Short Hair back in the 70's

SEPTEMBER 1979

This story goes back to 1979, when everyone had long hair. It was my first year in Catholic School ( 9th Grade). I had always been a public school student up until that point. My hair was very much a statement of personality. I was very much into Hard Rock music, hanging out with my Hard Rock friends who all had very long hair. My parents just about gave up in trying to get me to cut it. They just accepted it and maybe just did not't care.

I lived in an urban area that was changing from a good family neighborhood where kids respected the Police and the neighborhood in general. Drugs and crime were becoming a big problem. Many of my friends were starting to move to the suburbs. My family didn't have the money to move so we had to stay. My Mother and Father were not going to send me to the local Public High School, they wanted me to go to Catholic School were there was some discipline. I really didn't mind at first because this Catholic High School had the most beautiful girls to me at the time, in the world.The local public High School had a 3 to 1 ratio of boys. When your a teenager, your hormones are just raging with only one thing on your mind. SEX!! Come to think of it, my hormones are still raging.

So my father took me to the School to register. Everything went fine. They told us that I had to wear a suit to School as this was part of the uniform. They didn't mention anything about my long hair. I didn't even think much of it. This was 1979. Everyone had long hair. Even the Police. The only young people sporting short haircuts were Men in the military.So I was ready and looking forward to this new environment and the beautiful girls with their short mini skirts. I just couldn't't wait.

For years, maybe since the third grade, I wore my hair long. At least three to for inches in length. But during the 8th grade, I let it grow to about 5 inches in length. It was always brushed and very neat. My sister was good friends with this gay male beautician. He was a very nice guy. He would come over our house and give everyone haircuts ( my Mom, two sisters and my self. Not my father ). He was so cool because he would just trim my hair maybe 1/2 to and inch at most. He thought that short hair was for "nerds" and wasn't cool at all. So did I. So to sum up my point, I wasn't use to short hair at all.

The first day of school comes around. I have my suit on and a fresh, neat trim. A very typical haircut for 1979. OK it was long. I looked liked I should be playing the Drums for Led Zeppelin ( John Bonham, may he rest in peace, drummer for Led Zeppelin). As I walked through the hallways I see, but really don't notice that there were other boys that had hair just as long as mine. I figured that as long as you brush it and wash it every day, there wouldn't be a problem. Little did I know.

OK, I'm in this school now for about two months. It's sometime in early November and my hair is not an issue to anyone. If anything, all the girls that I met in School, gave me complements on how nice my hair was. ( It's funny how styles change with the times. I think today, girls like men with short hair much more than long hair). So I remember this situation very well that I'm about to tell you. I was walking back from the lunch room going to my science class. I was with a few friends that I met in this school. We were talking and laughing. Just another day at School. Standing in the hallway was one of the assistant principals with this principal. They were not Nuns. Just regular people that happened to work in this school. They could have worked in a public School. My point being is that they were not into discipline like you may hear about Catholic School Nuns, They didn't hit students with rulers like you see in the movies. Or so I thought. Hey name was Sister Ann. I, up until this point, never had any words with her at all. I figured that she didn't even know my name. There were over 175 students in the 9th grade, how could she even know that I am even a student at her School. So, as me and my friends walked past her she calls me by my first name. It caught me off guard. I approached her an said " YES SISTER", very politely and respectful. She then said the magic words to me, " You really need a haircut". I said back to her not in a nasty way , but enough to get her annoyed as I soon found out that. "There are boys in this School who have hair just as long as mine. Some I think have hair even longer than mine". Her Reply was, " worry about yourself. I will deal with the other boys. We have a uniform in this School that demands that you look respectful. When you get older and try to get a decent job, you must have a REGULAR, BUSINESSMAN HAIRCUT. There is know way you could get a job with that mop on your head." At this point, I realized that she was pissed off at me , and was not going to see it my way. I just told her that I would take care of it this weekend. She just said "Thank you, now don't be late for your class".

