Technically I didn’t shave it, my partner did. (Don’t worry, it was a choice I made, not some cruel prank pulled on me in the middle of the night.) Women have been shaving their heads for various reasons for centuries, so this act is far from unique or revolutionary on a large scale, but it feels revolutionary in my one little life.
My reasons for doing this are boring, really. I was tired of my hair. It was bugging me. And it was everywhere. I have also uttered the phrase, “Ugh I’m going to shave my head,” hundreds of times over the years but never considered actually doing it until recently. I made a post on facebook about it, asking people to talk me out of it, and was surprised by how many people commented, not to talk me out of it as I had asked them to do (they never listen) but encouraging me to do it.
My niece texted, “Let’s do it together!”
Another friend advised, “I think everyone should shave their heads at least once in their lives. It’s so liberating.”
I responded to my niece, something like, “Eek! Let’s talk more about this later!”
We did not talk about it again until the next morning, when she sent me a photo of her newly shaved head and smiling face.
“I feel beautiful and happy,” she said. And I thought, That’s so cool and also, Shit. I have to do it…
