| Hair and Happiness Part 6 The real thing Increasingly I began to think about what sort of relationship would keep me happy long term. It wasn�t just that the internet relationships were emotionally shallow. I began to realise that the hair growing journey was as important to me as long hair itself. I wanted to be there to see my partner�s hair grow longer and longer, experiencing each new length in turn. My relationships with super long haired women found on the internet seemed almost as if I was cheating, and seemed lessened in the process. I also remembered the thrill I experienced seeing Claire�s red curly hair growing inch by inch and being occasionally surprised at how long it had grown. I imagined that excitement being multiplied over many more years and many more inches. Whether it was by accident or by subconscious design, I met my now wife five years ago today- just as I was beginning to tire of the chocolate candy of internet life. We met at a dull corporate event at the Tate Modern in London. She was one of the organisers. I was a guest. I didn�t even notice her hair at first. It was strawberry blond and drawn into a tight bun. By the end of the evening we had both opted out of our responsibilities and were sharing a drink away from the crowd. We hit it off immediately and agreed to meet. When called on her to collect her for our first evening out, I saw her hair properly for the first time. Although just shoulder length, it was so glossy, thick and such a beautiful red-blonde colour that I was momentarily struck for words. What amazed me was how it moved. The individual strands slipped over each other with such ease that it gave the impression of being fluid. It was like dry flowing sand or a waterfall. She saw my momentary disorientation and smiled. �I�ve just washed it�, she said. She was clearly used to the reaction! Just a few weeks into the relationship she already knew her hair was important to me. Once, after telling her for the millionth time how beautiful it was, she told me that she used to have it long as a child. �My mum used to chop about a foot off every April, just before my birthday,� she said. �I used to be able to sit on it sometimes before she did that�. Once, when I collected her for a night out, her hair was noticeably shorter. Some three inches had been removed. She noticed my crestfallen look. �Its OK�, she said. �It grows back. It�s just my usual trim�. I saw what she meant over the next weeks. In less than three months she was making her appointment at the salon again, with her hair back to its previous length. Clearly I had found my woman! |