Chop Chop
☆ February 21, 2012
I cut off all my hair! It’s been about two weeks and I was going to wait to post about it until I had a photo but we all know how often I take candids of myself, so you’ll have to wait. It looks like a cross between THIS and THIS.
While this massive chop was a shock to the good people of Wyoming who have only known me with long hair, it’s back to normal for me and I love it ~ I’ve rocked a pixie cut for most of the last fifteen years. I was kind of growing it out when I set out on my Vespa ride and when I settled in Wyoming I thought, why not go all the way and grow my hair down my back like a proper milkmaid.
And long hair was a fun experiment until it just wasn’t fun anymore. Long hair is a pain. Literally ~ there were moments every night when I’d attempt to roll over but would roll onto my hair, halting the rotation of my head and waking myself up in pain and annoyance. It took four full hours to dry; it got caught in barbed wire way too many times to be a funny country anecdote.
Long hair would be awesome if I were a medieval princess and had several handmaidens who would brush it and braid it with jewels, but I’m not and I got sick of how much time I had to spend fussing with my hair so off it went. (I also think it’s karmically weird to have that much of one’s past attached to oneself. Not that it’s a bad thing ~ some people handle it incredibly gracefully but I am not one of those people.)
You know you’re in a small town when your haircut is the big news. I ran into one woman this weekend who shrieked in delight and said, “Oh, it’s YOU!” and went on to explain she had just seen the other EMT whose name starts with “S” and was puzzled that her hair was still long and, when questioned, that woman said, “well, I cut my son’s hair, maybe that’s what you heard?” The game of telephone lives on.
The common reaction I’ve caught is that people seem genuinely surprised that they like it. Short-short hair is simply not seen on females between the ages of 6 and 60 around here. One sweet Mormon mother did look at me in absolute dismay, and I could tell she was thinking, “now how are you ever going to marry and have children if you don’t have your long hair??”
Mike, too, had never known me with anything but long hair, a fact I rather forgot as it seems like we’ve known eachother for ages. He loved it immediately. The other day I was standing in the snow waiting to feed cows, no makeup, hair pointing everywhere, puffy winter clothes, and Mike walked up and said, “You look so sexy with short hair.” (I looked decidedly un-sexy.) He went on, “You look so defiant and confident.” And that is why I hope to know him for a few ages more.
Comments
89 Responses to “Chop Chop”
Leave a Reply
Tweets
Pages
Categories
Archives
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:44 am
Love this post! I thought cutting off two inches was drastic for myself ;). I’m sure the short ‘do looks great and it sounds like it fits you! Enjoy the short locks!
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:52 am
Years ago I cut all my hair off (it was a few inches above my waist) and I have never stopped loving the freedom. Faster shampoo and dry, less trouble and yep, I (and no one else!) rolls over on my hair. I totally get this and look forward to a picture.
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:54 am
You are awesome Shreve and I bet you look beautiful!
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:12 am
You have thick hair and that helps with a short style. I’m going back to a longer style even though I think it makes me look older than I already am. Opposite to your experience, short hair was tons of work for me as I had to curl it etc. every day and it would end up wilting and looking flat anyway. Now I’m planning on a perpetual pony tail, well more pig tail size with my fine hair. Shaving it all off would be the better option and sometime before I die I’m going to try that.
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:17 am
I have done the same thing in the past, the difference in the weight alone is amazing if your hair is thick. One doesn’t often think about how much hair weighs.
It’s a great feeling of freedom!
Looking forward to a picture.
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:18 am
i too tried long hair but after my first son was born in the mid 80’s and the only thing i did was sleep and nurse, fussing with my hair was the least of my worries so off it came..and has been short ever since. the Wyoming wind is my stylist and it is great!!!
can’t wait to see your new look!
thanks for sharing
peace
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:33 am
as someone who has been rockin’ a short hair style for most of my adult life, i welcome you back to the freedom and joy of the experience! can’t wait to see a pic :)
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:45 am
I love a big DRASTIC change! The trimmings with medium length hair (mine) seem almost pointless. I always loved going from very long hair to a goo shearing, wisps of just an inch or two or three. Good for you, I say. Enjoy the light style (hair is heavy afterall) and freedom!
