The New Normal

Life's finally settling back in after the St. Baldrick's event last weekend. Spent the last week struggling with the occasional chilly head and some even chillier reactions.

I'm continually amazed how strangers assume I'm making some kind of statement. About what, I'm not sure. But I do know that the whole head-shaving experience has changed me in ways I didn't anticipate — and in some that I did.

One is the very visible reminder of the aging process — gray hair. Tough to do a touch-up when your hair's less than a 1/4" long. Also had a hilarious conversation with my 19-year-old niece in Macy's. I commented that every time I put on a head scarf, I felt like Rhoda. She asked, "Rhoda who?" I said, "You know, from the Mary Tyler Moore show?" Her response: "Mary who?"

Tomorrow, a major business test — sitting on an integrated marketing panel in front of 60+ inBiz Connection attendees. Want to come see my bald head and pick up some priceless marketing wisdom at the same time? Details here. And yes, I'll be looking just a bit different than the headshot!

Bald and Bold

I'm well into my first week of baldness and it's given me more pause than I originally anticipated. Several times, I've found myself wishing I'd done certain things last week — like pick up my dry cleaning or make a deposit at the bank — simply to avoid having to explain my lack of hair.

If people don't ask, do I offer? This is more of a dilemma than I suspected. I've reconciled it by ignoring gawking strangers and flashing my "Ask Me Why I'm Bald" button as a badge of honor to acquaintances like the bank teller or dry cleaner.

Yesterday, I was apparently quite the sight on the Garden State Parkway -- tooling back from a client meeting in Monmouth with the top down and enjoying the late summer sunshine. (Note to self: Toss some sunscreen in the glove box, will ya?)

Funny how quickly I've forgotten I'm bald — until I glance at my reflection or see the reaction on strangers' faces. Guess that's sort of the point, huh?

PS Great team "before" pic above. Don't those t-shirts look AWESOME? Thanks again to Stephanie and Sally for coordinating.

The Power of Insulation

The experience of being bald, as you can imagine, has been enlightening on a few levels.

Until now, I never appreciated the insulating properties of my hair. Not just physically, but also emotionally.

When we got home on Saturday night, I went into the bathroom to wash my face. When I flipped on the lights, I suddenly realized I could feel the heat from the vanity bulbs on my scalp. What a weird and unexpected sensation.

Sunday, another awakening as I paused in the shower for a good minute, debating whether stubble really needed even the most modest amount of shampoo and/or conditioner. And that first blast of water from the shower? Ouch.

Of course, the insulating power of hair — or its absence — manifested itself most importantly as we ventured out on Sunday morning to run errands. People had seen me without hair on Saturday night, so what was the big deal, right? But on Saturday, everyone at the Shillelagh Club knew EXACTLY why I was bald — no explanation necessary. It was a protected, friendly and supportive environment, even among strangers.

On Sunday, no such luck. I felt completely exposed — all eyes were on me every time I stepped out of the car. Whether real or perceived, I felt judged, pitied, and gawked at, all simultaneously. What a tremendous eye opener, and a tough sensation for someone who's spent her life trying to blend in, not stand out.

On the positive side, beautiful has replaced brave as the adjective of choice. I was even told I looked "badass" at the West Orange town picnic yesterday — awesome!

On the even more positive side, Ray & I are well on our way to exceeding the SIX THOUSAND DOLLAR mark in donations — all thanks to you. Our St. Baldrick's donation page will remain up for a while, so if you have yet to contribute to this eminently worthy cause, please consider doing so today.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Wow, what a day! Wonderful friends and family, a stylish new haircut, and OVER SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS raised to support childhood cancer research.

I can't begin to describe what an amazing experience this has been on so many levels. Not tonight anyway. Maybe when I've had sufficient time to process the magnitude of what's transpired. It might take a while :)

The Day of Reckoning Has Arrived

Be careful what you wish for. As many times as I said, "I wish Sept 18 would just get here already," now that today's the day I'm facing it with mixed feelings.

From a practical standpoint, my hair's a mess. I haven't had a proper haircut in months — me, who's usually on the five-week-schedule like clockwork. I actually had Raymond trim the back a few weeks ago to get rid of what was looking & feeling suspiciously mullet-like.

But emotionally, I don't know if I'm ready. Not to lose the hair, but to lose the experience. St. Baldrick's has become such a big topic of conversation over the last few months — why are you doing this? how much do they cut? will you wear a wig? are ya nuts? — and I've become very practiced in my answers.

Now that conversation is going to change to a whole new set of questions. How does it feel? How do you feel when you look in the mirror? Was it worth it? And I'll be forced to come up with a whole new set of answers.

I discovered a long time ago that preparation is key when you're someone who does not enjoy being the center of attention. It's the shield that lets you deflect the attention back where it belongs.

