Happy New Hair

January 7, 2026

It’s January 7th and this is my first time pondering in 2026.  I’m still writing some, but I am spending much more time reading right now. I started a project to compose a narrative about my home state. It’s something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Of course, getting started is always the hardest part.  But it finally happened over the holidays.

The first thing I do for a project like this isn’t the writing part. I try to do some research and gather source material first. Books and research papers that help me think and learn.  So, as I said, I have been doing a lot of reading.  Not that I don’t have a fair amount of material rattling around in my head already about Michigan.  But it’s a fun project and it will take a fair amount of time to complete, so I won’t likely be as prolific a ponderer while I am engaged in this endeavor. It’s putting structure to my thoughts, so it makes it hard to just randomly think about something else, which is what pondering is to me.

It’s also January so it’s grey and shitty. This makes it hard to ponder anything but my need for sunshine. I do love my Michigan, but she’s like any other woman, including my wife. Not always sunshine and roses. On occasion, the dark side emerges and can become a drag on your soul.  Now now, if you asked my wife, she would say the same thing about me, except use a word other than occasionally. More like frequently.  After 40 years of marriage, I would suggest that’s a pretty normal thing.  Frankly, I don’t know what I would do without her. 

On the positive side, there are things I am looking forward to. Our annual month in Florida is right around the corner.  Spending March in the sunshine state is such a good thing. You escape the doldrums of winter just as you reach the end of your rope.  March in Michigan is usually a mixed bag of mainly bad and worse.  So, it’s a great time to escape.  I am also currently planning a “gentleman’s trip” to New Orleans in May, for my son’s 30th birthday. That should be fun. At least in an adult, too old for too much debauchery sort of way.  There is far more to New Orleans than just Bourbon Street.  But we will still spend too much time there anyway.  Just for the spectacle.But for now, it’s dry January. 

This will be my 4^th in a row.  I actually enjoy it.  I love to drink but it sure does take a toll on your mind, body and spirit, even in moderation.  After the overload of the holidays, I sort of enjoy it. It gives me the chance to detoxify and balance out all the bad that comes with overindulgence.  Which makes it rather easy to do.  I do enjoy alcoholic beverages though. They will likely shorten my life but make the life I live more fun and worth living.  I’m sad to say that, but it’s true.  For me anyway.

Speaking of random thoughts, I’ve been growing my hair out since August. No, I don’t know why. My hair has been very short for a very long time. Maybe I just needed a change.  I guess I wanted to try out the Willie Nelson look.  I know I was thinking about a ponytail but again, I’m not sure why. Maybe I thought I could be a silver fox.  What I’ve turned out to be is more of a silver water buffalo.  It just doesn’t seem to look right.

The person that cuts my hair has done so for nearly 30 years.  The only time she did not, was when I lived abroad. So, I haven’t seen her in a few months. I just scheduled an appointment with her next week. I need to see if she can do anything with the grey mop I’m carrying on my noggin. I’ll probably need to use smelling salts to get her off the floor when she sees what my hair has become.

Oddly enough, people keep encouraging me.  I have heard multiple times, “I love it!  It is just at that awkward intermediate stage, it’ll get better”. I don’t care what they say, I’m just not feeling it.  I look like the Heat Mizer when I get up in the morning.  It scares me to even look in the mirror. I can see by the look on my wife’s face when I come down for coffee in the morning, before my shower, that she isn’t impressed. But she keeps it to herself.  That’s what 40+ years together will do.  Your partner lets you walk around looking like an electrocuted Einstein.

Oh well, she’ll get her due.  Just for that, I’m gonna really get her back.  I’m gonna leave the light on in the bedroom, forget to take the garbage out, leave the oven on, forget to put the toilet seat down and not fill the toilet paper when it’s empty.  And maybe, even maybe, I’ll open the bathroom door while she is showering. Ha! That’ll get her.

Oh, that’s right.  I already do those things. Maybe I’ll just get a haircut.