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:46 am
***aakkkkk**** should read, “…a GOOD shearing”
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:58 am
i know it is silly, but i am crazy excited for you. confident women who don’t buy into the stereotypes are so attractive…and sexy. of course mike likes it! if my face were less round i would rock the short spiked pixie asap. alas, it is way round and hair near my face helps lessen the circle. yet another reason to step away from the girl scout cookies that arrived at my office today…
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:59 am
Ah, I can so relate! I have naturally curly hair, and altho it has thinned over these many years, I have not had it shoulder-length for close to 40 yrs. If you love it and rock it and can style it then good on you! Anticipating pics. Keep on keepin’ on.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:03 am
p.s. the little prince is my favorite book ever and i bet that hair style would be stunning on you! now i am really looking forward to the big reveal.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:04 am
Yes!
I have had long hair for years, and about 5 months ago went pixie. OMG it has changed my life. No more getting hair caught in the car door, stuck under my arm, around my neck in my sleep, figuring out how to get it out of my way, and recently, having my toddler grabbing handfuls of it. GOODBYE HAIR! And yes, people are stunned that one would do it. I wanted to for years and was too chicken, but you know what? Hair grows back. I’d had enough. Happy to be in your club!
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:06 am
I prefer medium to long hair for myself (compliments my face better, keeps my neck warm in the winter, styles easier with less effort) BUT I’ve always longed to be one of those women who could rock the pixie cuts. Props to you! I hope we do get to see pictures at some point.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:11 am
Only women can truly understand how great a haircut feels, especially if you’re getting all that weight off.
I’m actually growing my hair out after having it relatively short (above shoulder but long enough for a small ponytail) for several years.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:29 am
Bully for you! Enjoy.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:34 am
Amen to the karma thing! I had all mine chopped off as soon as I was finished with chemo and radiation. (I had the chemo that didn’t steal all your hair.) Everyone in the clinic kept referring to me as “the one with hair” and I started to associate my hair with the cancer itself. Cut that crap right off and sent four long, thick ponytails to Locks of Love.
Yay to short hair!
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:38 am
I have always envied people like you with long straight hair, that you can braid, curl, twist and clip up, adorn with beads, etc. I have red, curly, unruly hair! My locks will dread up in a matter of days if I don’t wash and condition them everyother day!!!! When I was a kid my mother always made me keep my hair short because she didn’t like dealing with it and I would fight with her to let me grow it out and when she’d give in that’s exactly what it would do was grow out…into a big ol’ fro!!!! I really didn’t want to take care of it I just wanted to play and ride my horse and be a kid with long, unruly hair!!!! After several months and lots of arguments she’d take me under great protest to have it cut short again and I’d cry for days!!!! Since I’ve been a grown up I haven’t had short hair for along time…but it is indeed alot of work to keep my hair from turnin’ back into that 70’s fro and I constantly think about cutting short!!! My fella like yours will think I look sexy and beautiful no matter what…so perhaps I will just go ahead and cut my hair short once it warms up abit here. I think you are beauutiful inside and out, long or short hair…good for you to cut off your hair…enjoy!!! have a wonderful week!!!! :) joie
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:52 am
Oh, the freedom of short hair!!!! Good for you, Shreve, enjoy it! I’ve got stick-straight, spaghetti-limp, fine hair that does nothing. I learned a long time ago that I have only three choices: extremely long, braided down my back; extremely short, almost a crew cut; or short bob, just below my ears. I’ve done years of each, but for the past few, it’s been the short bob ~ mostly because I can cut it myself. If my hair wasn’t so fine, and getting thinner with age, I’d go extremely short forever. Someday, maybe, I’ll shave it off altogether!
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:54 am
Cutting my hair off, which I did a few years ago, is probably one of the best things I ever did for myself. As much a weight off my soul as it was my head, seriously!
The only downside I’ve found is that it’s really expensive to keep having to get it cut. Maybe I’ll find somewhere cheaper, but my hair is thick and ~interesting~ with all its funny cowlicks and not everyone can do a good job with it. I compromise by getting it really really short and then letting it grow shaggy before cutting it again.
