News-Record.com

Quite a few people have commented on my light-on-top appearance.

Someone on the blog called me a Forrest Gump lookalike.

Yeah!

I didn't want to take my hair with me to Africa, knowing I would have limited opportunities for showers and shampooing.

It was a good decision.

In fact, most of the East Africans I saw -- men and women -- keep their hair very short. It's just the practical thing to do.

My friend and barber, Garrett Whitley of College Village Barber Shop in High Point, wasn't so sure I knew what I was doing. As he sees it, his job is to make me look better, and I reckon he thought exposing more of my head to view was going to have the opposite effect.

He questioned me several times about my intentions and gave me every opportunity to change my mind. When I insisted, he set his clippers at one-fourth inch and cut a swath.

Shorter, I said.

One-fourth inch.

Shorter.

One-32nd.

Yeah, that's it.

That was one way to lose a headful of gray hair. I think it made me look younger.

Unfortunately, it's growing back even more gray than before.

But it felt good not to have to worry about hair.

If I go back to Africa next year, I'll do it again.

If my wife goes, too, as I hope she will ... well, I may not recommend the same style for her.