When I was a young man, I had very long hair.  It was all one length, reached the middle of my back, and earned me the nickname "Favio" -which also dates the experience.

When I moved to Atlanta, I cut my hair short, real short.  Since then, I'd played with different lengths.  I finally committed to growing it out and achieved a chin-lengthed bob.  This was last summer.  Suddenly, I found myself in an altercation with an old, crotchety, high-strung, unfriendly, selfish, hateful, inconsiderate moron who pepper sprayed me and my dog because he was off his leash in the local park.  The dog was off the leash - just to clarify.  We were both issued disorderly conduct citations and required to appear in court.  The other man and I were issued citations, not the dog.  I was issued a citation for having the dog off his leash however.  Stupid dog.  I told him he was going to get in trouble!

Well, anyone knows that you don't show up to court with a hippee-haircut if you expect to have any justice served.

I cut it short again.  8 inches of hair plus all charges dropped.

So, after 5 long years of in-between length, it had finaly reached "long" status when I lost it again.  It finally looked about like I wanted it to.  It was out of my eyes.  It was artistic and rebelious yet not totally unstylish.  It his the geek that lives in my skin under a shroud of something different, something interesting.  It suits me to have long hair.  In truth, I like to hide behind it.  I like to let it fall over my face when I sing, as if no one can see me and they are forced just to listen.  Perhaps I ought to wear sunglasses...

Hair is not that important to me.  It represented something when I was younger but now I have more important things to concern myself with.  I still miss it, however.

Today, I came into work after having just had my hair cut.  I had let it go a little too long.  I'd event trimmed it up a few times with a bic razor (you'd be surprised what you can do with a disposable razor).  I asked for as short as possible.  After all, might as well maximize the cut.

Several people made some "Joey" jokes with me and a few came right out and said they miss my long hair (women, particularly).  I guess it represented something for them, too.  What, I wonder?

I am not ready, nor willing, to go through the discomfort of trying to let my hair grow past my eyes again.  Not yet.  One day, I think I will.  I think I'll not cut it again, once I do.  I'd better get any more court appearances over with before I take the plunge.  I'll roll into 30: short-haired and clean-shaven.  That way everyone can say I'm having a mid life crisis when I grow my hair out again :)