When I decided to do this the only person who supported me was my dad; my mom kept worrying I’d regret it to the point she almost talked me out of it. I’m SO glad I didn’t let all her fretting keep me from something so freeing and wonderful.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:55 am
I love short hair on women! I chopped mine short at the end of college and have gone back and forth since then. I just like knowing that my self image is not tied to having long hair. I think I look cute with both, and my husband agrees. I know some women who would be LOST without their long locks, or who don’t want to cut their hair because a man thinks it’ll look bad.
I’m also never nervous about getting haircuts, because I always know that if it is truly terrible I can cut it short and start over!
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:56 am
You are lucky to be able to pull off short hair and long hair looks…you can constantly provide news for your little town : )
I love the look you chose too.
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:56 am
I’m just the opposite…I wore my hair super short from second grade all the way to about three years ago. (I’m 43, to give an idea how long that was.) Now it’s just past my shoulders, and I love how easy it is for me to maintain.
I have cowlicks everywhere, and they handle much better with length. I don’t know that I can ever go short again.
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:21 am
after a whole lifetime with long hair, i went short a couple years ago. SHOCKED me at first - OMG what have I done! - but then I got used to it and now i get antsy if my hair hits my shoulders!
But the questions begs an answer, How *will* you ever marry and have children without long hair?
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:39 am
I used to have really long hair and whe I was 16 or 17 I chopped it all off. I didn’t go so short as a pixi cut, but it was definitely shorter than shoulder length. My mom cried. Lol.
I’m growing it out again right now though. My husband really likes it whe I have longer hair so I told him while he was deployed I would grow it out. I might chop it when he comes home in June, since it’s already becoming a pain, but I might keep it long for a while. It’s kinda fun having long hair again.
There’s one lady I know who hasn’t cut her hair in almost 12 years. It’s crazy long, and i have no idea how she keeps it so nice. Especially with 4 small children.
Kudos to you for rocking the short hair style!
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:45 am
oooo, the girl w. the fever fatale tattoo, rawr!
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:47 am
For the first time in 30+ years my hair is long and down on my back. Because I’m in the winter of my years I’m long on comfort and short on anything that takes time and effort. The hair is just about to the point of terminal aggravation. Your post is helping me decide to whack it off in the name of comfort and east. Thanks.
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:47 am
I would bounce between long and short hair. The longer my hair gets the sicklier it looks. Not to mention someone once said I reminded them of Kirstin Stewart. That was the final straw. It would remain short forever. Short & unruly. And far healthier looking. I was told I reminded someone of the ” Rooney” Lisbeth Salander….now that is a compliment I can live with.
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:52 am
I love that you linked The Little Prince. I’m with the poster above - I love that book! Mike’s comment to you was wonderful. :)
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:56 am
How can you tease us like this?! Photo please!!! Also, so jealous! I loooove short hair (I think a 1920s bob is ideal) and I’ve tried a hundred times to get away with it but my hair is super thick and as coarse as horsehair and it looks incredibly stupid on me. Also I don’t have the face for short hair. So I have ridiculously long, pain-in-the-ass hair. If I had tons of money I’d get electrolysis of like every fifth hair on my head to thin it out so I could maybe get a short haircut that looked good and didn’t stick out like a scrub brush!
February 21st, 2012 @ 12:29 pm
Good for you..I remember when I finally decided to cut mine..it went down my back to the start of my rear, and one day, I knew it was just time…I used to put it up at night with a barrett, because I could not stand it down.I was wearing it up in a barrett all the time, and that is when you know. So kudos to you for finally doing it..some guys say they just love long hair, although it is not them that has to wash, dry, and do whatever with it. Life is so much easier when you no longer have to fuss with long hair..I kept the braid for eleven years, and finally, last year, I had to get rid of it..it had completely dried out..Enjoy your new no fuss, no muss do….
February 21st, 2012 @ 12:29 pm
Oh my goodness short hair is so where it’s at. When my hair gets “long” (three inches) I complain about how awful and shaggy it is, lol!
