Nov. 17, 1996
I am a product of the sixties. I graduated from high school in 1968, and my generation became
synonymous with protests, activism, flower power, and hair. I loved long hair on the young men
of my youth. It was clean, free-flowing, and sexy.
By the late 70s the hairstyles had lost that animal magnetism and had gained an absurdity that brought buffoonery to new heights. Short hair eventually became the style, and with it the return of the classic Ivy League look of the 50s and early 60s. But what goes around, comes around, and in the last several years, longer hair and ponytails on boys and men have made a comeback.
I can't pinpoint when the trend began. Movie actors such as Mel Gibson began sporting the look. I noticed teens in Seattle doing the same (although the students in my suburban school still looked like models straight out of a "GAP" ad). The exchange students coming from Europe seemed to favor longer hair, and soon it seemed to be everywhere.
One day I noticed my son's hair looked a bit shaggy (For years my children have largely had control over their clothes and hairstyles with only a rare veto from us, so I didn't think much about it). Since Will's hair is like mine (very curly), I wasn't sure what he'd choose to do. He let it grow....and grow and grow, much to the chagrin of his father and his father's parents. I loved it, and the fact that I said so was a source of irritation to his dad. My cleancut little boy suddenly looked like a throwback to my early college years, and I thought it was great!
By the time Will's hair was long enough to wear in a ponytail, he had become friends with a German exchange student living two doors away. Both young men had identical hair styles and color, so they looked like brothers... for a short time.
My children do things on their schedules. Out of the clear blue sky, after more than a year of long hair, Will announced he was getting his hair cut. When the cheers from his father abated, I said, "Whatever you want." I wondered how he would look. I wondered if he would regret his decision. I wondered what the girls would think!
Will saved locks and gave them as keepsakes to his female friends. He still looked mature and had a great style which pleased all of us (particularly dad and grandparents). And he is quite happy with his decision.
That is the important thing. Hair must be an
expression of who you are and the style must be a personal choice, not dictated by others.
Sometimes as adults we tend to focus on details that simply are not important in the big picture.
Of course some people choose extreme ways of wearing their hair, but they get what they ask for:
incredulous stares. Just as I like longer hair, so do I dislike the bald look sported by so many boys
(and a few girls) now. But how young people style their hair is not my concern. There are too
many serious issues teens face today without being badgered about hair.
