Everyone take a min to read…
Hey everyone, I’m not much of a ‘blogger’ but I’d like to take the time to share a story that I think people need to read. Today I got my first haircut in a little over a year and half. Who cares right? Lemme explain. A little while back before I graduated college, as part of being a psychology major, one of my classes required us to spend some time with kids around the city that I was going to college in, who were troubled or were less fortunate. I came across a young lady who had cancer and with her treatments had lost her hair. After talking with her for some time she went on to explain to me that it wasn’t the cancer that bothered her, but the ridicule she always received from the other kids who did not understand why she had no hair. She said she was ‘embarrassed’ she didn’t have hair. I could not put into words to you how small of a person I felt at that moment or how much I don’t understand why things like this happen daily. In my line of work, I come across a lot of trouble people but I still thought about this little girl after I graduated and began working. It bothered me. More than anything has ever bothered me. I went through high school and college well groomed, you know pretty boy like hair, spending time on my appearance not only in the gym but you know always having the prefect hair look…the whole package. Here I am standing in the mirror primping my hair to look ‘just right’ before I headed out that night and this little girl is more hurt by the appearance comments kids made to her than the actual horrible disease cancer itself (that will probably end up taking this young child’s life). I decided that I was going to do something. For a little over a year and half I began growing my hair for the simple reason to cut it. There is an organization called ‘Locks of Love’ (www.locksoflove.org) that collect hair donations from people to make hair pieces for kids under the age of 18 suffering from various illnesses and problems to rid them of the ‘embarrassment’ felt by these poor kids. To make a donation the hair has to be at least 10 inches in length. Now I knew it was going to take time because I had such short hair but I did not care. The reason I am sharing this story is not for people to say Hey man, great job! No no. I didn’t do anything but get a hair cut. I’ve rarely told people to actually WHY I was growing my hair (besides my close friends and family) because I wasn’t doing it for people to commend me, I was doing it for this little girl and the thousands of other kids that I don’t even know that are going through the same life hardships. I wanted to share this within the bodybuilding community because bodybuilding has become my lifestyle and with “our” (bodybuilding) shared lifestyles, part of it includes vanity. Yea most of us do it to be healthy, be in better shape to live longer, etc…but it also comes with vanity. We like the way we look when we make progress, gains, etc. that’s part of the life. But a lot of the times (myself included) we get TOO wrapped up in that part of it. Today I didn’t make a personal record in the gym squatting or felt great because of my workout or the way I looked afterwards or boasted about the progress I have made in the 5 years I have been bodybuilding. But I got the same feeling…simply by cutting my hair. Now I’m not sure where this little girl is or even if she is still alive and the same goes for the other kids I viewed on the locks of love website. I won’t even get to see the kid who gets to put the hair I have donated on their head and see the smile that will be on their face because they won’t have to feel ‘embarrassed’ anymore. But I know it will be there. I ask everyone reading this to take a second today to step back for a minute just absorb this little blog. I simply want to inspire others to do something to help someone else. No matter what it is, do something to help someone else that is less fortunate than you. Trust me, you’ll feel just as good to help someone as you do when place in a contest, or you do something great in the gym or made an exciting change in your body. Bodybuilding is doing something good for yourself, and is a year round 24/7 job. While we are working hard to better ourselves, take the time to better someone else as well…all I did was get a simple hair cut. But somewhere out there my little hair cut will mean the world to a little kid that will be receiving a hair piece to help ease the pain that comes along with their illness…think about it….
March 24, 2008 at 9:18 pm
You got great heart bro…
March 25, 2008 at 4:30 am
very inspiring!
March 25, 2008 at 9:32 am
Righteous my friend! Thanks for choosing to be a difference maker!
April 4, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Great blog, makes us think what really is important in life.
April 4, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Thought provoking - impressive.
April 4, 2008 at 6:40 pm
It really nice to see someone do something like this for someone else, I wish more people thought like you do…
April 4, 2008 at 7:47 pm
As a cancer survivor, reading things like this makes me tear up. It’s amazing how things like not having hair or only having one breast can completely destroy your self image. Be proud of yourself for taking that little girl into your heart. It would have been easer to walk away or wall off emotions. What you did shows a lot about the type of man you are!
April 4, 2008 at 8:16 pm
WOW! That’s is beautiful. I actually cut 10 inches of my beautiful blond hair in November 2007 and donated it to Locks of Love. It was the best thing ever. I’m growing it out again just so I can cut it when it is long enough and donate it. I am a nurse in Trauma Ctr. Seeing what people have to go through every day really changes your outlook on life…. It is amazing.
April 4, 2008 at 10:32 pm
That is a great blog! I hope to read more of them!!
April 4, 2008 at 10:50 pm
amazing blog, that’s really great of you,
best one.
April 9, 2008 at 11:57 am
Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us. That was a real nice blog to read. It was for a very good cause.
April 10, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Love your story - We can all learn a big lesson from those kids! Great to hear there are guys like you out there!
April 16, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Very inspirational indeed. Well-written.
April 16, 2008 at 7:51 pm
wow…everyone should read this blog. we all do get caught-up in our own vanity. you are right about the great feeling attained by helping others. thanks for writing this touching blog….and thanks for cutting your hair…not for your own vanity, but for the love of others.
April 22, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I am very impressed with the HEART that you have. You are so young still and it is wonderful to see people like yourself out there.