I think your idea about the karma and hair is kind of interesting, too, I hadn’t ever thought about that…
February 21st, 2012 @ 12:39 pm
That’s awesome. I got the total visual of you in the field with wild short hair and Mike. I cut 5″ off a few months ago and that was a BIG deal. I could never go above my shoulders, just the thought makes me nervous :-).
February 21st, 2012 @ 1:13 pm
oh good, a hair post. i have naturally curly hair. my mother thot it was a nuisance cuz i always got leaves and stuff stuck in it, so it was kept short when i was a kid. the 60s were a nightmare cuz smooth was in, which meant i was encased in a helmet of hairspray. the 70s were my nirvana — the fro had arrived! after that i grew it out and just put up with the leaves and all, which was ok till it turned grey. at that point it was looking way too much like one of my older border collies pants, so it had to go. now i keep it between one and two inches long, and gelled into submission — feels great. the only problem with short hair is that it grows out so quick. hang a few extra mirrors in your bathroom, get yourself a sharp pair of scissors, and go for it. if you do it every six weeks or so, it only takes about 10 minutes to keep it the length you want. very liberating!
February 21st, 2012 @ 1:16 pm
I am loving reading these comments & all your various hair stories! thanks….
February 21st, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
LOL Mormons. I can say that because I am one. Sort of. And yes that probably was what she was thinking.
February 21st, 2012 @ 2:03 pm
Oh, come on… a picture, please? Just one of those artsy ones you occasionally post where no one can really identify you….just to see your new look :-)
February 21st, 2012 @ 2:11 pm
I’ve had short hair for virtually my entire life, and I love it. It’s part necessity, because I have very thick, willful hair that starts wandering off in directions contrary to the laws of physics if I let it get past a certain length. Mostly it’s convenience, though; I love how little time and energy it takes to maintain it!
The only major change I made was growing out my bangs in college, which I still sometimes regret because it introduced me to the joys of getting my hair in my mouth. Yeesh.
February 21st, 2012 @ 2:14 pm
I have short hair now too. Thick and curly, and while sometimes I scare myself in the morning (some mornings, I look a little like Don King when I first wake up)it was incredibly freeing to be rid of it. I held onto my long hair as a security blanket of sorts for a long time.
Although I see your point about your history being attached through your hair, that wasn’t the case for me. I feel like my history (the good and bad of it) made me who I am today so parting with my hair was a little bittersweet.
February 21st, 2012 @ 2:19 pm
Shreve, I was so surprised to read that your new “do” is the normal you! Maybe I was stuck on the Swedish stereotype of long flowing blonde hair…never realized you were a pixie chick! So excited, because it really suits your lifestyle. I know you don’t ever photograph your face, maybe you could hide behind Frisco. He would provide more of a contrast than Daisy would. I have a short bob, but it’s still too much maintenance! Might be a pixie in my future too! Mike is a gem. Thanks for sharing your story.
February 21st, 2012 @ 2:53 pm
Goodness, I’m so far behind trying to catch up with all your “doings”. Just read “The Daily Coyote” last year and just got a new computer this year, so now I can follow up on all that’s happening. Now you’ve cut your hair!! What does Charlie think? Mike really is a keeper isn’t he. Love your writing, enjoy your stories. Continue on dear Shreve!
February 21st, 2012 @ 3:05 pm
Oh I love this post! You and I are kindred spirits when it comes to short hair. Thanks for putting it into words. You rock.
February 21st, 2012 @ 3:07 pm
I had long hair all my life and went through a phase where I had short hair. 9 times out of 10 haircuts it looked awful on me. I have round cheeks, small eyes and a short forehead so it didn’t look so great but I still loved the feeling of having short hair. If I could find the cut that suits my face, I would do it.
Shreve, how did you find a hairdresser with the experience to do a pixie?
February 21st, 2012 @ 3:27 pm
Almost all the women I’ve known who had long hair acknowledged at some point it was a tiresome chore. Good for you for deciding that point had been reached.
And your description of Mike’s reaction (and the setting) made me chuckle and smile. He’s a sweet guy.
