Let my hair down

Far from uniting us, the elusive virus has divided the world more than ever. The sad reality is that the division is being reinforced rather than undermined. As a consequence, the rich are indeed getting richer, the poor are surely getting poorer. Women are getting older, and men are losing hair. The other half need not frown, however, as the receding hairlines foreclose any chance for men to hide their age. Surprisingly, there is a broad absence of concern in such crucial matters.

No splitting hair in a matter as obvious as this, but the presence of glaring unisex salons and snazzy hair studios primed in ever-increasing numbers take the hairline route to buttress the divide. Pretty progressive it seems, one which entices clients to look outwardly groomed as a facade to reflect consumptive appetites that prioritise appearance over their own inner rumblings. A belief that has sunk in, but at a huge cost.

I am deliberate in my construction of the narrative, driven by my gratuitous aim of representing those who are rarely counted. My reference here is to the roadside salons, minimalist in their outlook with a chair facing the mirror hung from the boundary wall or the trunk of a shady tree.

With rudimentary tools that are no less functional, these ubiquitous salons too contribute to gross domestic product though never acknowledged. And on top, it is a net-zero emission facility at the roadside, not far from our doorsteps.

Driven by discreet thoughts on economy and environment, and inspired by Martin Luther King’s invocation to make systemic difference, I literally let my hair down often at the open-air salon much to the chagrin of my middle-income household. Stubborn for over five years now, I have let my conviction get the better of the so-called shame to see the difference that can be made in the lives of others by being different. Given its varied implications, it is an affirmative action that gained quite a currency during the pandemic.

Until such time I am forced to wear a golf cap, to be trimmed under a shady tree shall remain my fascination. To be in nature to get rid of the natural outgrowth is enlightening to say the least. Undaunted by the unusualness of my action, there is enough usefulness to keep me hooked to the engaging activity that a sizeable number of roadside salons have spread under the open sky. When it comes to the matter of hair, I value business that is done more with a purpose, and not profit alone.

Need I say that there is a lot at stake at the lowest end of the hairline economy. And, as long as there is no dearth of hair supplies I will only let my hair down for the hairline economy at the lower end to grow. I have no intention of stopping to make a difference and may invite others to join for the sake of a hairy cause.