It was an annual summer ritual for my brother and me.
The summer hair cut…the buzz cut.
At our house it happened as soon as school let out. Schools out, hairs off!
BUZZ!
For most of my childhood my Grandpa Cox was my barber. (If you are feeling brave, you can read about that truly hair raising experience here: https://carbonatedjoy.com/2014/11/24/how-much-is-a-free-hair-cut/ ) It was much more about function than fashion. At our house, summer was messy and smelly. We played outside all day, running wild and grabbing summer by the throat. We explored fields and creeks. We threw mud and skipped stones. We played football and climbed through mosquito infested drainage ditches. We caught lightning bugs. We ate homegrown tomatoes and watermelon, getting the sticky juice all over our dirty faces.
By the time the sun went down our sweaty heads smelled like really old mayonnaise. It was very unpleasant. Mom decided it would be better to have sons with heads that resembled pink vidalia onions, than to bring the toxic stank head into the house. So the hair had to go. Mom always thought fashion should serve you instead of the other way around.
BUZZ!
“Don’t worry! It will grow back by the time school starts!”
BUZZ!
It usually didn’t grow back quickly, I have proof of this with years of school pictures where I look like a goofy, smiling onion! (WHY does it seem like picture day was always the first week of school?)
BUZZKILL!!
It actually did benefit us, we didn’t have to worry about hair getting in our eyes when we were popping wheelies. We didn’t have to touch a bottle shampoo for three months. It gave us more time to play, since we didn’t have to worry about personal grooming.
It’s ironic that now that I get to decide, I shave my head every few days. I sport a yearlong BUZZ. There are several reasons for this, if I tried to grow out my hair now, it would look like a splotchy cul de sac. AND, I love the fresh feeling of a cool breeze on my naked scalp.
BUT…
The bottom line is still this: It gives me more time to play, since I don’t have to worry about personal grooming.
BUZZ!!
carbonated joy 