It's just hair

When I agreed to shave my head for cancer, I thought "hey, if it helps makes a guy feel better, it's worth it." I still think that. I just failed to predict how it would affect me.

A friend of a friend's was recently diagnosed with a malignant and non-operable form of cancer that has wrapped itself around his chest. Before tonight, I'd never met the guy but I'm told he used to have really great hair. At least he did before he started chemotherapy. Tonight, he was rather bald, which is probably why his friends organized this fund raiser for cancer research. I think there was about 25 of us who shaved our heads in display of solidarity. If nothing else, I hope he feels a little less alone in his struggle against this thing.

My friends asked if I was nervous going up there but I was fine until I looked in a mirror. It was in that moment that I realized just how much identity and ego is tied up in our hair. My first thought was "I look mean." I tried to get one of the official shirts so I could fit in with all the other bald guys (and a few girls) but they were sold out. So much for blending into the bald group identity.

I got home and started having all these funny little fears about how my meetings will go for the rest of the week. After all, I'm meeting respectable business men and I have no hair!

And then I remember that I'm healthy.

This is just a small taste of what this fellow must be going through and I don't have to go through chemo. I've read Lance Armstrong's book and I know how horrible that must be. All in all, I'm thankful for the reminder of how precious life is - in spite of my little vanities. I don't need hair to love another human being or to be thankful for this gift of life.


Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Cryin's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free

~ B. J. Thomas