I finally got a haircut.
Yes. After nearly four long years of enduring lectures on “how not to look like a hippie” from relatives during family reunions, dealing with the expense of having ample supply of hair care products, and being stereotyped as an artist-slash-rock star wannabe (which actually I will plead guilty to), I have decided to finally bid my hideously long curly locks farewell.
Actually, the decision to have them cut was made for me by the account I manage at work. I have an on going bet with my team that if they hit or exceed our contractual targets at any month end, I will head off to the barber and restore the old look I had when I first marched in as an applicant in the company.
It’s not so much of a surprise for people who have known me longer than four years, but for those who have only known the long haired me, I would have to admit I do get a kick out of seeing the shocked look on their faces when they are finally able to place and update my image headshot inside their heads.
Mostly people are quite astonished to see me clean cut tidy and formal. But unknown to most people, the new look I am sporting is actually a comeback.
To be quite honest about it, having long hair and the clothes that I usually wear to accompany it is actually totally out of character for me, especially considering my mom’s side of the family, the up bringing that I had, and that (hmm, how should I call it) “isolated phase” in my life.
The one trivia about me that never fails to leave some friends and acquaintances at work dumbstruck is the fact that I used to be a seminarian before entering a secular college. For some reason the idea that I have studied in a seminary for two years with the initial intention of becoming a pastor totally screws up their concepts of good and evil.
But like I mentioned, it’s not as surprising if you consider my roots. My mom’s side of the family is Protestant and extremely conservative. I was told that my grandfather from my mom’s side was at one time a pastor for a church. My dad on the other hand used to be a board member for a local congregation where I sometimes do lectures on basic Christian Ed.
To further mess with your heads, yes I actually have conducted some lectures in an actual church that was considered to be a real chapel service. The term they used for it was “preach”, but I don’t think I did that. Mine was more of a salvation stand up comedy routine, getting laughs at the pulpit while being ever mindful of the souls I had to reel in. If you’ve ever seen me teach or speak in public, just imagine that only with Bible references.
Modesty aside, I believe that I was actually pretty good at it. I’ve had speaking engagement invites from the church and have actually had at one point a doctor in the congregation come up to me after chapel service to commend me on how “blessed” he was to have attended my “unorthodox sermon method”.
When I left the seminary and went to study Behavioral Science at UST, I was a geek with large framed eye glasses. I maintained 2 x 3 inch haircuts and during break periods I would most often be spotted in the main campus library either studying for next period or scribbling down thoughts on a journal I always carried around. I didn’t hang around with the in-crowd for most parts in college.
But I was into rock music. So when classmates find out that I was in a band that played Jimi Hendrix covers and how at one point I even hosted an underground punk concert, I kind of get the same awestruck reaction I have from the people who still have trouble reconciling the idea that I was an ex-seminarian. Because for some of the people who knew me at that time, I was a stiff, poem writing, goodie goodie two shoe geek in formal leather shoes and eye glasses.
That was until I got involved in environmental activism, where I got into photography, mountaineering and diving. I still maintained short hair, but my taste in fashion totally regressed. But I’ll save that for a different article.
So, point is having had this hair cut and seeing the reaction I generate from it made me realize how I was able to somehow pull off playing both sides. Also, it made me realize that though I may not have a really cool life as compared to others, so far in my own standards, it’s been an interesting one.
Though nothing beats the convenience of not having to deal with maintaining long hair, I would have to be honest that I miss it sometimes. Due to the four years of conditioning I had dealing with long hair; it still takes me a while to recognize the stranger staring back at me when I look in the mirror. At one point I even had to get reacquainted with my own shadow. But I’m starting to get used to it and I’ll think I’ll maintain sporting the short hair for a while. My wife and daughter couldn’t be happier about my new-old look. And besides, I think I’ve had my fun.
