What is it about haircuts?

A girl's life is told through her hair. One look at a long time girl pal's hair will tell you what she is going through. An extension of a girl's feelings is her hair, so to speak. To be able to maintain a long hair despite of bespeaks of strength, religious dictum, or economic limitations. No girl can keep a long hair or a short hair long enough without doing something to it. A few highlights here and there. An unnoticeable trim around it. There's gotta be something.

Glee's Quinn Fabray post-Finn 

Judy Ann Santos after weight loss (or when she was trying to lose weight)

Former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo post-Edsa 2 oath-taking

The more drastic a change in hairstyle, the more radical the shift is in her life.

Like now. I decided to chop off my locks I took two years to grow. I told myself to resist cutting it off no matter what happens. But then again, I'm done with the graduation picture (and more) so nothing's stopping me. Not even my mother's tempting promise of a nice hair treat when I go back home.

I kept my word for two years. But somehow, I feel that I have to write new stories with a different hair. Take new pictures of my last semester in the university with a significantly shorter hair. I've been so vain about my hair for the past couple of years. I want to keep it simple this time.

What does cutting signify? Ribbon cutting ceremonies represent an opening of something new. Cutting the losses mean letting go of something not worth keeping anymore. Merging the two meanings make up what getting a haircut entails.

Entering the salon to have a haircut is the first step towards the ceremony. It's not easy to let go of long locks of hair that took years to grow (and a lot of cash on hair products). Some girls take months and months collecting hair pictures and deciding which one would suit her best. Other girls go to salons right before (or after) making a huge decision.

With every inch cut, there's always that hope of something new (not necessarily better, but here's to hoping that things go for the better) growing out from the now short hair. All the hair now on the floor become memories of that distant past where the hair probably had ugly split ends or where the hair was stroked by a hand a girl don't want to be reminded of.

Cheers to brand new beginnings!