The inevitable haircut finally came a week ago. The last time I had a haircut was in May and so by the time I went to see my barber Gopal, I already looked like a longhaired bum/hermit. In the twenty-five years that I have known him there were only two occasions when someone else cut my hair, once when I moved and the other time when I was in the UK. So, that was the first time he saw my hair that long. I took a picture of myself before the haircut and thought it best to keep it private. Hideous is the word to describe the image. But, I’ll be posting pictures sporting my new haircut in the next few days. I want to include my children in the photo sessions, as my fight is also a fight about their future.
The reaction from the people who for months saw me around town with the long hair was rather interesting. I got a lot of compliments and words of encouragement urging me on with my fight. One lady bookseller at Barnes & Noble even said that by the way I look, verdicts will certainly be handed down in my favor. An acquaintance that I knew before my adventures failed to recognize me more than once until I had my haircut. One librarian, who I thought was funny said, “you’ll definitely be able to fool the jury”. Off course, she was being facetious. I think what she meant was, the jury will be more receptive to my message because my haircut makes me look competent.
Appearances count for much in our society. That is why it is important to present your best self every moment it is practicable. If you are not able to speak to the person observing you, the only impression that could be made about you is based solely on your appearance. People have latent prejudices based on any number of things. And we are largely averse to unwholesome images and situations, particularly on the issue of homelessness. Granted, there are many people who are living on the streets because of their own failure to develop life skills. But, I would wager that if we were to get a homeless person and give him or her a makeover like we see on television shows, they’d be able to get a job. Whether they keep the job is another issue entirely. Some of these homeless individuals reject responsibility and do so proudly. “Why would I pay rent when they could live outdoors?”, they ask me. I’m studying this interesting puzzle and will be posting some of my ideas in the future.