You are a difference maker and that is great! God Bless You…and I am glad that I read this blog. xoxo Tamar
April 26, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Best thing I’ve read on this site by far and very inspiring…Pay it forward.
Rob
April 26, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Thank you for sending me your way. That one decision will forever change the course of your life and how you view the outside world. I like what "DumpyMom" said above..that you could have easily walked away, and you didn’t. Sharing your story will only give others the courage to not walk away too. Keep inspiring…:)
April 28, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hey Mark, Awesome blog!!!
My youngest daughter had hair to her knees. I got tired of brushing out the tangles because she didn’t take care of it. Sooooo I searched for a hair salon that sent your hair to Locks of Love and we cut it. It took a few months till I could talk her into it, but finally we did. she still had a good bit of hair left and the following year we cut it a 2nd time and again sent it to Locks of Love. Her hair has seemed to slow down growing, but hopefully she will carry that with her as she gets older and desire to do things to help out others. We also put some of our money together once and got stuffed toys and took them to hand them out to kids in the nearby hospital. We should do these things more often.
Cancer has touch my life over the past couple of years. My daughter has a friend in gymnastics who was 16 yrs. old, just getting her license to drive, and she came down with a serious cancer. Luckily she was young and strong and got through it and seems to be doing fine today. Her friends and school mates and teachers raised money for her and the cancer foundation. They had people vote and donate money for the teacher who they wanted to see get a buzz job. So several teachers got their hair all cut off, not only the one who got the most votes, but others in support of the teenager with cancer. I was so proud to see this girl’s friends rally around her and help raise money and just be there for her.
Cancer came into our lives this year again when my best friend’s husband was diagnosed. It didn’t look good. They fought it with radiation for a week and then quit. Unfortunately, at the age of 49 - he lost his battle with cancer. My friend is now without a husband and her 3 kids have lost their daddy. Her older daughter is close friends with the teenage girl who fought cancer. Her husband was sick on and off since last summer, but didnt’ know it was cancer till Jan. of this year, and now he’s gone. It’s very sad and quite a shock to his family and friends.
Anyway, you got me thinking. We donated my young daughter’s hair because it was so long and grew fast. But, I never thought about purposely growing my hair out in order to cut it. I’ve been letting it grow lately - not sure what hair style I wanted or how long I wanted it. Well now I’m thinking, what’s more important, to find the best hair style for me, or to give hair to a beautiful child who’s sick and has none? I think that’s a no-brainer! Thanks for the inspiration. Good luck with all you do in the future and hopefully you will continue to bring awareness to important issues like this and continue to do things to help others. Keep inspiring!
Louann
May 10, 2008 at 9:35 pm
By far the best blog I have read on this site.. It couldn’t have been easy to open up and show that much "feeling" on a site like this.. I wasn’t expecting it at all.. I was thinking THIS DUDE IS HUGE!! impressed guy.. really..
May 16, 2008 at 10:24 am
Absolutely phenomenal blog. I wish I had known about this…I just cut my hair a few days ago. I may have my girlfriend cut her hair to donate since hers is super long. There should be posters for the organization throughout the nation in every barber shop/salon.
Great blog bro…..you’re the guy that would help me push an old lady’s broken down car that we don’t even know.
June 7, 2008 at 12:13 am
hey that had to be the sweetest thing i’ve ever heard and most people do take life for granted but not to put your spirits down or nothing but this i’m sure will touch a lot of peole but so of them will be like awww thats nice and let it be but for me i will take this and use it in my everday life situations cuz everyone can learn something from this
June 10, 2008 at 4:11 pm
That is really cool what you did. I feel bad for the little girl. That’s not easy to deal with.
August 5, 2008 at 8:51 am
Kudos, and I really wish each and every person, regardless of practice or religion would aspire to your greatness. I had the blasted big "C" and it’s challenging. Thanks for the support to others. This is a great foundation.
November 8, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Inspiring bro. After reading this message, I feel you’re both STRONG outside and inside.
November 8, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Man, that´s really touching. I didn´t even know these kind of organizations exist. It really move me inside, indeed. Thank you
December 16, 2008 at 3:47 pm
The best blog on Bodyspace by far! You are amazing in every way. Thanks for reminding us fortunate ones to appreciate everything we have!
December 16, 2008 at 4:07 pm
speaking as a cancer survivor, I understand the little girls feelings. I was more mortified by not having hair, it said I was sick, than the cancer itself. That was a great thing you did.
December 18, 2008 at 8:12 am
Great blog, shows me the courage that some people have to deal with something that hard and the heart others have. Even if it is just to give something as trivial as their hair to help.
I hope everyone that reads this takes something away from it and does what they can to help in the future.
Keep up the great work, man.
December 18, 2008 at 8:24 am
I think you have fantastic muscles hon, but your heart is the best one of the bunch! well done.
December 26, 2008 at 9:25 pm
All i have to say is that your one of the most amazing people, that’s amazing sweetheart,
it makes me really happy hearing stuff like this, when people take time to care,
my mother has cancer,
my aunt has leukemia,
and my uncle has liver and lung cancer
kisses and hugs.
thankyou.
March 3, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Awesome message from an even more awesome guy. Thanks for making us stop for a minute and remember what’s important…….to reach out beyond ourselves and our own goals and REALLY care about what happens to those around us.
March 11, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Ok, you just made me cry. But great message!