Blame it on the Beatles, the importance of long hair. I was 9 when the
Beatle haircut fad hit, and to a kid with a crew cut, they were a dream away.
No way I would ever have long hair. It was still an age of what we called
Greasers, who poured on Vitalis by the gallon, and slicked back their hair, but
respectable people had short hair. Men went to barber shops, women to salons,
and never the twain should meet. Women spent hours making themselves beautiful
for their husbands, and the barbers shop was a place for men only. Where no
numbers were taken, you just asked who was last, then joined in. Never in a
hurry, you could either get the next barber, usually three of them, or wait for
your favorite, usually the guy by the window up front. But while waiting men
would talk of men things-cars, jobs, girls, and were careful no to get too
graphic when a son of one of the guys sat by him. While they read Field and
Stream, NRA Magazine, or Esquire, titles usually not found in suburbia homes, we
looked at Archie, lusting over Betty and Veronica, and every time we were close
to choosing one over the other, the next page would delay the decision. It
wasn’t easy being a kid where sex was a three letter word. It was an experience
that usually took place on a Saturday morning, and time for you and your Dad to
hang out, even if it was with other men. And he usually told his barber how to
cut it, and when old enough, you didn’t have him tell the barber, in most cases
Jerry, how to do it. You were an adult, making your own decisions at age 12,
but with your Dad watching close, you weren’t going to be a long hair, a hippie,
or any other kind of socially irresponsible citizen. And so you endured it,
even your Grandparents thought you looked cute...not quite the compliment you
wanted in puberty, but as you got older, your hair got longer, and soon Jerry’s
Barber Shop was left behind. And you went to a stylist, who gave you a haircut,
that cost more, and always asked “how do you want it cut?” Something you never
heard from Jerry, for any good barber worth his razor knew his customers, and
how they wanted their hair cut. Some things would change, but your hair style
wouldn’t. And from the time you sat on the kid’s set stretched over the barber
chair’s arms, to the time you went to a stylist, Jerry took good care of you.
With a strange thing happening, although you hated haircuts, the time spent in
the barber shop was really an education. A place where men talked men stuff,
read men magazines, and us little kids all wanted to grow up. Today we get our
hair styled at unisex salons...somehow just not the same. And oh for just one
more visit to smell the witch hazel, to watch a man get shaved, or to hear the
sound of clippers again. One more chance to choose between Betty and Veronica.
And to maybe find out why you couldn’t read Esquire.
Just another time that has gone away, a memory that is from another
generation. And although some barber shops are around today, we get our hair
styled, I refuse to get styled, I still get a haircut. It is what it is. But
the past few years I let it grow long, and at one time it was down over my
shoulders. Which gave it a flip after wearing my helmet, much like the Betty
and Veronica style. And since going to Maranatha had it long like that. So
when one day I decided to get it cut, up over the ears like a yuppie, no one
recognized me. I went to a Bible study after it was cut, and Doug followed me
around. A man I knew for three years came up and introduced himself. Even
Pastor Ray after church one morning didn’t recognize me, “Mike, you got a
haircut!” To which I now reply, “no I got it styled.” And still people don’t
recognize me at first, but always tell me it looks good. Why do bald men always
insist that? But I still get grief from some, who liked my long hair, but whose
job or wife wouldn’t let them. Mickey makes fun of me, and my helmet fits
loose. It takes a shorter time to dry, I have to get it cut more often, and I
have to shave more, because you can see my face. All because of getting my hair
styled. Hair today, gone tomorrow, but it grows back, and probably will get
longer again. Not pony tail length ever again, but long enough to look cool.
And then there are the guys who shave their heads...I don’t get it. And I
really don’t get the women who like it. If it looks so good, why don’t they
shave theirs? I never met anyone growing up who looked forward to being bald,
and now we have self induced baldness. With men looking like future beings from
a 50’s science fiction movie. For me, I’ll stick with the Cowsill’s
recommendation, “fill your head with hair, long beautiful hair...” Leaving the
question, what color hair does a bald person have checked off on his license? Is
none a color? Or is bald the new blonde? With no dark roots?
Now Samson to me has always been a great argument for long hair. But it
came to him with two problems, one he was attractive to other women, usually the
undesirable ones, and it gave him supernatural strength, from God. But when on
Delilah got her hands on it, and cut it off, he lost all his power. He was
separated from God, his sin reflected in his actions. He drank wine, forbidden,
he touched a dead animal, big time no-no, and fell into lust. Losing his hair to
her, and being blinded by his enemies, he finally was to fight the Philistines
in one final battle. But while they thought his hair had given him strength, it
was really God, the hair being a symbol to others. Jews still like to look for
signs today Words aren’t enough. But the good thing was that Samson conquered
the Philistines by himself, pulling down the columns and crushing them, a
crushing defeat. But being blind, he never got to see his victory, and died
soon after. God had planned to use him all along to win over the Philistines,
but his sin got between him and God, and he won, just never seeing his victory.
Sin had blinded him to the things of God. His hair had grown back giving him
renewed strength, but there was a price he paid for his sin.
Today we have Jesus to forgive us, but sin still will keep us from seeing
the things of God. God has plans for us, he tells us many times, but our
actions are our own, and when we sin rather than choose God, we suffer. God’s
will will still be done, but sin has robbed us of the full victory. Only in
Jesus will we see that full victory, where no sin stands between us and him.
When we are truly forgiven, but still need to change. Samson still lived in
debauchery after his haircut, it was only when he got right with God did his
true strength return. Long hair, short hair, or bald we all need Jesus. Cut or
styled, we all sin and fall short. It takes a loving Jesus to save us.
Remember the posters form the 60’s, “let them wear their hair as long as they
like,” portraying along haired Jesus. Some buying into it, this being the
closest they got to him. Long hair represented freedom or rebellion, but never
experiencing the love of Jesus. So close, so trendy, yet not saved. Just a
haircut away from salvation.
So I prefer to say I got my hair styled. I will keep my relationship with
Jesus short or long. For he is more than style, he is life. Samson found out
the hard way about being separated from God. Jesus makes it easy to be reunited
with him. Takes less time than getting a haircut. Even shorter than getting it
styled. But a great walk with him takes daily shampooing, combing, and
grooming. God calls it working out our salvation. We are saved, our lives just
need touching up. But we can all be beautiful in Christ...his love for us
showing all the way down to his roots. Samson knew the true effect of hair
today, gone tomorrow. We have the chance to be here today, and in heaven
tomorrow. Only in Jesus will we get there. But that still leaves the question
of Betty or Veronica? And is it true blondes still have more fun? More fun
that what? All I did was get my hair styled, or cut....and that made all the
difference. If only Samson had listened to his barber.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com