(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Morning Open Thread - A close shave. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-11-23 Most of the country will be celebrating Thanksgiving today (The wife and I included) but in a few hours from the start of this diary, we have another obligation. The wife’s emplyeer has other obligations and requirements Morning Open Thread is a daily, copyrighted post from a host of editors and guest writers. We support our community, invite and share ideas, encourage thoughtful and respectful dialogue in an open forum. The last, in person conversation I had with my father, ( while sitting in his living room) was in 2012. We were recalling memories of events that we shared or missed. He made a comment about his mother’s death. I begged his forgiveness for not attending the funeral or honoring her wish of being a pallbearer. He said it was his pleasure to take my place and understood why I couldn’t make the ceremony. There was a silence that my wife broke by adding that she remembered that time clearly. . She recounted that she came home from work and saw a bald guy on her back porch. She almost called the police before she recognized me. I have had a pony tail for most of my life and she had not seen me without hair before. It freaked her out (even after she knew it was me). I explained to her that my Dad’s mother had just died. I shaved my head for a few reasons. The first being anyone that knows me will ask about my hair and I can explain my families tradition of cutting off your hair for important (life changing) events. I could then tell them about my grandmother. . When I was young child, I remember Dad taking my brothers and me to a barber shop. The guy that gave us all “crew cuts” was called Fat Baker. Every major event (weddings, funerals and first day of school) led us to Fat Baker’s chair. I thought this was important because for the rest of our lives we were allowed to grow our hair as long as we wanted. . When dad heard the name Fat Baker, he howled with laughter. He then said that when he was growing up, getting a professional hair cut only happened for special occasions but he didn’t think we kids would understand the connection. He was surprised to know I had cut my hair and teared up that I would do that for his mother. He then got a concerned look on his face. He said that he was upset that my two nieces had come to the funeral with shaved heads. He thought it was some rebellious act from the “uppity” teenagers and had “been ugly to them.” It was my turn to howl. I told him that I had explained to the nieces about the “hair cutting thing” and how it allowed them to talk freely about the grief of losing their great-grandma. The girls took it to an extreme but it helped them pass through the grieving process quicker. It is funny to think back and realize that two different impressions of the same event made a solid thought. Seems “rituals are important things” after all; to quote John Lennon. * Join today’s comments and help make today better than yesterday. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/23/2201717/-Morning-Open-Thread-A-close-shave?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/