Megan commented on The Mews blog about a hair restraint Laz played with "Am I the only one who's wondering why on earth TBT would have bought one of those things? I can't imagine that he ever wore one himself". And that made me consider the history of my hair. And why pass up a good topic to post about?
OK, I'm sort of an old fart (turned 71 Friday). When I was a kid, we all had either "buzz" or "crew" cuts. "Buzz" was a short 1" high flattop cut and you needed Brylcream to comb it up stiff. Crew" was a short cut rounded to the skull. I think the 1st was army and the 2nd was navy. The really short hair for boys was a leftover from WWII when head lice were a problem. There was probably also some element of "long hair gives an enemy something to grab".
But, of course by the late 60s we guys were tired of looking like Dad, so we wanted our hair long as a symbolic act of rebellion. It was one of the least objectionable ways to do that.
So, in college, I grew an 18" ponytail. Dad hated it, so that was great! I must have been quite a sight then. Square-toed engineer boots, a cowboy hat, bell-bottomed jeans, a vest, and the ponytail. My dorm-mates nick-named me "Sheriff".
It DID cause some surprises when I worked at a department store. When facing away from a new customer, I often heard "Excuse me Miss..." LOL!
I still had it when I went to my Govt job interview. The boss decided I was worth hiring but also asked if I would cut off the ponytail "for professional appearance". I'm no fool, I immediately agreed and cut it off that night. I mean, it was a 25% pay raise from the department store!
But I cut it off with the elastic still on and hung it from a picture hook for years. Reminders of "good old days" are good. I tossed it away eventually.
Many years later (secure in my job) the 3rd level boss above me grew a ducktail. He was an utter jerk but thought he was "hip". So I regrew my ponytail to mock him. I am basically a progressive type with a few conservative ideas, but very sarcastic (or is that "sardonic"?). I don't show that here very often, but you should see me on some discussion boards. No, I won't tell you which ones; I am rather compartmentalized. But eventually I got bored with the trouble of maintaining it and cut it off again.
Then, when the covid-19 problem came around and visiting the barbershop was a no-no, I shaved my head completely. 3x in 2020. But my skull is "lumpy" (impacted sebaceous glands), so I gave up on that too. That's a topic in itself, but not today.
These days, my hair (what is left of it) is styled like my high school yearbook picture. 1/3 to my right and the rest to the left, tapered at the neck, none more than 6" long. Ease of maintenance has overcome style...
My hair has gone "around the block" (makes me a "blockhead?) a few times, so to speak! :)
So I am familiar with hair-restraints. Mostly though, I was happy to see him play with anything. He is not a toy-oriented cat. Nor is he a lap cat. I think he gets really bored inside. Even in the morning, not having eaten for 10 hours, he would rather go outside first.
And until he arrived here and was also kept inside for several months until I was sure he knew the house smells and could find it, he had never been outside. It may explain part of why he had frustration issues at first.
The more he gets outside, the calmer he is inside. He avoided returning inside the 1st few months, but as he learned I would let him out frequently (and by very loud demands) the more he has become willing to return when called.
I pretty much let him out when he wants, and he pretty much returns these days when called. And even when he doesn't return immediately, he is at the deck in 5-10 minutes.
They say "nothing can ignore you like a cat". And it is true especially with Laz. He can be right on the lawn and when I call his name, clap my hands, whistle, his ears don't even twitch! But he knows he has been called. He's at the deck door soon enough. Marley responds at once. Ayla seldom even leaves the deck these days.
But that is the tale of the hair elastic...
Thanks for the topic, Megan! Give me a question and I'll write a chapter, LOL!