Bwahaha! Love that one of your reference links was to the Little Prince! That’s almost better than a candid!
February 21st, 2012 @ 5:12 pm
When I was around 47, my wonderful, subtle husband told me I was too old to wear my hair long…so I cut it. At first it was a little below my ears… it’s been getting shorter since then and much easier to care for. Now it’s a longish pixie type style, to keep my cowlicks at bay. Enjoy the freedom and wind in your hair, Shreve!
February 21st, 2012 @ 5:52 pm
Haha! I just read this post with interest, then almost accidentally I clicked to see the March 2010 posts, and the first one I saw was “Braiding Builds Muscles”!
:-D
February 21st, 2012 @ 6:31 pm
I could probably due with a drastic change like that, although I really love my long curly hair…it does take a bit of product to keep it from being frizzy but other than that, it is maintenance free for the most part. What I would really love is a pill I could take to get rid of grays…..lol…cause I hate coloring it. I think I could do the pixie cut, but the grow out (which I know I would inevitably do again) would be horrendous.
So happy for you to feel the freedom!!
February 21st, 2012 @ 6:40 pm
AH! We blog readers only know you with your long hair—- congrats on the cute ‘do. I wear my hair short, and love it! Long ago, when I first went very short I was horrified at my high school boyfriend’s first reaction, “You look like a punk rocker!!” Well, maybe I am.
Enjoy the freedom~
February 21st, 2012 @ 6:42 pm
Tea ~ I did it myself! in the manner that bonnie, above, describes. the only person here who I trust with my hair was days away from birthing her third son in about as many years - I just couldn’t ask her to do it! I’ve always had a friend cut my hair in the past and kindof paid attention - I was very apprehensive about doing it myself but it really wasn’t that hard. and my hair has enough curl when it’s short that mild mistakes are invisible :)
February 21st, 2012 @ 6:48 pm
Mike - what a sweetheart. Gotta keep him for a few lifetimes!
My hair is so baby fine and thin I don’t have a style. I cover it up with a hat as much as possible.
February 21st, 2012 @ 7:17 pm
SO funny- I cut my hair last week too! I’ve had long and short hair throughout my life, but forgot since the last time how absolutely wonderful the shorter variety can be! This morning, I woke up, slipped on a headband and popped off to work without so much as another glance in the mirror.
Long live short hair!
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:17 pm
Years ago, I had blonde hair down to my waist but after working a horse show in NJ on a hot day in July, I drove to the hair dresser and said: “Cut it all off.” She called a colleague over as witness, then cut it off.
No regrets.
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:26 pm
A good chopping is excellent for the soul. I always chop off 3 or 4 inches every 6 months. My weird hair is requires too much product when really short so I settle for just long enough for a decent ponytail.
February 21st, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
A-MEN to the hassles of long hair! I never understood why all my friends insisted on growing theirs long so one day I decided to grow mine out. There’s only so long that the novelty of being able to braid my hair or put it up in a bun outweighs the inconvenience of having to put it in a ponytail while I sleep or wait hours and hours for it to dry. I finally chopped it all back off (not a pixie cut, though) because I was desperate for a karmically fresh start. The only things I miss about it are being able to drive with the windows down in the summer without hair blowing in my face, and being able to put it up so that hot summer air doesn’t get trapped underneath. Maybe I’ll grow it out a bit in the summer and cut it short again come winter? Hmmm…
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:08 pm
I love it.
I have been growing my hair out for the past couple of years, and I seem to battle the idea. Love (at times) how it makes me feel, but hate the time it takes, etc. Just last week I got bangs…hmmm…maybe a sign of things to come…
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:51 pm
WOW, what a story ! I used to “chop” at my hair, on and off, for years, until one time I “f*****”it up…with highlights and had to have a total “make-over”…good for you girl ! if anyone can do it, you can…!!
February 21st, 2012 @ 9:59 pm
LisaAR …you could be writing my story right now…bonnie,so funny !
February 21st, 2012 @ 10:21 pm
Great!
I cut my hair a few years ago.
I really like it short.
