To Cut or Not to Cut

I've been pondering the deeper meanings of life...like if I should cut my hair up to my shoulders. ..

Last night on my way out of the Rink to take H home, my friend suggested I cut my hair to my shoulders. I had not even considered this since I still like the swish of my ponytail when I exercise. 

I am rather attached to my hair due to many childhood/teenage hair traumas. For instance, my dad took me to the Barber's Shop with my brothers...Clarence the Barber cut my hair so short I looked like Matthew. He called it "The Twiggy." My hair was shorn into "The Twiggy" for most of my first 11 years. I am still scarred...hence, the long hair. I got called a boy in a dress at Disneyland and I am trying to avoid the comparison still...45 years later.

Another time, I had a friend cut my hair. It was right before 8th grade and I looked like I had my hair cut by a lawn mower. I had to wear a bandanna until a professional stylist could fix it. She gave me the "Farrah Fawcett" cut. Then when the Stylist married my dad 4 years later, she BUTCHERED my hair with a perm and cut that made me look like Barbara Streisand in A Star is Born. I cried for days. I think I let her chop and perm because I was devastated by a boy who broke up with me. I somehow got it in my head if I changed my looks, he would apologize, tell me what a fool he was and we would reconcile. My poor hair, it seemed to always suffer from my love life. As if a new 'do could fix my broken heart. 

Now that I am on the downhill side of life, I am finally at peace with life and my hair is a symbol of this serenity. I posted my pondering on FB and the consensus of friends is to cut it...one even reminded me that women over 50 should not have hair longer than their shoulders...sigh. 

I think at this time, I am more uncomfortable with the idea of cutting my hair than cropping it. I think I will save this humongous step for my next birthday. When I begin collecting my senior citizen discount...at least that is how I feel today...

After all, I'm a woman and it is my prerogative to change my mind whether to cut or not to cut.