A Pony Tale

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Janine Godwin.

Haircuts aren’t a big deal. People get their hair cut all the time — except me. The last major haircut I had was in 2002. I just never really thought about it. It was easy to just let it grow, wash it, blow-dry it, and go about my business. That is until it grew to 32 inches and became a hassle. As a professional organizer, I teach my clients about time management, reducing clutter, and recycling. The time I spent blow-drying my own hair was ridiculous. The amount of product I had to use to keep it looking good was downright excessive, not to mention the electricity and water I consumed. Having this long hair made me feel like a hypocrite. This wasn’t good for the environment or me. What was I thinking?

When I was asked to write an article on recycling for this issue, I hit a brick wall. Admittedly, I had writer’s block, until one epiphany when I remembered another reason why I was letting my hair grow — to donate it for charity. Isn’t that a form of recycling? You know the saying: “reduce, reuse, and recycle.” Well, this was doing just that in every way. I did my homework and chose the organization I would donate my hair to: Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths. By sending them my hair, they would be able to use it to make a wig for a woman in need. I made up my mind; I would be a guinea pig for this story, and I was praying it would have a happy ending.

So the courage was gathered, and the appointment set. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have butterflies in my stomach that morning. I was having a complete stranger cut and style my hair; that alone was intimidating. But I kept thinking how this would help someone and the environment. Once committed, I had every intention of following through. According to Beautiful Lengths, it takes six ponytails to make a wig, and I am convinced mine alone could make one. The minimum length requirement to donate is eight inches. I gave 20.

In the end, my prayers were answered, and everything went better than planned, so this story does have a happy ending. Wenny Blackman, master stylist at Wen Chic Salon and Spa outdid herself, and I am thrilled with my new haircut. The support I received from my friends, family, and the staff of both absolutely! Katy and Wen Chic was awesome. I just hope my next story doesn’t involve any form of flying, as that is one fear I just won’t get over. Well, maybe if it has something to do with organizing, I may make the exception.