In this case, it's St. Baldrick's. They're the saints, not me — raising $90 million in the last 10 years that will hopefully serve as the catalyst to eradicating children's cancer.

Today's it's one small loss for a woman, and one hopefully giant leap for quality of life for kids and families everywhere — maybe even yours.

Hope to see you this afternoon here in West Orange!

Now, It's Personal

We recently got the sad news that a good friend's 20-something daughter had been diagnosed with breast cancer — after losing her mom to the same illness when she was in middle school. Earlier this week, she underwent a double mastectomy.

Now, her two younger sisters are faced with the unthinkable — getting tested for the BRCA genes and possibly having to make a choice that no one should ever have to make.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone in their 20s IS a kid — and deserves the right to enjoy their youth without worrying about life-altering issues for just a little while.

So Jaime and family, for whatever it's worth, this haircut's for you.

Saturday's Shaping Up to be a Great Day

Since most of the festivities at the St. Baldrick's event take place outside, we've been watching the weather — especially these random hurricanes popping up in the Caribbean. But it looks like we'll have the perfect weather for some old fashioned head shaving, if there can be such a thing.

The day's shaping up to be spectacular in many other ways. I just picked up an unbelievable gift basket generously supplied by my NJAWBO colleague Judy Bennett at Grove Baskets & Gifts. And big hugs to longtime client Nancy Quinn at Village Belle for donating a lovely Village Belle accessories prize pack. These and many other raffle prizes will be awarded during Saturday's event — and hopefully raise additional funds for childhood cancer research.

It's unbelievable how much effort goes into pulling off an event like this. Most of it is the work of just one dedicated guy — volunteer coordinator Kevin Kinney. His energy is amazing.

Read a shocking statistic yesterday — that a child is diagnosed with cancer every three and a half minutes. Let's hope that the efforts of St. Baldrick's and so many other dedicated organizations will soon make that horrible number history.

The Power of a First Impression

I have to say, the more I noodle around the St. Baldrick's website, the more impressed I am. For a charity celebrating just its 10th birthday, it's remarkably organized when it comes to giving volunteers the tools they need to succeed — forms, letters, posters, even tips for cultivating the media.

From a business standpoint, it's great to see someone with their act together — a solid process that's clearly well thought out and just as well executed. Great model for any non-profit to follow.

These days, givers are much more discerning in how they allocate increasingly limited funds. I know I certainly am. That's why I'm so glad that St. Baldrick's has lived up to the hype — I can feel good about losing my hair not only on a personal level, but on a more practical business level as well.

Three days to the haircut of a lifetime! If you've yet to donate, please consider doing so now. I'll even save you a lock of hair come Saturday!

Bald Jokes Abound

Yes, juvenile humor abounds when you decide to shave your head, good cause or no good cause. I have to admit, the eight-year-old in me finds some of these worth a giggle:

Why do bald-headed people never use keys? Because they've lost their locks!

You're so bald I can see what you're thinking!

How does a barber make phone calls? He cuts them short.

What kind of hair do oceans have ? Wavy!

Lord, can't wait til the 18th. In the meantime, I 'm here all week. Try the veal.

And the Haircut Jokes Begin...

A man was getting a haircut prior to a trip to Rome. He mentioned the trip to the barber who responded,"Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded & dirty and full of Italians. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?"

"We're taking Continental," was the reply. "We got a great rate!"

"Continental?" exclaimed the barber. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?"

"We'll be at the downtown International Marriott."

"That dump! That's the worst hotel in the city. The rooms are small, the service is surly and they're overpriced. So, whatcha doing when you get there?"

"We're going to go to the Vatican and hopefully see the Pope."

"That's rich," laughed the barber. "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it."

A month later, the man returned. The barber asked him about his trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the man, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a beautiful 28 year old flight attendant who waited on me hand and foot.

And the hotel-it was great! They'd just finished a $25 million remodeling job and now it's the finest hotel in the city. They were overbooked too, so they apologized and gave us the presidential suite at no extra charge!"

"Well," muttered the barber, "I know you didn't get to see the pope."

"Actually, we were quite lucky. As we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder and explained that the pope likes to personally meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait the pope would personally greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later the pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down as he spoke a few words to me."

"Really?" asked the Barber. "What'd he say?"

He said, "Where'd you get the lousy haircut?"

Suddenly, every day's a good hair day

Less than two weeks to the big shave and my hair hasn't looked consistently this good. Ever. At least to me ;)

Have even been tempting fate and driving around with wet hair and the top down -- generally a recipe for unmitigated disaster. But now? It's like Mother Nature gave me the perfect blow out. Go figure.

Why is suddenly every day a good hair day? I'm assuming it's God's not-so-subtle way of reminding me who's really in control here — and what a privilege it is to be able to choose baldness. Not only the if, but the where and when, too.

Suddenly, I know I will miss my hair both terribly and not at all.