The surfer guy

My good friend Jim moved away a few years ago to pursue a business career in the bustling corporate hub otherwise known as Utah.  He is currently back in town for a few days, and a group of us who have known Jim for 25 years got together last night to catch up with him.

As usual, I was the last one to arrive.  Upon entering, I scanned the room for my friends: Joe, Ryan, Justin, Greg, Brad, Pete, Matt, and…who is the surfer guy with the long hair?

On second glance, Surfer Guy was Jim, our guest of honor.  Looking at Jim, I had two thoughts.  First, his hair looks darn good, seriously.  He says he hasn’t cut his hair in about 18 months.  That is awesome.  I wish I had hair like that; I have bad hair.  I pretty much live in a perpetual state of bad-hair days. 

Second, as good as his hair looks, I wonder why he grew it out, especially as he is part of conservative corporate America.

I first complimented Jim on his hair, which seemed to be a welcome respite from the “interesting” comments our other buddies had been giving him.  I imagine they secretly also liked his hair, but this close group’s ability to give each other grief is legendary.  I asked him a bit about his new look.  You know when you sometimes ask a question and then receive an answer you are not ready for? This was one of those times.

“My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Fortunately, the doctors caught it in the very early stages and through surgery were able to remove the cancer without chemo treatments.  But, it raised my awareness and I decided to grow out my hair and donate it to Locks of Love.”

If you have not heard of Locks of Love, they are a non-profit group whose mission is to restore “a sense of self, confidence, and normalcy” to financially disadvantaged children suffering from hair loss due to medical reasons.

In that moment I realized that even more cool than my friend’s hair was the reason he was growing it out.  A child in need will benefit from his donation.  But perhaps more importantly, as a businessman growing his hair out, he certainly will receive a fair amount of “why” questions.  His reply will help spread the word and more children will be helped.

When Jim was leaving the party a while later, I asked him in jest, “Do you think I could have your hair when you cut it off?”  Without hesitation, he replied, “Grow your own, buddy,” and walked out the door, cool hair and all. 

In closing, I recall how my wife used to purchase somewhat flashy ties for me, but I was not comfortable wearing them in corporate America.  And now, my friend Jim is spending a couple years in corporate America with long hair.  As I reflect back on the evening, I realize that I do not actually want some of Jim’s hair, I want some of his values. 

Well, maybe I would take some of his hair as well.

.