So I haven't written in a while, but this is something that I've been meaning to write for a while, so please bear with me.
Recently I cut my hair. Like, really cut my hair. I had had long, shaggy hair for about the past decade, and then one night decided to cut it all off. Most of the reaction was positive, and I think that most people like the new look. Although I did have a mother's friend tell me last weekend at a wedding that she was disappointed because she couldn't make fun of me anymore. But the most common reaction I got, besides shock and awe, was "don't you miss it/feel weird/feel not like yourself?".
It's an interesting perspective, and it has taken me quite a while to get used to having short hair. And at first, yea, it felt a little weird. I'm not sure how much my longer hair tied into my identity, but it definitely did, in good ways and bad. For example, I could go out to bars with friends and be the guy with long hair. Which was usually a good thing, because generally people will tell you they love your hair, and not discuss it if they really hate it. Then again, anytime I had to dress up and go somewhere nice, I would stand out as the guy who obviously never dresses up because look at that shaggy mane.
This is all coming from a pretty real place. I liked being able to stand out, and although I genuinely did like having long hair, it didn't hurt that it set me apart. Conversely, it was frustrating sometimes to try and go out, or even to job interviews, and not be taken seriously just because my hair was a little bit shaggier than others. That being said, I still feel great, and even mostly like myself with short hair.
I only say mostly only because my hair was almost my "signature" for a long time. Whether people were giving me a hard time or scratching my head, I feel like generally people enjoyed the hair, or couldn't have cared less about it. It was a calling card, so to speak, and now that is gone, but I don't think in a bad way.
Yea, I was the guy with the hair for a long time, and it was great. I certainly wouldn't trade any of it for the world. But now I have short hair, and sure enough, I'm pretty much the same guy. Plus, I still have my shaggy beard, so I'm not too clean cut yet.
