Ozz's annual anniversary post......Year 7...that's right...7!

• Ozz's annual anniversary post......Year 7...that's right...7! by Ozz2012 on 29 Dec, 2018 13:13
• On December 29, 2011, I left work for a short vacation.....and had to stop and pick up a prescription.  While waiting for it to be filled, I walked up and down the aisles....thinking that I wanted to do something new for the new year....but had no idea what exactly that would be.....something to the house, something in my wardrobe....something......
  
  I walked by the hair clipper aisle and continued on...but stopped and thought....wouldn't that get a reaction.....took a look at them.....I had shoulder-ish length hair and had had it for many years.....but, had secretly wondered how I'd look with a buzz cut or even shorter....
  
   I thought "What the heck" and bought a set up cheap clippers and brought them home.
  
  However, my trepidation grew as I neared my destination......had I had a moment of insanity?  What was I thinking?  Surely, my head wasn't the right shape for a "sly" look.
  
  I got home, went into the bathroom and prepared myself for what was to come.  I took a deep breath and turned the clippers on....looking into the mirror......and stayed that way for probably 5 minutes.....
  
  Now, I was trying to talk myself out of it.....I was going to look terrible....my coworkers, friends and family were going to completely destroy my self-confidence by making fun, or worse....just quietly shaking their heads and walking away.....laughing, later, at my expense.
  
  But....I still wondered.....
  
  I aimed the clippers at the area just over my left ear and prepared to begin...but stopped.....if I did it there, I could still, theoretically, chicken out and stop.
  
  I took a deep breath and made my first pass right down the center of my head......yup, I was committed now.
  
  I completed the cut....which, for me was horrifyingly short (though I believe it was around a 4 or 5 clipper)....I knew I had made a mistake.....or had I?  I looked bizarre....but.....not bad, really....
  
  I allowed myself a day to get used to it.....and then....wondered what it would like like one number shorter.....
  
  Over the next several days, I ended up going down to about a 1/2 clipper......and THAT wasn't enough....
  
  I ordered a set of Oster Classic 76's and a couple of shorter blades....until I finally got to a 000000 blade (.1mm)
  
  Eventually I bic'd it smooth.....and though I don't always do that, it's always between a 000 and bic'd.
  
  Did I get some remarks?  Yeah....I did....but..jokingly for the most part.....sure, the occasional "You should let it grow back in"...or a thoughtless remark....but....people that I met AFTER doing it...they ONLY knew me that way....and most seemed to like it.
  
  And....perhaps even better......the WOMEN seemed to like it.  (Coworkers might make fun on occasion....but the women I was interested in DATING....really seemed to dig it)
  
  And the convenience factor was the absolute best!  No more hair product...no more blow dryers, hair spray/gel/whatever.....no more expensive haircuts.....
  
  I got to sleep later in the morning, because preparation for work now took less than half the time.....
  
  If I got caught in the rain or snow, I didn't have to worry about my hair....I'd get inside, do a quick head rub and I was done!
  
  For those on the fence.....or for those who are AFRAID of this step....don't be.
  
  If you don't like it, it will grow back.  If you think you're going to be ridiculed....well...you might be at first by some lunk-headed people.....but....that'll subside quicker than you think.....and most people are FAR more concerned with their OWN problems, and not with how "Bill" shaved his head.
  
  Trust me on this.....you've got a LOT to gain, and very little to lose (other than your hair ;-) ).....and once you give it the 30 days (I agree with the group on this forum....you HAVE to give it at least a month to get used to it.)...more than likely, you'll only wish you had done it sooner.
  
  There's a nice group of guys on this site who have ALL been where you have...and they've ALL come together here to support one another and make new friends....so if you DO have some fears, regrets, etc (which will be temporary, I assure you).....there isn't a better site on the web than this one.
  
  I wish all of you a fantastic 2019....and I'll see you in the forum! ;-)
  
  
  Ozz
• #1 by reddog on 29 Dec, 2018 13:37
• Great post, ozz. Happy New Year to you!
• #2 by chuck63 on 29 Dec, 2018 17:38
• The first time I buzzed mine down was to fix a bad haircut.  It took me a while to get up the nerve that first time.   It was like that again when I first buzzed it down to a zero and shaved it smooth. 
• #3 by Magoo on 29 Dec, 2018 18:04
• Excellent post  Ozz , an inspiration for those on the line. Happy New Year to you and yours. 
• #4 by PDXGuy on 29 Dec, 2018 19:38
• Great post. I noticed I first join this site back in 2015 and today buzzed down or shaved bald for about two weeks. We all go through I journey but you took the bull by the horns. I'd shave once a year and grow it back. Working on my 30 day head shave challenge now, but looking back at the bad flattop with receding hairline bald looks better on me. Happy New Year and thanks again for the post.