, working 12 plus hours a day made it virtually impossible to exercise that luxury in the past. But alas, on our trip, this is no longer an issue. Instead, my concern is guilt. Since the start of this trip, Gary has been the sole bread winner. Needless to say, this has taken some getting used to as I am a fiercely independent woman. While napping is a very natural human activity, I can not seem to get past the guilt I feel since he is out working hard while I am taking an afternoon siesta. So, if I chose to nap during the day, I can do so and not leave a single trace of bed head as evidence. In my previous life, my hair would mat down on one side and stick up in the back leaving visible signs of betrayal. Now I can nap without the guilt…well, without being caught. But I still need to work on those pesky bed sheet lines
4: Wind proof: Our trip recently took a slight detour and we ended up driving back though the Windy City. Although Chicago got its nick-name from the resident long-winded politicians of yesteryear, I have still always found the city to be a rather drafty one. On this particular day, I had noticed that most people’s hair was whipping wildly, dancing in the air as it swirled perilously. But I could walk, without worry, knowing that not a single strand was out of place. Frankly, there is no wind strong enough to have any impact on my hair. Because of this, people humor themselves whenever I sit in the back seat of their car. Invariably they always ask: “Do you mind if I roll down my window? I wouldn’t want to mess up your hair.” Huh…funny. But admittedly, while sitting in the backseat of a car with an open window, I can not begin to tell you how many times I had been blinded by my hair whipping into my eyes or had eaten a chunk of it as the wind skillfully maneuvered it into my mouth as I was speaking. No more!
5: Water proof: Recently, I had been invited out on a friend’s boat for an afternoon jaunt. As I had lived in a Marina community for most of my adult life, this was something I had done previously on numerous occasions. But this day was different. It wasn’t until this moment when I had realized how often I had held back from playing in the water, purposely avoiding getting my hair wet so I did not have to suffer the ugly consequences that would follow as it air dried. No more. This time I dove right in and playfully slapped water back and forth, living life unencumbered by the threat of bad hair.
6: Helmet head proof: Gary has the car most days which leaves me stranded in the RV. In an effort to gain more mobility I recently purchased a Yamaha Zuma scooter as my mode of transportation. Of course being a “safety first” kind of person, I also purchased a DOT approved helmet that feels like I am sporting a tiny pressure chamber on my head. Having been a Harley Chick many moons ago, I know that helmet head is virtually unfixable. But now, I need not even double check my appearance in the little round side mirrors of my Zuma. I whip off my pressure chamber, tuck it under my arm and head on my way with the utmost confidence that not a strand has been moved.
7: Evening out proof: I was having a clothing crisis for the first time since beginning our trip. Needless to say, when living in campgrounds in small towns around the country, there is little to no need to fancy oneself up. However, recently, I had a chance to visit with a girlfriend of mine, Tracy, for a fun filled girl’s-night-out. I must have changed my outfit no less than ten times, yanking and pulling the various dresses, shirts, and blouses over my head. But even with all of this, my hair (or whatever you care to call what I currently have) remained steadfast. And not a single fly-away!
8: Shopping spree proof: Just like being evening out proof, my hair also stands up to clothes shopping. Ok ladies, admit it! Hair never outlasts a shopping spree. But mine does now!
9: He loves me: Probably the best thing about not having hair is that it proves that my husband’s love for me is truly blind. While I appreciate all the kind (and perhaps overly gratuitous) compliments about how I can carry this look, no one has made me feel more beautiful than Gary. He can not hold my hand fast enough as we walk down the street together or gaze into my eyes long enough as though he is looking into the face of a supermodel. I never thought I would feel MORE beautiful being bald…but I do. Thanks, Gary!
You had me rolling on the ground!
Never thought about being bald in quite the way you have stated it.
You a braver person than me for going through all of this but it certainly is inspiring.
>;)
Love your site and we are proud of you! Keep in touch. P.S. We got rained on today on our Harley ride! Had a blast though! God Bless!