Cut off for cancer

This is not my usual drivel.  It is drivel with a message. Please bear with me.  On Saturday I had all my hair shaved off.  With my consent.  The hair was even picked up and put into a plastic bag.  Not, as they insisted, for forensic evidence, but because it might be long enough to fashion a wig for someone.  At the time I thought that I pity the poor soul who is better off by having my hair than none, but now after 24hours I have modified my view.  I have an egghead, am a bit of one as well and am lucky enough to not have receding hairline or thinning hair at 40.  So not only don’t  I have a reason to wear my hair very short, I really shouldn’t just as a service to all seeing people around me.  Just have a look at the picture taken from the top.  But not if you’ve recently eaten.

It was the annual money raising effort of the cancer association of South Africa.  You could buy stuff, get your hair sprayed green or purple, cut off or of course just donate money.  Spraying it some weird colour does draw attention to you and perhaps can be an advertisement or encouragement for someone else to also contribute.  Cutting it all off is supposed to show solidarity with those who have no choice as either the disease or the medication make the hair fall out. 

Why did I do it? 

1. It is 20 years since my mother died of cancer.  From this year on I will be alive for longer without her than with her.  Her hair fell out much sooner in her treatment than was the norm.  She was not ready for it.  Three things about that made a huge impact on me.  The one was how she turned her initial anger at losing her hair into a lesson about not being vain. 

When eventually she found a wig, she was astonished that someone in China could make artificial hair that looked just like her own hairstyle!

She just started wearing the wig and was extremely self conscious about it.  But only she knew and the couple of people very close to her.  One day a total stranger commented on how lovely her hair looked and asked what she did to keep it that way.  Initially she just mumbled something about normal shampoo and conditioner and the stranger walked on.  But Mother was never very good at lying and followed her after a minute or so and told her that it was a wig and the cancer treatments made her own fell out.  That lady did more for my mother’s self esteem in her remaining time with a small comment than just about anything else.  

2. The cancer association helped my mother a lot during that time.  As they have helped thousands of others.  I am sure they never have enough money to do all they want to.
3. When my friend that I know since before primary school got diagnosed with cancer in our early twenties, I did not shave my head in solidarity like our other buddy.  Maybe now I am trying to make up for it.  The treatment worked. He is still alive and healthy and father of three. 
4. A mentor from work was last year diagnosed with cancer.  I feel now more than usual to help the cancer association.
5. It is five years since my father died of cancer.  His illness was detected too late to even get to treatment, so no hair loss then.  Just another reason to donate money.
6. It was time for a hair cut anyway and the asking price was a lot cheaper than a proper one.
7. During the week I attended a quiz evening organised by The Fisherman’s Wife ⁽¹⁾ that raised R6000 for the charity Make A Difference.  The husband and wife team will also ride the Argus with a link to raising money for same foundation.  This reminded me about unselfishness and donating money.
8. I got sick and tired of the jealous looks from my buddies when they stroked their bald pates and looked resentfully at my full, if greying, head of hair.  Clearly this is a joke.  I am imagining the jealousy.

I went to a wine event after the hair episode and was very self conscious.  It was only me as no one knew me there and did not know how I normally look.  What I do find slightly ironic is that in an attempt to raise money and awareness about cancer I increased my chances of getting the skin version as I removed a natural protection from my head.

I do hope that when you read this and you don’t already help others, you will consider doing so. I will be grateful that the title of this post is cut off for cancer and not by cancer.  It will also be interesting to see if the beard or the head hair grows faster back.  Until the determination of a proper winner I will continue to enjoy the strange feeling of rubbing my stubbly head.

(1)    Who will get a non-possessive name as soon as I can think of one.