8.14.2013

"Hair For Hazel" and a Full Circle

8.14.2013
Almost a year ago, I was prepping for college graduation. As an art major, I was anxious a lot during my college career, and one of the ways I tried to resolve my anxiety was to cut my hair - myself. Always a terrible, terrible idea. I'm not even sure what it was meant to accomplish, but I did it over and over again. At some point I decided to resist the urge and allow my hair to grow out until graduation - by then I could cut it and donate it to Locks of Love as a symbolic gesture. I wanted to know that something good could come from all the stress and fear and pressure I'd spent years under, though Art school doesn't compare to having cancer, or suffering from serious burns. Not at all. Still, as my hair grow longer and longer, I thought of it as the physical compilation of the long hours spent in the studio, away from friends and family, the frustration of never having enough money after having spent it on expensive art supplies that would likely just get thrown out, the arguments I would get into with my teachers and classmates, the blows to my self-esteem, the loss of a beloved pet, breaking relationships, the daily 30 minute (both ways) commute, rising gas prices, the after school job, politics, vegetarianism, bank balances, everything, everything, everything. I let my hair grow well over 18 inches, and when I became a real college graduate, I would cut it off and give it to someone who deserved it more than me. Someone who might never make it to college, but would want to.
This is what it looked like after I cut it.

Earlier that year, the ever popular YA author published the book The Fault in Our Stars. I've never read it, but I hope to. I got on to Tumblr today to see that the new trend among Nerdfightia is a similar project - cutting your hair to donate to Children With Hair Loss in honor of "Hair For Hazel" (Hazel being the heroine of The Fault in Our Stars). Read this article to understand more. Now, I understand that the two events aren't individually related. But I knew at the time that I did it that I was sending something good and wonderful into the world, though it was a little gesture. I'm not going to claim that this was the result of that tiny gesture - clearly it isn't. Still, in my heart I feel like I'm seeing something I did come full circle. I'll never get to see the beautiful kid I donated my hair to, but I did get to see this instead. And I'm going to encourage you all to consider helping too, if you can in some way. I'm so proud of my fellow Nerdfighters, and so in awe of them. This is really huge, and it makes such a big difference. It's totally humbling and so inspiring. Remember, hair grows back.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thoughts by Feast of Poetry & Drink of Prose. All rights reserved.
Blog design by Labina Kirby.