Added bonus is the entertainment factor–when I go to bed with it still damp, I wake up in the morning with some interesting sculptures atop my head!
February 21st, 2012 @ 11:07 pm
I have had a multitude of lengths, but last year I jumped both feet forward into a super short pixie. Best hair choice- ever. So liberating on so many levels. It is much shaggier now, but still quite short. Unfortunately, for me, it also stick strait and thick so no self chopping. (I have thought long and hard about that particular choice, so tempting.) :)
February 22nd, 2012 @ 12:03 am
Well, good for you.
Did you save it to send to Locks of Love?
That’s what I’ll be doing when I cut mine. It’s down to my waist. Thats’ the way I usually wear it. I have several different ways to deal with it. It’s naturally wavy and does soak up water like a sponge and takes 8 hours to dry. Back in high school I’d use juice cans as rollers and would have to wash it right after dinner for it to be dry by the next morning. Yes, I can actually sleep with those large rollers in my hair. I don’t any more. I’ve let it dry naturally for decades now.
I use one or two hair sticks. I braid it and put it up over my head like the Farmer’s Daughter. I made a bun with faux tortoise hair pins. (I have a collection of vintage hair combs too.) I also have some hand woven long strings from Guatemala and can put my hair up with them too.
I’ve decided when my Mother’s hair dresser (who trims y hair about once a year) retires I am going to gift her with cutting my long hair all off and sending it to Locks of Love. I’ve worn it very short (like 2 inches) before. (Think Jamie Lee Curtis.) But after she cuts it I’ll probably just start growing it out again. I’ve had long hair most of my life and am just used to it. I like the variety of ways to wear it. I like all my different hair thingies.
But if I lived your life….I’d cut it all off in a minute.
February 22nd, 2012 @ 12:05 am
How serendipitous to read your post! I just had my long hair cut off today for Locks of Love. I like a big drastic change, too, so it’s very short - I’ll need to find a scarf to get around for the rest of this winter. Mine wasn’t long enough to bother me when sleeping, but it was getting caught in my coat zippers. I was never brave enough to do the chopping myself, but I love to go to my stylist and say “Do whatever you want!”, after all, it’ll grow back. Can’t wait to see your pics!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 9:08 am
Shreve from your pics, you have that lucky type of hair that will just work no matter what!
All the curley hair posts crack me up as I totally understand them. . .. . mine lives to be - unruly!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 9:54 am
I enjoyed all the comments and had to laugh - you can so get women bonding with hair stories!! Mine is wavy - i.e., not curly, not straight. I spent the 70s trying to get long straight silky hair. Never happened. In the 80s and 90s I permed for riotous curls. I have since accepted reality and keep mine medium (touching shoulders) in long layers. It’s not too thick, so I never dry it, just leave with it wet and it does its thing. Some days I like it, some days I don’t. I do like the fact that all I need is a small mister bottle of water to spray on it to liven it up. Look forward to a pic like everybody else!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 10:39 am
We need pictures NOW! Can’t wait to see it! I’m sure it’s adorable.
February 22nd, 2012 @ 11:28 am
How sweet of Mike to make that comment! Most men are crazy about long hair on a woman. Hope you share your lives and love for a long long time.
February 22nd, 2012 @ 12:31 pm
YEAH! I was brave enough to cut off mine to a shaggy pixie cut about a year ago. Best. Decision. Ever. My hair is so thick and when I used to have it in a pony tail, it literally looked like a pony’s tail. It was very heavy, it was freeing to cut it off. Not just in the weight aspect but also I was turning a new leaf in my life and needed a change, to feel free. My man loves it too :)
February 22nd, 2012 @ 1:33 pm
I also am a big fan of short hair.
Picture please.
February 22nd, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
Good for you! I chopped mine recently too, and it is SO liberating! I get a kick out of the “Ok, is she going through chemo or is she a lesbian” looks. heh. Keep ‘em guessing.