Walking to the bus stop at the end of the School day, I figured that I should take care of this Haircut problem that day. This way, this women would just forget that I was even alive, the way you want to go through life. When you draw attention to yourself, many times it just means trouble. Especially in this School. So I took the bus home and call my sister at her job and asked her if her beautician friend could come over and give me a quick trim. She told me most likely, I will call him when he leaves his shop. I gave her a big thank you and hung up the phone. When she got home, she told me that he was busy and couldn't come over tonight. He was booked up until Sunday. She then asked me " since when do you ask or even schedule haircuts. You hate getting your haircut. I think if you could get away with it, your hair would be down to your butt". I told her that Sister Ann stopped me in the hallway of School today and singled me out. She said I needed a haircut. My sister just busted out laughing and said " I bet you wish you were still in public school, hahahahaha". I didn't care much about her laughing. We would aways pick on each other just like most siblings do. She then suggested that I go to the local Unisex hair salon that I use to go to before her friend would come over our house and cut our hair. She gave me $10 of her money and said I will tell mommy to pay me back. Keep in mind, $10 was on the higher scale of what haircuts went for in 1979. This was a good Salon that most of my neighborhood friend went to get their haircut at. So I took the money and went to the Salon. When I got there, the receptionist said hello, what can we do for you. I said a wash and trim. She asked me if there was anyone in particular that I wanted to wait for. I said no. She said OK, then just follow me. She sat me in that Hair washing chair and said some will be with you in a minute. OK to make a long story short, the Salon gave me a good trim. Maybe an inch off and my hair or what I thought looked just fine. It had not been this short in years.

Next day, I went to School and without exaggerating, Sister Ann was standing in the hallway. I figured that she would complement me on getting my haircut. She told me very quietly as I walk by to "Remember our discussion yesterday, get your haircut this weekend like you promised". I was shocked that she didn't notice that I did cut may hair. I told her that I got a haircut yesterday, can't you tell. She got so mad as if I was not telling the truth to her. She told me to just take care of your appearance like we discussed. If you don't, maybe a few days in detention would change your mind. I was very mad and she knew it. I told her that my parents have no problem with my appearance. Why are you giving me a hard time. She she, "that's it, report to my office at the end of the day. So the day went on and i went to her office very pissed off and wishing I was still in public school. She told me to sit down while I get your record. She came back with my record and told me that she was going to call my house and speak with my parents about this matter. So she made the call and I was very surprised with what happened next. I knew that no body was home and just hoped that this whole thing would just blow over. Well. I was right. Nobody answered the phone. I thought to my self, thank God. But this was the worst thing that could have happened. She was very annoyed. she hung up the phone and look at me with a dead, evil stare. She said that the last principle that worked here before me would take out a pair of scissors and cut boys hair that was in the condition that your hair was in. I got so scared for a moment. She then took out a red pen and wrote a note that I was to have signed by my parents. She then told me to give this to your Mom today. If it's not signed and brought to my office first thing in the morning, your really gonna find out how mean I could be. I though nothing of it until I read the letter.It pretty much said that my hair looked horrible. She wrote that " your son tells me that you no problem with the way he wears his hair etc. In so many words, she painted a picture that I was a trouble maker and heading down the wrong path in life. It was just a bunch of BS! I though that my Mom would be pissed off at this Women for writing such crap about her son. After all, I was her little angel who could do no wrong. I sure was wrong.

So when I got home, I sat down and watched a little TV. I didn't realize that I left the letter that Sister Ann wrote on the Kitchen table. While i was watching TV, I fell asleep only to be woken up by my Mother who had the letter in her hand. She then surprised me when she was very mad at me and was completely on Sister Ann's side. I told her that Sister Ann didn't even notice that I got my haircut yesterday. Remember, you paid for it. All my mother said was and I quote', I'm sick of that long hair, go to the Barbershop and get haircut now, here's $5, go now. I was so mad. We fought for at least 15 minutes, but she was determined to get her way. So off to Joe, the local Barber that I have not seen in many years. All I knew was that he was a "BUTCHER". No one walks out of his shop with long hair. Off I went.

