FEATURE · A CONSTANT NEED FOR CHANGE
STORY BY
JOEY HARVEY
OCTOB ER 26, 2020 01:28 A.M.
I snapped. I was in a cramped bathroom with my partner, deeply concerned yet compliant, as I told him to start cutting my hair. It was silent besides the impact of each strand of hair falling behind me. I felt the rough texture of the clippers as they ran through my once-glorious mane, making an annoying yet haunting buzzing sound that grew louder as my hair became shorter. I felt great tension in the room from my partner and our anxious dog who watched my unraveling. It didn’t help that I was standing in front of the mirror, a manic 6-foot-3 baby, internally sobbing as Beyonce’s “Pretty Hurts” played on a loop in my head. This night unfolded a year after I decided to grow my hair out. I finally wanted to embrace my dark, natural loose-coiled curls that I hated for most of my youth. It was cathartic watching my hair progress because I had never let my hair just be.
“ I was in a cramped bathroom with my partner, deeply concerned yet compliant, as I told him to start cutting my hair.” I felt great. I received compliments from friends and strangers and was gassed up on social media, which made my Libra moon smile. When I walked, my hair had this subtle bounce and shine that made me feel like I was a model in a Pantene commercial. Not to sound conceited, but it was a moment.
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DIG_Fall21_05 edits.indd 20
10/1/2021 12:41:53 PM
