And so it begins

I've never been a girly girl. My purse never matches my outfit, I despise mascara, and the whole Carrie Bradshaw shoe fetish thing eludes me.

So how hard could it be to shave your head, especially when it's for such a good cause -- raising money for childhood cancer research?

An organization known as St. Baldricks works with a local group, the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh Club, to host an annual event here in West Orange, NJ. Volunteers (known as "shavees") raise money and have their heads shaved to demonstrate solidarity with kids who lose their hair during treatment. Saw a brief press mention last year and was intrigued, so I mentioned it to Raymond, my husband. Unexpectedly, he decided to take the plunge with me for the 2010 event, growing his hair over the last few months "so it would be more dramatic." I suspect it was just a dodge so he could justify not getting a haircut the entire summer, but that's another story.

Ray & I have talked about it for months, but never actually committed until this week. Now we're officially registered as "shavees" and accepting donations. And the misgivings are flying fast and furious. What if my head is shaped like a dented melon? Will strangers assume radical fashion statement or brave cancer patient? Where's the line between bold and crazy?

In less than two months, I will discover just how much an impact a woman's hair has on her self esteem. Stay tuned...