Hair today...

My lovely bride of 24+ years has gray hair. That wasn't the case for a lot of years. Well, actually it was, but it was hidden. She died her hair; thought it made her look old. I pled with her to let her hair go and a few years back she did. In all her years, she'd never had anyone comment on her hair...until she let it go. Her salt & pepper gray is striking, breath-taking even.

I don't have her gray in quantity, but neither do I have her hair. I have heard it said that if a guy looks at his mom's dad, he'll have a general idea of what his future hairline will look like. Despite the fact that I've heard geneticists say that's hooey, it sure works in my case. Over the last dozen years, my hairline has behaved like the French army in combat, racing rearward with each new day. The days of my middle-parted mane in high school are LONG gone, replaced by a small tuft, middle front with the main body having retreated past the ears.

Last night at dinner, my six-year old daughter looks up to me, studying my scalp. "Daddy," says she, "does Mommy purposefully shave your hair on either side of your head so that it looks like that 'cause it sure didn't look like that when you were married."

My sons and bride nearly choked on their roast venison. My four-year old awaited the answer to the question posed by her big sister

What can you say? I continued to chew my dinnerand for .0097 seconds, considered calling the Hair Club for Men. Naw. As fine as my bride looks, maybe I'll look like Yul Brynner. Or I might look like Elmer Fudd. Sigh.