Andrew's Hair

Andrew has always been very particular about his hair. He hates haircuts with a passion. Every haircut he has ever had has been a major ordeal. Over the last thirty years, Rosie has become a great barber as she has given countless haircuts to her husband, children, neighbors, missionaries, and anyone else that may have been in need. But she has never given Andrew a haircut that he found in any measure acceptable (or Marc for that matter, but that is a whole other story that will have to wait for another post) Getting Andrew to agree to a haircut has always been a major feat, and once the haircut was completed it inevitably resulted in a flurry of complaints from him, "it is too short...not what I asked for...ugly..." and usually ended with something like this, "I am never going to get my haircut again!"

His hair had once again become shaggy and for a couple of weeks we had "suggested" it was time to get a haircut (for many years Rosie had resorted to substantial bribes to get him to agree to a session in the barber chair). We were a little surprised when earlier this week he agreed without too much resistance, and no bribe, to get it cut. As soon as he sat down in the chair he started in, "Don't cut it too short...You always cut it too short..." I came downstairs when the deed was about halfway completed, looked at Rosie and said, "If you are going to cut his hair why don't you cut something off. That is ridiculous. It looks like you have just combed his hair back and forth and not cut anything." Andrew quickly pointed out, "there is more hair on the floor than you have on your head." Which was certainly accurate but not altogether respectful.

For the first time Andrew did not get upset about the haircut. Miracles never cease! That night he told Rosie, "Wake me up a little early in the morning because I need to fix my hair." He has always combed his bangs straight down and was very particular about how they went straight down his forehead. He would not even consider any alteration to that style, but for whatever reason he decided this week that he would try combing his bangs back in a kind of wave. He came downstairs with a smile that morning and said, "I look like an old time guy now -- like Elvis. Do you like it?" I told him I thought it looked great. I then ran upstairs, grabbed my Book of Remembrance and showed him that I wore my hair just like that for many years in my youth. His reaction -- "I guess it's like the sixties."

Styles come and go but they always seem to come back -- in this case it appears to be a 40 year cycle. Check out the pictures below. Who wears that wave best -- Andrew or his Dad? For a number of years now I have wished I could wear my hair like that again. Maybe in the next life.

Andrew's new style "After"



Here's Brad 40 years ago -- same age as Andrew