Thank god for men like Mike and my husband who recognize the sexiness of a woman bold enough to make the choice!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 9:16 pm
I cut my hair really short last spring after my close friend just started getting her hair back after chemo and was lamenting all of our “nice hair.” But honestly, it was the best thing I ever did. I LOVE my short hair! Every time I go see my stylist I’m asking for shorter and shorter cuts, lol! Plus it’s so much nicer under my helmet when I’m riding my horse. XD
February 22nd, 2012 @ 9:29 pm
ATL ~ wow - you are a spectacular friend!!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 10:52 pm
Shreve, for the past 5 years, I have been getting my head shaved to raise money for children with cancer through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Once a year, I raise funds and go get my head shaved with other participants to show solidarity with these kids. The first time I did it, I felt like Joan of Arc. It was quite emotional and I felt self-conscious, but at the same time I felt very liberated. It’s that time of year when my hair is finally starting to look decent again, but I will do this charity event again on April 1, as folks are already asking me when I am going to do it. I’m sure your hair looks gorgeous…long OR short. Enjoy all the possibilities!
February 22nd, 2012 @ 11:39 pm
Forget the hair, let’s talk about Mike! :)
How admirable his response was. And rare.
So many men have childish fits when their partners cut their hair. Ditto for changing hair colour. I’ve never understood it. Who cares? (That said, I detest combovers and pony tails on balding men but that’s a different issue.)
Anyway, way to go Mike, and I can’t wait to see the photos, Shreve.
February 23rd, 2012 @ 6:54 am
Hooray for you, Shreve. Welcome to the “free” world, although I cannot visualize you with a Pixie cut, but I’ll bet you look gorgeous. Can we soon get a sneak peek?
I’ve had long hair most of my life and only cut it after my first child was born, because children and long hair can be hazardous to both, and it was a royal pain to wash and dry…so many wasted hours of life tending to one’s locks when the baby needs attention. But then I let it grow out again and kept it long for many years until I found frizzy, gray stragglers sprouting out of my long, smooth locks and decided it was time for a completely new look — a bob with blonde streaks to tame the frizzy, gray stragglers. I chopped it all off, donated it to Locks of Love, and haven’t looked back. I love my new look and the freedom it has given me. Can’t wait to see your “new do.”
February 23rd, 2012 @ 10:26 am
Good for you, Shreve! I cut my hair off pixie style about 15 years ago and have never looked back. (OK, I tried to grow it out once and made it 3 months) Cut it for the same reasons, it takes too much time. I didn’t have the pleasure of getting it caught in barbed wire, OUCH!
My husband LOVES my short hair. He says it is confident and sexy. He loves that it doesn’t take me 2 hours to get ready to go somewhere too!
Can’t wait to see your do!
February 23rd, 2012 @ 11:38 am
Sharing the short hair love. I’ve had mine in various pixies and chin-length wedges for most of the the last 13 yrs. One year I let it grow past my shoulders and I just could not get used to the feel of it on my neck, so off it went again.
February 23rd, 2012 @ 12:39 pm
Change is the spice of life. I’m sure you look great no matter what style your hair is in.
February 23rd, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
Aahh! Sweet Freedom! I love long hair and all of the fun until I have to braid it every night in order to sleep with out sweat or pain.
I save my hair chopping for when I really need to make a change and be a new me for awhile. Last time managed to catapult me out of a severe depression, pretty cheap therapy considering. If only I’d thought of it sooner….
February 24th, 2012 @ 9:01 am
Great post, and welcome to the sisterhood of the short-haired! I have had it that way for years, though back in my teens and twenties I often had shoulder-length hair (ponytail, don’t you know?) As I aged I found short hair that you can wash, comb and go with is much more practical.
I’ll see a 40ish woman on the make-over shows on TV crying when the stylist wants to cut their flowing-down-the-back tresses, and I think, “Time to re-invent yourself, lady. You’re more than your hair.”
So– congratulations! Enjoy it!
February 24th, 2012 @ 11:05 am
i’ve always had short hair.
recently at the insistence of my coworkers - i grew it out and the newbies in my life agree that in my case short hair is the way to go!
this year as a birthday present to myself i am chopping the hair off (not sure if i’ll last another two weeks though! LOL) <:O)
funny to come across this post today as i
was just looking at old pics yesterday and realized that while my hair is fine and thin - when its short i look younger and feel more myself…unconfined/light - if that makes any sense at all.
long story short - i completely agree with the karma thing!
congrats on going back to the pixie cut club!
