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Save the Whale

There's nothing quite like the exhilaration of finding a new hairdresser that you really like. It's a rare combination of qualities—technically proficient, responsive to concerns, proactive with providing advice and explanation, friendly, skilled conversationalist (in approximate order of importance)—but when you find someone like this, their pampering is a shot of self-confidence in the arm. I didn't know how much I had missed this experience until I went to a proper hairdresser today after a couple of years of saving money with a family barbershop. While the good people at the barbershop were nice enough, I never knew what I would walk away with because I rarely had the same person twice. Not to mention that they were barely interested in what I wanted done beyond a couple of words. But tonight I am positively aglow because I have found a hairdresser and we have a vision of my hair's future and a detailed plan of how to get there.

What lies in store for my hair, you ask? A hairstyle that I have dubbed The Whale, after Jeff Daniels's character in the terrific yet tortuous film The Squid and the Whale. Don't get me wrong, there's almost nothing to admire about this character except his hair, but oh, what glorious hair it is (for those who haven't seen the film, the best images I could find are
here and here). You see, I've never had my hair longer than a couple of inches in my whole life and lately I'm feeling inspired to find out what it would be like. There are several reasons for this, some of which are too complex and even existential to get into here and others as simple as Garth Hudson and his sweet, sweet accordion.

So if you see me in the coming months and hear a sound as I approach, you will know what it is. The Whale will be preparing to surface.