To my bald professor, Dr. White
Length of one’s hair. Dr. White, it does seem a frivolous matter, does it not? I’m slow to make a statement because one person’s reason for wearing his or her hair long would appear just as good as another’s reason for trimming. But, since the question has been posed, I must reveal my firm belief. Long hair is better than short hair.
Now, based on the photo that you have uploaded as your profile picture on LinkedIn, it appears that you, Dr. White, do not hold the same belief as I. Your hair is quite short. Of course, a case of slight balding may be the culprit in your situation.
Nevertheless, the hair that you do have is brief and trimmed. You provide me a case where true persuasion will be necessary. I’m not preaching to the choir, but rather, the unconverted and unconvinced. Actions speak louder than words, and your apparent repeat trips to the barber leave me no choice but to do my due diligence in exhorting you with all my rhetorical fervor in hopes of producing a repentant spirit within you.
I will chose to forgive you for keeping your hair short up to this point. After all, you may not have heard satisfactory evidence for why growing out your hair is the superior decision. You are a professional after all, and most of your type make frequent trips to their barbers and stylists.
What I’m proposing is that you begin to experiment with less and less journeys to the coiffeur. This is not a trial for past behavior but an encouragement of exploration into a world where there is a more abundant supply of hair upon your head.
You might be asking yourself why you should give me and my argument the time of day. Can I remind you, Dr. White, that I have given you much more than a few minutes of my time in the past three weeks? While this is but one single note of mine that I’m asking you to read and consider fairly, I have read multiple articles from your website and listened to a few of your oral arguments as well.
It’s fair to say that I’ve given a decent amount of attention to your voice, to your pen. For you to dismiss my voice now would be inconsistent with our relationship thus far. You’re not a freeloader of attention are you? I don’t regard you as such. You seem more a rhetorician and less like an economist. Therefore, I have great confidence that you will hear me out.
I think that you and I are cut of the same cloth. You have a passion for persuasive communication — so much so that you’ve dedicated a whole website for your writing with numerous posts that explain how everyday people can communicate and interact with one another. I also blog about communication theories and how they can be applicable in normal life. I have to say that your short, 4-minute style is a great blog writing strategy; one that I can learn from.
Hopefully, you’ve listened this far. I know how tempting internet distractions can be in this age of technology. Yes, correcting this paper is a part of your job description, but I wouldn’t want to assume you to be a captive audience.
I’ll be glad to hear that you read this as my trusted comrade in the pursuit of better persuasion. You’re a logical man, Dr. White, given to reason and rejecting whimsy. So, what better way to show long hair better than short but by a little rationale.
Assuming that nature, in its purest form, reveals true beauty, would not long hair with its wild and unbridled form be more artistic, more alluring, more attractive than short? Man has always had a his violent way with the world. He cuts down trees, shears his sheep, and trims his beard.
But, who looks upon the sword of man and declares that his destruction is good? Powerful? Yes. Mighty? True. Full of beauty? Not by any means. For any rejoicing that the victorious party may entertain, there be just as much mourning made by the victims of the sword.
You might counter my logic with examples of advancements made by men and their ability to shape, craft, and sharpen the world. And yes, I will have to concede that man has brought many good things upon the earth by his ability to craft and contour.
But, have any of the artists attained even half the beauty in their paintings as a single sunset exhibits on a summer evening? Have any architects cut and shaped a structure half as mighty as a single mountain, immovable on the earth? Could you admit that for all man’s brilliance and effort, he has not yet attained to the beauty of the natural world?
Let me tell you a personal story. I used to cut my hair quite regularly. As a youth, I used to let my father shave my head. I thought that it made me look like a warrior. In reality, my shaved head along with my skinny frame made me look more like a cancer patient. Picture a junior high kid in a basketball jersey and shorts. Six foot tall and 140 pounds. His head is shaved and his wire frame looks ill. I wasn’t struggling with an illness or being treated with chemotherapy, but my penchant for short hair failed to do justice to my robust health and athleticism.
Today, my hair grows long, to my shoulders and beyond as I continue to let it be itself. My hair truly expresses my strength and character. Dr. White, I’m not asking you to never cut your hair again. However, would you be willing to grow it out for one year and see if your image is a better reflection of your true self?