I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with my hair. Although I’ve never had the nerve to dye it pink, green, or blue, I’ve definitely spent time as a blonde, a brunette, a redhead, and a black-haired goth girl, even as an adult.
Growing up, I had a close friend whose parents were even stricter than mine. Her mother constantly punished her for one alleged infraction or another.
One time, when the girl highlighted her hair without her parents’ permission, her mother’s punishment was especially harsh.
The woman shaved her daughter’s head.
My friend was inconsolable. Then something incredible happened. All her friends at school thought she did it on purpose, and they were shocked at her brave, bold, daring look. They were even jealous.
My friend found a new confidence in her shaved head. She was proud of it and she showed the world that she wasn’t afraid to take risks with her appearance, regardless of what others thought or said.
It’s easy to see why some people think that shaving someone’s head is an extreme form of punishment, but sometimes it can be a powerful statement of self-expression and courage.
My friend was an example of that. She may have started out with a shaved head as punishment, but it ended up being the beginning of her journey to becoming an individual who embraced being different.
As her hair grew back, she continued shaving the sides, which irritated her mother to no end. Her mother demanded she allow all her hair to grow back in, but to no avail.
Sometimes the best way to make a statement is to take a brave stand.
Her mother even threatened to shave it again, but my friend didn’t care. She knew her friends and classmates would all love it if she showed up to school with a shaved head, so she wasn’t afraid. She dared her mother to shave it.
When her mother saw her threat misfire, she knew she was defeated. She went back to grounding her daughter every time she did something that upset her, but she couldn’t stop her from shaving the sides of her head for the rest of the school year.
My friend still has a partially shaved head today. She loves it and rocks it with confidence. I’m so proud of her for embracing her individuality instead of being scared to express herself.
What do you think? Comments are welcome.