BLOG
Published December 12, 2014 | 304 Comments
What It Means To Have Long Hair
There’s A Story Beneath Those Locks
Every guy with long hair has a reason for it. Maybe it’s a statement, or a story, maybe it’s about his character and who he is. Maybe he just doesn’t like getting his hair cut. But there’s something about it for all of us.
Here’s what it means to these Longhairs.
This is El Rubio. He was high & tight for about 30 years, except for that brief attempt in ‘06 that got derailed in the awkward stage. He unleashed his locks while traveling the world, then figured, he made it this far…why not go a little longer?
Business In The Front
There are plenty of jobs out there where you can’t have long hair. So in order to work for them I’d have to cut my hair. I’d have to be controlled. Told what to do. Made to conform. Trust the process. Play by their rules. Do as I’m told. Don’t ask questions. Read between the lines. Take what I’m given. Check the boxes. Follow the signs.
Having long hair means I don’t have to depend on someone else to make a living. I’m in charge here.
Party In The Back
Long hair also means I like to have a good time, and these streaming locks should make it clear that having a good time is important. That’s a no-doubter.
Down Since Day One
Long hair says something about me. It says I’m in, I’m down to let it ride. A bro-trip or a freak storm, a friend in need or family will be there, I’m down to roll. Drop in. Dive for it. Leave the country. Huck a gainer. Kick the doors in at El Camino and drop a stick of dynamite on the dance floor. My long hair says I’m down.
And it gives me superpowers.
This is El Moreno. He started letting it ride for the sole purpose of doing hair whips while surfing, but soon learned hair whips are great for all occasions. He hasn’t found a good reason to cut it yet…most likely because there is no good reason*.
It’s A Struggle
Short hair is easy.
Think back to a time when you walked out of a barber shop with a fresh cut, feeling real proper, real smooth. It’s a great feeling, right?
Now imagine that was your last haircut for the next five years. A path in a new direction, a journey that would give you a whole new perspective on how you choose to live your life. A life with long hair.
Long hair is a struggle, a constant battle. If you’ve never had long hair, it will be hard to understand. Growing it out is a serious commitment, a commitment you better be ready for. You will have to battle through months of awkwardness and long hair problems, and struggle through times of looking bad. There’s no hiding it, no gelling it, no combing it.
Sure, you can cover it up with hats and beanies…but at the end of the day. The hair wins.
It will wake you up in the middle of the night. It will constantly fall into your eyes and impair your vision, sometimes with serious consequences. It will get in your food, bed, car, sheets, beer, toothpaste, shaving cream, sun glasses, underwear, sink, computer, and the strangest of all places…wrapped around your ball sack.
With long hair there is no escaping the battle of it getting in your way. The funny thing is though, you learn to love that battle.
You learn to figure it out. You deal with it.
It’s a New and Different Perspective
The hair will put you through things you’d otherwise never experience.
You will understand women and their hair problems much better. You will use hair care products and actually take interest in them, and how they make your hair feel. You will wear headbands and hair ties. Sometimes you’ll ask women for hair ties, and sometimes you’ll even ask a man for a hair tie.
For some reason, the first time I did that it felt really awkward. Semi-uncomfortable but at the same time semi-cool. Then I realized it was really cool.
It’s uncomfortable because you are asking some guy for an intimate thing that he has most likely used, probably several times and who knows where the hell else it’s been.
It’s cool because the other guy knows your struggle, he can sympathize with you. He feels your pain.
It’s All Worth It
It’s a pain in the ass. And it puts a different perspective on things. But damn, it’s all worth it.
I don’t know if it’s the look or the lifestyle or the meaning behind long hair or simply just the way it makes you feel. But there is something different about it, something awesome.
If you have never grown your hair out before, I challenge you to take the journey. If you have the fortitude to make it, you will not be disappointed.
