Relative Something

The story of *this* John W. Hays and dreadlocks is one that I never considered until it actually happened. Who would ever imagine a man of my age, with marginally-able hair features, doing something so silly?

2008, before dreadlocks

It started back in December of 2008, about the time when I would normally cut off my long hair anyway, on my cycle of letting it grow long and then cutting it all off every 3 years or so. I was preparing to go on the 3-week trek in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. I mentioned to Cyndie, who loves my hair long, that I would probably cut it all off before the trip. She wondered aloud about the possibility of dreadlocks. Yeah, right. Me with dreadlocks. Ha! Really?

When both of our children offered their support for the idea, I agreed to make an appointment to discuss the possibilities with a professional salon, skilled in the art of creating dreadlocks. Carol, at Hair Police, Minneapolis’ best hair salon, assured me that she could pull it off without bringing any of my worst fears to life. It was close. But she did, indeed, pull it off. Over time, with Cyndie’s artful handiwork and incredible patience, we maintained them over two years and two international travel excursions.

I was able to avoid them becoming too unruly, so as to be presentable in work or other formal situations. It was a delight. Never in my life have I had so many people compliment my choice of hairstyle. I was a rock star without being a rocker, or a star. I will miss the strangers telling me, “Nice hair, dude!”

Just like all the times before, eventually, I reach a point where I miss being able to NOT have hair on my neck all the time. I become ready for a change. I usually need to verbalize, multiple times, that I have reached this point, for Cyndie to have time to reconcile the end is near. I love her dearly for the times she talks me through the occasions where I think I am ready to bail on the whole thing, only to find it was temporary angst speaking. Eventually, she senses when my comments indicate the time is really here.

I will admit to the possibility that she just lets me think it’s on my timing. It could very well be that she senses when the time is right, because she is the one deciding when that time is.

It was just a few days ago that she said she would cut them for me. We both agreed that the first of the year seemed like a good time for it. I don’t have any big travel plans on my horizon. I don’t have any reason NOT to cut them off now. I had thought I would cut them off when I got back from Nepal in 2009. Now is a good time. I am definitely ready to have short hair for a while again. Man, I love the feeling of rubbing my hand on the short nubs after all these years of not being able to.

I will miss my dreadlocks a lot. I will thoroughly enjoy not having them, too.