A couple of posts back, I mentioned that I was losing my hair on the left temple, and above my left ear. They warned me in the beginning that the proton therapy has a tendency to create bald spots where the protons enter through the skin. Hair loss is the least of my concerns.
This morning I had to laugh. After getting ready to start my day, I noticed that half of my goatee was missing. After further examination, I noticed that most of my left eyebrow was also missing. It is funny to see. We look at ourselves in the mirror, and expect a certain image reflected back. When we don't see it, we stop for a second and try to make sense of it. I stood there for a minute or two trying to decide what the right course of action should be. I could simply go on with half the manscaping that I am used to, or just shave it off.
Covid-19 has launched us into a new normal of wearing masks when out in public. They can't see my face anyway. Who really cares if I have half a goatee? Family genetics have come up short when it comes to facial hair. I managed to grow a descent goatee, but it really lacks any sort of substance.
Growing up in Poway, CA was an amazing experience. I don't say that lightly. I grew up in the best time possible for our little town.
In October of every year, the Pow Wow Days annual celebration would start. The Pow Wow Posse would begin their annual charity drive that basically came down to; Could you grow enough facial hair to look like a man, or would you buy a "Smoothy Badge" from one of the Posse members? If you were caught without facial hair or a Smoothy Badge, you would be arrested, and but in jail for an hour. It was a lot of fun in our small town. Wives would rat out their husbands, neighbor's would blow the whistle on neighbors. It was good clean fun.
My dad would grow a goatee every year. Spars as it may be, it still qualified him to stay out of jail. Being one of the founding members of the Poway Volunteer Fire Department added an extra level of protection. That is, unless my mom wanted to see him behind bars.
The annual celebration would culminate in the PRCS rodeo at the fair grounds. In the day, it was the last stop before these cowboys would go to the finals. It was huge, and it meant a lot. I worry that we have lost that feeling.
My best friend "Bobby" and I would create adventures up in the hills that surrounded our town. We would set out on any summer morning, with a whisper in my mother's ear, "Me and Bobby are going up in the hills to catch rattlesnakes." My mom's reply? "Be careful, and be home for lunch." There were no cell phones, no way to communicate, just trust that they gave their children the wherewithal to make good decisions, and to be safe. They let us explore, and be kids. We came home battered and bruised, but we learned.
Would a kid today know what to do if they came across a rattlesnake in their path? Rattlesnakes are still out there. What would they do?
We live in a world where parents think that if they put a Styrofoam helmet on their kids head, and send them out on a bicycle, they will be safe. Are they? I suppose if you keep them confined to a world that is safe, with no adventure, and no exploring, they could survive. But, how much are they missing? Would it be better if we let them crash on their bike, getting a skinned knee or two? Maybe they might learn to protect themselves in the event of a crash.
One of my friends, Gary, was a bit of - how should I say - a risk taker. He was the guy that would push to envelope to it's max. When Bobby and I were trying to figure out the safest way to catch a rattlesnake, Gary was the guy that would jump right in, grab the rattle snake by it's tail, and hold it at arms length, hopefully keeping it from biting him. But, he was bit. It was reckless. We learned from his mistakes.
Parents today would say, "How could you ever allow your kid to be put in a dangerous situation? I believe that if you teach your child to be safe, and understand what the consequences are to their decisions, they will learn... and grow. And, be better adults for it.
I went ahead and shaved off the rest of my mustache/goatee today.
Then, I immediately decided to grow it back as soon as possible. It's never too late to learn from our mistakes.
Does anyone have a Smoothy Badge?
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