There are various reasons that men get crewcuts, but there seems to be a common factor: a crewcut signals transition and commitment. It means humility, curiosity, perseverance, and purpose. A crewcut means that a man has gotten serious about something, be it God or subsuming his ego to become a member of a football team. I once saw Mark Hamill in an interview say that he felt that Luke Skywalker, his iconic character in should have come back in the third film with a crewcut–a signal that he was no longer a whiny adolescent but a scarred bad-ass who was ready to die for a cause. George Lucas, wrong as usual, nixed the idea.After I got out of the military, I let my hair grow for a while, to see how I'd like it, and I didn't like it a bit. So, I went back to a crewcut ten years ago, and for me, it simply means that I'm no longer willing to worry about the style of my hair. It's a whole lot easier to get in the barber's chair and tell him "Put a number two guard on the clippers and run all over my head. Clip the hair out of my ears, and do something with my eyebrows." Barbers understand instructions like that, and every man needs a barber shop. Not a salon, or a beauty shop, but a good old fashioned barber shop, where there are hunting magazines on the table and old farts like me waiting in line.
The simple fact fo the matter is that a crewcut is simple to wear. I no longer own a comb, nor for that matter do I own shampoo. My hair gets washed with the same soap that washes the rest of my body. Without going into too many details, I start at the top and work to the bottom. I like a Number 2, which uses the number 2 guard, and if you get into the barber's chair and tell the barber "Give me a Number 2." If they don't know what that means, get up and leave immediately. Any good barber will know a #2 and will be pleased to cut it, because it's very easy, and quick.
I don't know about my crewcut signaling perseverance, commitment, humility or any of that other bullshit, I simply know that it's easy and it's simple. That's all a haircut should be. Which reminds me, it's the first week of the month, it's about time to get to the barber shop.
6 comments:
My 40th bd I was somewhere in the middle of the Pacific a couple of bosum mates gave me a plain brown paper with something wrapped in it. They told me it was a birthday present, I kinda knew I was in trouble but I opened it and out came a general issue white wash cloth. I looked at them and one said "we got you a new comb Ben". I just shave mine these days.
Ben
Retired in '09, and I've been thinking about going back to the crew cut.
This move to Alabama might be the kicker.
I miss my butch wax.
I've been using a 0000 clipper for the last few years. Prior to that it was pretty much the 1/4" crew, but these days an old fashioned barber shop is becoming more of a rarity and I've given up.
Went back to the flat top at age 45. The top of my head has an unusual shape and the flattop camouflages that.
I go every three weeks and am thinking about two weeks. My wife thinks I'm nuts. "Haircut again? You just got it cut last week!"
My barber is 82, has cut a lot of hair. My instructions are: "mke it military, leave a little on the sidewalls."
Aside from him thinking the Hoosiers are God's Gift to basketball, he's the perfect barber.
I've found that, as long as I can find a barber shop staffed by a bunch of Korean women, I've got it made.
Seriously, and I usually get a hot towel neck massage along with the haircut. You can't beat it.
(There I go being racist again.)
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