Changes

It’s been almost a week since I’ve gotten a haircut. For the third time in my life, I had a haircut in a salon. For as long as I can remember, I had my haircut at this certain barbershop. The haircut is dirt cheap, plus there’s free massage to boot. And there’s no need for much conversation. Strictly business. What more can you ask for? There was one time in college when I tried having a haircut at a salon for the first time, but it was nothing drastic. I didn’t like the feeling of another person shampooing my hair though. It just felt awkward. The stylist was also talking non stop, about this and that, yadda yadda yadda. I only wanted a haircut, not an opportunity to socialize. And the worst part? It cost an arm and a leg. And I still had to tip the girl who shampooed my hair. That simple haircut, all in all, cost an arm, a leg , and a finger.

The second time was around February or March this year. My hair had gotten long and really looked untidy. I had an hour off before the nightly endorsements, so I made a mad rush outside the hospital, looking for a barber shop that was still open at 10 PM. Just my luck, there was only one place that was still open--- and it was a salon. I told the stylist I only wanted a barber’s cut, and though it took longer than usual, he got the job done. The haircut wasn’t that expensive, but it was still triple the amount that I usually pay for a haircut.

Now, I haven’t gotten a haircut since September. So for the first time in my life my hair was actually long… long enough on the side to be partially covering my ears. At first I was just too lazy to get a haircut, but after a while I liked it. It was different. I never had long hair before, so I decided to grow my hair long for a change--- probably for the next year or so, before I revert back to my usual short hair. Last Saturday, I was out shopping with a friend, who asked me if I wanted to get a haircut, because my hair already looked untidy. Just a trim here and there to fix it up. My barber can’t seem to understand the word trim, so I figured if I wanted a trim I’d have to go to some salon. So to make a long story short, I entered a salon for the third time in my life.

I said I only wanted a trim. I was happy the stylist wasn’t the talky type, and he looked like a straight guy to me. I just let him do his business while I read some magazines. When it was all done--- WTF?!

It was long on the front and short on the back. It looked really weird! Especially on the sides! Then I realized something else which horrified me… One of my classmates had the same hairstyle two years ago, and everyone was laughing at him… including me!!! Was this some sort of karma?! Of course the stylist defended his work, in fact he looked a bit proud. And as for my friend? He said it looked good, my hair had “style” for once. Of course he’s going to say it looked good. If he said it looked bad then I’m just going to blame him because he was the one who brought me to that salon in the first place!

Fast forward one day: My sister said my hair looked weird. Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Then my mom asked where I got a haircut, because my previous haircuts looked better. Wow, that’s some NEWSFLASH! My previous haircut was better, even though it only cost me less than 1/10 of the cost of this new haircut?! Wow, this new haircut is really worth every penny!

Fast forward two days, when I visited some friends at the hospital. The first one laughed at my hair. The next one said it really looks weird. Then all the people I met afterwards either said it looked odd or I looked like a Korean actor... I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment.

Fast forward Four days: I went to a party. One friend said I looked good, I looked so different. I wasn’t wearing the usual clothes that she’s used to seeing, being unemployed has been good for me, physically at least--- that's what she said. Tight clothes, nice shoes. What? That’s it? No comment about the hair? So I asked her what she thought of my hair. She said it looked good, something different. Whoa… was that actually a compliment?

Fast forward five days. I’ve been looking at myself in the mirror. After sporting this new hairstyle for several days already, I realized that it’s not really that bad. Actually, it looks okay. I guess I was just not used to such a hairstyle, that’s why I thought it looked weird. Most of my friends aren’t used to such a hairstyle also... i guess that’s why they also thought it looked weird. I’m actually beginning to like it. Criticisms are natural reactions to changes, but not all changes deserve negative reactions, no matter how drastic they are. I’m no longer dwelling on the money I thought I "wasted". What’s done is done. In this case, change is good. :)

Which is more than I can say for a lot of the changes I’ve done recently in my life.