PEOPLE’S REACTIONS

What would you think if you saw me for the first time?

I mentioned before that I’ve gotten some interesting reactions from people. I have a few more stories to add to this…

Two days after I shaved my head, I played the cajon for a church service. The cajon is a hand drum that you sit on and lean forward to play:

So yes, I effectively put my bald head on display for the entire congregation. Not exactly my intent (if I’m really honest, maybe it was, in the back of my mind!), but it was too warm to wear a beanie…

So one of the other women on the worship team let me know that her friend told her she had been praying for me. Apparently she thought I had cancer. The woman set her straight and told her my story – but it made me think about people I know who do have cancer. And like I said before, this whole experience is made much more meaningful by those who have suffered hair loss when it was not their choice.

There is also a man who usually sits behind us at church who approached me and asked why I had no hair. “Is it treatment?”

Another couple from our church had a different perception. The woman saw me come in alone, with my bald head. Since she did not see my husband with me (he greets people outside and therefore comes in late), she thought we were having relationship trouble, and concluded that I had shaved my head as a sign of devotion. Nope, it’s a sign of love!

Once people know about my cause, the reaction is usually something like “wow, that’s awesome!” “I could never do that!” Sometimes they tell me about a loved one with cancer or Alopecia, and I tell them I donated my hair to Locks of Love.

Keep asking questions, everyone. I love sharing my story.

On New Years’ Eve, we visited my husband’s family. It was a cold day, and after a 35-mile ride and a long hot shower, I still wanted to wear my warmest beanie for the duration of the day. However, I have an earring in my left ear that began to bother me (read: hurt) when my beanie pressed against it. So as much as I was shy to share my “baldness” with my family, I had to take off the beanie and expose my recently-shaved head. To my surprise, most of the family seemed to ignore my new hairdo. Maybe since they’re all doctors they know that I don’t have cancer because my hair is actually growing, and they didn’t want to ask? In any case, it sort of made me question my reasoning for exposing my head. Did I want people to notice, i.e. for attention, or did I want to share what I’m doing at work with my family? I really do want to share with as many people as possible, but for some reason it felt that if I shared with this side of the family, who I see only about once a year, it would be like contacting someone you haven’t seen in a long time and immediately asking for money. But I guess everyone deserves a chance to hear about my students, so with this in mind, I think next time I’ll try to speak up more.

Later that day, as my husband and I were shopping at the grocery store, a nice lady happened to come up to us and mention how we both looked nice and warm with our beanies. I’m normally shy, but I found myself explaining that the reason was because I had no hair, and pulling my beanie back. I then explained the “short” version of my story: “I’m doing a fundraiser: I’m Music Therapist, working with adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, trying to raise money for a MacBook Pro to use GarageBand for various projects” etc… Long story short, we waved goodbye and a few minutes later she came back and handed me a $5 bill, and said something to the effect of: “this is for your cause.” I gave her my website address so she could read more about what she just contributed to. I am so humbled by all the people who give generously to Bald Love, regardless of how much they know, and whether they’ve known me for years of have just met me. It reminds me of the effect our students have on others. If you’ve never met my students, I encourage you to schedule a visit and meet them – you’ll be glad you did!