My mother was even friends with Joe. My mom worked in a card store next to the Barbershop. This is was pissed me off the most. I figured that I could reason with Joe to keep my hair some what long. No such thing. when I left the house, my mom called him up and read the letter to him. She told him to give me a regular short boys haircut. I found this out when I entered his shop. I sat down while he was giving a haircut. When it was my turn, he called me by my first name just like Sister Ann did in the hall. He told me that my Mom had called. I then started telling him how I wanted it. he just put the cape on and said " your Mom told me to give you a short haircut, so don't get mad at me. I was so mad but said to myself, " what the hell, just don't think about it. I knew it was going to be very short when he went straight for the clippers, turned them on, put his hand on the top of my head and just started shearing through my hair. Tons of hair fell on the cape. I almost felt like crying at this point. I though about my friends busting my balls and what a "nerd" I was going to look like. When he was done my hair was the shortest I have ever scened. Even when I was a very little kid, it wasn't this short. I didn't even recognize myself. I paid Joe and for some reason, still gave him a tip. He said thank you, see you next month. I said, " not if I can help it and walk out. As soon as I walked out. I saw my friend Mike. He said what happened to you, are you joining the Army in a joking way. I told him the story. He told me not to say hello to his father. If he sees that haircut, he's going to make me get one just like it. My hair was maybe a 1/4 of an inch long on the sides, tapered in the back and maybe a 1/2 long on top. A very typical haircut you would get in this day an age. Back then, it was short. Very, Very Short and there was nothing I could do about it. So to end this TRUE story, Sister ANN saw me in the hallway and said, " Now that's a good haircut". I left the School at the end of the 9th Grade and went back to public School. I grew my hair out and wore it long until I went to College. The next short haircut a got was at college. My hair was very long. I would say five inches long. I don't know why I did what I will briefly tell you. Next to the school was your typical Barber shop. I said to myself, lets get a trim here. Never being in this place before, It was very daring of me to go inside. There were two Barbers. One was a Women. The other a Man. I figured and thought that women cut hair better than males. They listen and don't scalp you like male Barbers do. The Man was available. He stood up and said next to me. The women had a customer. I told him that I wanted to wait for her. He seem upset, but said OK. The women then told me that I should go to him almost in a mad way. I told her that I rather wait for you. She said OK. When she was finished, she told me in a some what annoyed way to sit in the chair. She then for the first time. started speaking in what sounded Russian to the other Barber completely ignoring me. She put the cape on, the paper around my neck. Fastened the cape tight still ignoring me. She pulled out a brush and started brushing my hair. She then look at me and said, Oh MY, why is you hair so long. People are starting to wear there hair short these days. It was 1983. I told her to just trim it up. An old man that was sitting in the shop told her that I needed a haircut very bad. The other Russian Barber then said in English that my hair was much too long. I felt like they were ganging up on me. So for some crazy reason, I told her to Cut it not to long, not to short. The next thing I knew, everyone was speaking Russian in the shop. It was as if they didn't like me as i felt very uncomfortable. Once a again like Joe the Barber when I was in High School, she pulled out the Loud Clippers, turned them on and started giving me a very short haircut. I didn't even say a word. I felt helpless and out of place in this strange Barbershop. At that point, a mother came in with her son. He sat in the other Barbers chair. The mother screamed at her son and said, "Stop acting like a baby, you need a Haircut. She told the Barber to cut it short. She looked at me at said to the Barber who was about to cut her sons hair," Cut it short the way he's ( Me) getting his hair cut.The mother then sat down and started talking with the old man sitting down that her son is going to get a haircut more often. I'm sick of people thinking that I have a daughter. The young boy just sat there crying while we both got short haircut. From that point on, I got short haircuts. It was the turning point from being a Young teenager to a man.