Follicles

it's been a long time coming.

when you're young, you think you're going to be forever blessed.

case in point...

backup shooting guard, united rice packing. fourth grade.


and, of course, who can forget

backup midfielder, lewis village under 16 soccer?


yes, once upon a time, i had Mighty Ringlets. proudly conditioned with Aussie 5 minute miracle, airdried and picked out each morning to maximum sproing. worn both with and without a home made headband. (mostly without, thank god.)

it was a blessing and a curse. old ladies alternately complimented me on my shiny tendrils and mistook me for a girl. the shampoo bills strained my parents' budget.

but i'd be lying if i said i wasn't happy with what i had.

and then one day, one dark day, my Shirley Temple Head up and disappeared. almost overnight, it settled into a sort of a clump.


don't get me wrong, though. there was movement. slowly, slowly, slowly things began to retreat in the power alleys just above my temples. my already sizable forehead decided to stake bolder new claims closer and closer to the top of my bean.

and then, almost as suddenly, things settled quietly into a holding pattern. as in the same hair levels and same cut - regardless of stylist - for years and years. as you can see when you compare these two photos, one taken when the boys were born in december 2001 and one screwing around with bb in july of this year, things are basically the same.



i mean, these days, i look like a bitter old man with cobwebs where his insides should be - but from the eyes up, things have basically been holding the same ground.

until recently.

recently, whether i've been basking in post-haircut bliss or overgrown shag, there's been a constant source of concern.

the fact that you can see through the muff to my scalp.

brutal, but true.

i'm a big boy. i dealt with it. i modified the manner in which i applied my murray's pomade. i twisted. i patted.

eventually, when i realized that i had fallen into a pattern of pomade application that included a modified combover up front, i decided to throw in the towel and undergo a bold experiment.

a co-worker had the clippers. i had the head. we came to an agreement. we would use the number 2 setting and i would see what we ended up with.


honestly? i kind of like it. i like the way it looks and i like the fact that, unlike a lot of guys who lean on the clippers, i don't really truly 100% need to do it just yet. i have the option of growing things back out.

but i don't think i'm going to.

the boys like it. the baby can't stop rubbing it. mrs b didn't yell at me. i've been told i look 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter. and not by someone trying to sell me something.

so? now i need you to tell me what you think. honestly.

and not just about that totally fucking bizarre basketball picture. (but feel free.)