Having Long Hair

For much of my adult life, I’ve had longer than average hair. As a kid, I had a typically short haircut, indistinguishable from that of most boys who grew up in the 1960s.

Once I hit my teens, a lot of the guys were growing what we considered “long” hair back then; that is, our hair covered our ears. This was a relief to a lot of my friends who had big ears that stuck out, to finally get to cover them up. I didn’t have big ears, but I’ve got a big nose and I’ve always thought that short hair called more attention to it.

Long sideburns were also in until around the late 70s, so as soon as I was able, I grew these, too. My brother had them as well, all the way down to his jaw line, and I can remember my mother joking with him that his sideburns were the “straps that held his brain in”.

As I got a bit older, I discovered that a lot of women liked guys with long hair. That was it; I was sold for life. When I went off to college, I let it grow past my shoulders to the middle of my shoulder blades, which is about the length I have it today.

Women then and now love to play with it; to run their fingers through it, as well as to comb and braid it. I usually wear it bound, in a ponytail or braid when I’m out, especially when working. Only occasionally will I wear it loose in public.

Needless to say, it was quite a sacrifice that I never quite got used to when I joined the police force and had to cut my hair. However, the short hair rule was one of safety as much as one of image, as long hair would have given a suspect something to grab on to during a scuffle. (Ouch). For this reason, female officers were likewise encouraged, though not required, to have shorter hair.

That being said, I had my hair as long as the regulations would permit, never affecting the buzz cut, Marine-recruit look that seems to be so popular among male cops these days. Our department also had an unofficial custom that a rookie could not grow a mustache until he’d completed the academy and was released from his training officer at the department. Like most of the guys on the department, I grew one as soon as my training period was up, figuring if I couldn’t have my braid, I could at least have a mustache.

As soon as I left the department, I let my hair grow, and it hasn’t been short again since. Once it had reached a certain length, I shaved the mustache off and I’ve not grown another in the ten years since I left the force.

I feel lucky to have all my hair, even though I’m seeing more gray strands in it these days. No biggie. I imagine I’ll one day be an old man with a gray ponytail, and that’s just fine with me.