17. Buzz buzz

Christmas Day. Pool party at sister's house with the family. I think the highlight for me (and the kids!) was allowing my 5 nieces and 2 nephews the chance to have fun cutting my hair into different hair styles and then giving me a buzz cut. My hair was about a hands length down my back. My pandemic hair as I liked to call it. I had short hair at the start of 2020 for a few years previously. It was about 3cm long on the top and a number 2 buzz at the back. When the lockdowns happened and I couldn't get to the hairdresser I figured it was time to grow my hair again. Over my life I have alternated between long and short hair. The longest was when I could sit on it. That was annoying though and didn't last that length too long. Sitting down in a chair and having your hair trapped under your bum and not being able to move your head wasn't very comfortable or practical. It was also very hot and heavy being so long. I don't have a strong attraction to any one stye. I don't mind that my hair is going silver white and has been since I was about 27. I've only ever dyed my hair once, and that was just foils of red streaks for a bit of fun.

I got the kids all together and told them that I was cutting my hair as I was going to have some medicine treatments from doctors for the cancer that had caused the lump in my boob and the reason I had had an operation. The medicine would make my hair fall out and so I wanted to cut it short first so there would be less hair to fall out everywhere. There wasn't any questions from the kids, I think they were all excited about using scissors and being allowed to cut real hair. I know that a few of them have been through the stage where they cut their own hair in crazy styles, and/or dolls have been given a trip to the hairdresser''. Which one of us didn't do that when we were kids? So being allowed to cut hair and not get in trouble was a novelty.

Zaeli started out the cutting with a tentative snip while her mum held out a piece of hair. The kids all gathered around behind me while I sat on a towel. There were cries of "I'm next" and "No I want to be next" before Ange kept them in order by giving them a run down of who had bags next first. April grabbed huge hand fulls of hair, tried to hack through it and with a few calls of "It would work better if you cut less at the one time" from the adults, she started to get the hang of how much was too much and how much was a good amount. I envisioned chunks of hair piles falling behind me. Looking back at the phones and movies that were taken I wasn't far off. The best thing was the look of intense concentration on all their faces when they were cutting my hair.

Evie was very light and gentle, small snips at the bottom of my hair. The photos of her super focussed concentration are priceless. I could tell she was thinking about which parts to cut and maybe she was making the hacked pieces a bit more even. Ange was taking photos and videos and keeping track of how much hair was left and how many kids still needed turns. Aneira's turn came and she was a professional. She trims her mum's hair and fringe so she already has a good feel for scissors and cutting hair. She quickly evened up the mullet which had been forming and I started to have quite a fun hairstyle being formed.

Erik's turn. He was having trouble holding the scissors. "Is he a leftie?" I hear someone ask Donna. "I don't think so but he does do some things with his left hand". Erik was shown how to hold the scissors in his right hand and it worked much better as they were right handed scissors. He seemed to be concentrating just in the one place at the back. I had an inner giggle of having a bald spot. Anna's turn and like her twin she started off with them in her left hand. Interesting! They are going to big school (Kindergarten) next year. It will be interesting to see if they are lefties or not. Anna was a bit more adventurous than cutting just in the one spot and moved around to the sides a bit. Ash's turn came and he had a little trouble using the scissors, being 4 it's a new skill to learn, but after a while got the hang of it. The photos of him are super cute. The concentration on his face, so adorable. You could almost see the nuerons in his brain firing and growing connections.

Second round of goes with the scissors if the kids wanted it. April and Evie especially were keen for a second go. April is better this time around. Not so much yanking. I push what is left of my hair over my face and tell April she could cut me a fringe. Weeeellll, it ended up being some weird diagonal hack from super short above my right eye, to long over my left. I had a bit of a laugh at that one. Evie straighten it up and by now my hair was no longer than about 10 cms in the longest sections I guess. Aneira's second turn came and she did a great job clearing up all the straggly bits and cutting it shorter all over.

It was deemed short enough for the clippers to be brought out. Rach gets an extension cord and then the kids all take turns giving me a number 3 buzz cut. I have had a number 2 buzz cut before so I wasn't worried about it being too short. Summer has finally arrived and it's been much hotter than it has been for a while (summer 2021/2022 was quite cool and rainy compared to what we normally get - 2022 was basically rain rain rain rain rain with SO many floods). The kids all have a go, I wasn't stabbed too much in the head and then Ange and Jason gave it a final go over to make sure it was mostly even. I stand up and there were piles of hair behind me. I was a bit itchy around the neck and also down my front. April had decided it would be funny to show a handful of hair down my cleavage... Rach got the hairdryer to blow some of the hair off and that was much better.

I go and check out my new hair in the mirror. I like it. I have two silver streaks on each temple and a bit at the front. It's nice and cool and feels soft to run my hand over my head. Chemo starts in a couple of weeks and it takes about 2-3 weeks before the hair can start to fall out. My hair grows so fast I might need to have another buzz cut again in a month. It's been a week since it was cut and I a few times when going to bed I think I have my hair up in a bun and should take the hairband out before lying down. It is funny how long it can take to get used to things.

I have enjoyed my short hair this week in the hot weather we have had. The sun has been burning hot, even if the temperature hasn't been extra high here in Sydney. The intenseness of the Aussie sun is something I didn't realise until I lived in the northern hemisphere. Aussies have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Here even on cloudy days I need to wear sun glasses. When I lived in the USA, Scotland and Sweden I didn't feel that same glare we get here. I have ordered a wide brimmed sun hat and a UV protector sun shawl. Hopefully they will come in the mail this week. I got an email alert to say they have been shipped.