How I feel a week later

It's been a week since I shaved my head. How do I feel?

Ecstatic.

Despite the fact that a few people (and only a very few) have disapproved of my drastic move on grounds ranging from the aesthetic to moral, I remain unmoved and unremorseful. Why? Here are some of my own reasons for loving my new 'do:

Delighted.

(Is Squirt sneezing, laughing or just plain delighted? We may never know.)

• I can put my swim cap on at the gym without Mandi's help and without feeling like I'm ripping my hair out every time I put it on or take it off.
  
• Do you know how refreshing it is to never worry about your hair getting stuck on your lip gloss? I put it on and never have to think about it again. Lovely.
• I now laugh at the idea of wind-blown hair.
• Derrick now says bye to me with a kiss and a sweet little head rub.
  
• Is it just me, or are people nicer? Cashiers, people in lines, people in elevators, complete strangers. Last weekend I also got the best prices I've ever managed at my local Farmers' Market. Hmm...It seems that looking like you may or may not be undergoing cancer treatment is a big incentive for people to not be jerks. Don't get me wrong. I get the occasional stare, but generally when I catch people staring they smile back at me or look away politely.
• I can literally get out of the shower and be done with my hair. Why don't more women do this? I have no idea.
• With a lively almost-toddler often in my arms, the absence of hair pulling is a reason in and of itself for a shaven head.
• One of the best things about new experiences such as a shaven head is the additional new experiences it can lead to. My friend, Kjell (who also shaved her head), and I are both candidates to participate in a photoshoot in September for a professional, award-winning photographer based out of Salt Lake. Check out her site here. All because we are two women who dared to shave our heads.
  

Proud.