04/28/2019
05/25/2019
0
would you shave your head? why not?
Eye Of The Beholder
I say why not because I’m assuming that the majority of you, especially if you’re female, said no.
Preceded with a really colourful adjective.
And if you’re a male and you haven’t already shaved your head – damn straight you’re proud of that fact and you wanna hold on to your locks. You do you.
But why is it that when I see a female with a shaved head I double take and am in total awe of what I see?
Now, I have no idea for what reason this said head was hairless, but regardless, I think it’s a beautiful, courageous and ballsy statement.
I also don’t know if I see the beauty because of what I believe it represents, but the women I’ve seen with shaved heads have all been ridiculously beautiful in my eyes, like bottomless vessels of confidence and strength.
Whether or not these woman are exuding these characteristics or I’m just imaging it based on some internal story I’m telling myself around beliefs and past experiences, I can’t say for sure.
In either case, it made me wonder not only about our hair, but about how many other visible and acquired extensions of ourselves that we’re attached to.
Pieces that play a part in how we see ourselves.
More importantly, how we feel about ourselves.
And the latter worries me.
I’m no exception.
I can gussy up with the best of ‘em and enjoy every minute of it topped off with my favourite loud accessory and bold lip.
But hair is always there offering a plentitude of options for how to present it to the world; it’s a flexible constant.
That is assuming you haven’t joined the dark skinned bald beauty from the beach of which I speak.
Begs The Question
What if you stripped it all away?
The hair, the accessories, the clothes.
What do you get?
What do you think?
Does it take us getting to a certain point with our body image or our skin quality to be able to drop our attachment and safety blanket that is our hair and make it irrelevant?
To toss it to the side?
Or is it truly and simply a power from within that makes anything we do possible and comfortable.
What if it was for philanthropic reasons?
Or out of an act of solidarity?
Does that change the story for our ego?
This is what I wondered as I enjoyed my sunset walk and took in the site of this woman walking out of the tree line that walled Playa Hermosa on the Nicoya peninsula of Costa Rica.
I actually stopped in my bare foot tracks to stare and wonder these things before sitting on a log and jotting this out.
As I look back on how I’ve embraced my travel days of no makeup and salty, sweaty short hair, I feel closer to existing without “help”. Plus lets be honest, a tan goes a long way!
Natural State
For the most part during travel you’re surrounded by others on the tropical coastlines who are also embracing their natural state.
Until one of your roomies in the hostel puts on mascara for a night out and in your sudden confused ‘fomo’ like state of mind you cheekily jest:
“Oh, it’s like that tonight is it?!”
And with that you’re overtaken with an urge to join the party and dig to the bottom of one of your toiletry bags to try and find a black wand to wave you into matching formation with the other females.
Or not, and you think of how much easier going to bed later will be!
Time To Shed
I’m reminded of an ongoing discussion with a male friend of mine who has often expressed his somewhat disapproving opinion on the topic.
An opinion which leaves him visibly frustrated.
Something to the extent of:
It’s like women are faking it.
They (the collective generalized majority) paint on this face everyday pretending like that’s what they look like.
But in reality, in some of these cases it’s such a far cry from the reality of the appearance without certain extensions, help, or supplements.
He proceeded to add that guys don’t do that and that men might be left behind a wall of armour and distrust wondering if in fact ‘we’ are cheating their very eyes into believing a fantasy.
Are we faking it?
Are we simply conditioned this way and are all following each other and societal norms which might be applying more pressure than we even realize?
Or do we enjoy it and exercise our right of choice daily?
Enjoy it… fine.
Need it?
Well… maybe we all just need an extended vacation on a Caribbean shore to gain some perspective, be inspired by shaved female heads, and shed our layers and extensions for once and feel the freedom that comes with it.
Raising The Anchor
I was listening to an audio just recently that took this a layer deeper.
Deeper inward and within.
Talking about anchor points that we cling to that keep us feeling safe.
Work, family, places, relationships.
About raising our anchors and detaching from the fear that arises from the change that comes along with it.
I think this is an even more important space to place our awareness.
But hey, maybe it all starts with contemplating changing our hair style.
One step at a time.
Step lightly, but boldly.
Sign-up to our Community
Enjoy following my travel adventures and want to be notified when new blogs are posted? Complete the form below & subscribe to our mailing list where you can receive regular blog notifications, insights & information about featured products, events and other things Loved by Lina!
English