February 24th, 2012 @ 12:19 pm
Completely agree about the karmic weirdness of long hair: my hair grows fast, so I tend to keep it long, sometimes down to my waist. Every few years, though–and the last two times, it was right around my birthday, which probably means something–I feel the need to chop it all off. Partly it’s for practical reasons, like the ones you describe: the kicker for me last fall was that I’d started accidentally shutting it in desk drawers, which was new and different and not so much fun. But it also feels like there’s a spiritual need being addressed when I get it cut, helping me move forward, that kind of thing. :) Anyway, congrats!
February 24th, 2012 @ 4:05 pm
YAAAY! That is awesome! After 10 years of having long hair, I cut mine off a few years ago and LOVE it. I feel more pulled together and confident. Maybe one day I’ll grow it out again, but for now, I’m sticking with a pixie. (and despite what others think, and this is random, men do indeed love short hair. I’ve only ever had random men compliment the pixie cut vs my long, usually pony-tailed cuts)
February 25th, 2012 @ 6:59 pm
I recently cut 12 inches off my hair and donated it. Did you do the same? I have done that four times so far and I love it! I love not having the weight on my head and shoulders. But I also love knowing someone without hair now has a head full of it! :) Can’t wait to see a picture.
February 28th, 2012 @ 12:54 pm
Mike is still around? Yahoo! Read Daily Coyote three years ago and wondered about him. My husband had read Joe Hutto’s book about raising wild turkeys to me…as he courted me, on the telephone. Literlly! We were 750 miles apart. Then, after marriage, I read ‘Daily Coyote’ to him each evening. Your book was a marriage gift to us from neighbors (and you!). You are one of our heroes!
Way to go on haircut! I wear mine short…pixie/shattered/choppy/whatever.A true ‘bed head’!! I’ve heard/learned…short hair is very sexy to guys!
February 29th, 2012 @ 12:38 pm
I can’t wait to see it. Please post a picture soon!
March 1st, 2012 @ 2:15 am
Thanks to everyone who posted here, you made me feel great. I cut my long beautiful naturally curly hair off to support my friend Pat’s courage during her year of Chemo Therapy. The reactions here in MN have been good and bad. Some of them are very discouraging. I feel good about it and think it’s cute (short pixie).
March 2nd, 2012 @ 2:10 pm
Woot! The only way I’ll have long hair is if I dread-lock it… which I’ve done twice in my life. Now I have short red hair and I LOVE it! Sucks you have to style it every morning in order to look ‘good’, but it’s quick and worth it. :)
March 4th, 2012 @ 12:13 pm
Love it! I had wondered about your long hair and how difficult the upkeep must have been without running water and living in the bush and all that. I know some women cannot think of themselves without long hair. I have only grown my hair once, and then only to my shoulder tops, and that was when I was 16. I had had it as short as about two inches all over, so when I went through chemo a few years ago, I was not concerned with shaving my head before it all fell out. It is only hair, after all. I had even wondered (before the whole cancer thing) what I might look like bald, so that gave me a chance to find out. I looked pretty good! Nice head shape, flat ears, etc. Except the chemo made me so anemic, I looked like hell otherwise. I’ve decided to keep my hair quite short now and even shorter in the summer - back to about two inches long then. Anyway, I relate.
March 8th, 2012 @ 2:15 am
Oh! I just love having long hair! I buzzed my head a few years back, and while I enjoyed it short, I prefer my long hair. I love getting all tangled in it and having it blow all around my head on windy days.
It is just hair though! If I lost it all tomorrow, I’d be ok.
March 24th, 2012 @ 3:41 pm
hott! can’t wait to see it! i too am a short hair girl who tried long a couple times. no more. i’m back to short for good. feels so much better. it’s so weird to think of you that way though, we’ve also only ever known you as the long haired cowgirl. glad mike likes it too. you got yourself one of the good ones. xoxo