The other day, I was thinking about bravery. What is being brave all about? Are we brave when we do something that might make people stare, such as having our hair cut startling short? Or is there more to bravery than that?
After pondering a few thoughts for a while, I headed to my front doorstep with my phone camera and made a vlog on this topic. Along the way, I told some stories about open casket funerals, disastrous haircuts, and lice.
Something Extra
In my vlog, I mentioned a blog post called Unschooling: Haircut Courage. It begins with these words:
When I asked the hairdresser to cut my hair short, I had a definite idea of what I wanted.
”I like Andrea’s hairstyle,” I said, mentioning the name of a well-known TV presenter. “Could you cut my hair like hers?” Andrea’s hair was short and bouncy. It brushed the tops of her ears. It was feminine. It also looked very easy to look after. That’s the sort of hairstyle I needed. With three young children, I wanted something that I could wash, air-dry, and then shake into position.
Natasha, my hairdresser, listened, and then she selected her scissors before launching them towards my head. The blades snipped and snapped, close to my scalp. Hair fell in clumps, covering the floor. Soon, it was all over. I stared into the mirror. Was that me? It certainly wasn’t Andrea…
You’ll find the answers to the bravery questions in my vlog, but you’ll also find them in this blog post!
Also, in my vlog, I talked about humour: sometimes making jokes helps us survive very difficult times. In my story, Giggling at Shocking Things, I share how I found some black humour during the dark bushfire days of summer 2019/2020.
I had my hair cut yesterday too! Twice. The first cut, I realized too late, was with a very inexperienced stylist. (We just moved to Florida from 43 years in Alaska and I didn’t do a very good job qualifying a stylist). So I told that stylist the cut was great, paid and left. Then I wandered around wondering who could fix this? I called a salon. No opening. I stopped by a salon. Too busy. And then i “happened” to wander into another salon. The stylist there was getting ready to leave but she showed me great compassion and corrected the cut. I cried. I told her it was probably really silly to cry and I must being so vain. But she was so sweet and showed me more compassion. What started out as a very difficult time ended up a huge blessing. And I found my new stylist. Praise the Lord. He cares about my hair too.
Kim,
It’s so good to connect with you! You’ve moved to Florida? That’s big news! Also, I imagine it’s a big change. Are you enjoying the warmer weather?
I’m so sorry the first hairdresser made a mess of your hair. And I’m glad you found someone to fix it and make you feel better! It’s amazing how our hair affects how we feel. I’m sure our last lockdown would have been easier to deal with if we could have had access to our hair salons. It’s not about vanity but just feeling presentable and confident. A hair cut can lift our spirits!
Kim, I hope you soon feel settled in your new home. May God bless you and your family!