How has your hairdo changed?

I remember when the Beatles came out and long hair became a huge controversy.  My folks could not believe it and as a matter of fact I thought it was ridiculous (at that time).  That was February 9th, 1964 and we were knee deep in the Vietnam War and getting deeper.  Social issues were mounting and being so young I just listened a lot to the adults and all of the opinions flying.  But here are the issues the resonated with me:

• Long hair - today's topic
• Girls burning their bras - never did quit get that one but for a young boy it was enjoyable to think about
• Going to war - every night on the news at the bottom of the screen they would post how many Americans were killed that day
• The draft and I don't mean beer -everyone had to sign up to serve our country and then you were selected by a lottery.  I remember Harold Codding had something like 15 and I had like 21 so we were destined to go but for different reasons neither of us had to go to Vietnam.
• Drinking age - you had to be 21 years old to drink but you could go to war at 18 years old and the government would give you cigarettes and beer and let you kill folks and then pay you while you were there.  When you got back you were not old enough to drink or smoke but later you could suit the tobacco companies for something you decided to do yourself?  Go figure.  It was their fault I put that nasty thing in my mouth.  They tricked me.  Are you kidding?
• Going to war - It was an honor to think you would go if called but scary as heck to think you would
• Draft doggers - folks who did not believe in the war, which a lot of us did not understand it but were loyal to the fact everyone has an obligation to serve their country and the President, even if you don't like him.   We served because it was the right think to do and thanks to a lot of the guys in classes ahead of me I never had to go to Vietnam.  Right here I want to say thanks for your service and I honor you for doing what was right, not what you wanted to do.  Back to draft doggers, those were folks who want all the freedom of America but not the responsibilities to serve.  We all have a right to our opinion but we ALL have an obligation to serve.
• Segregation and integration - I never really got involved in that as I never considered anyone really different and that is another story someday.  I just figured folks were folks and some you like and some you don't and it had nothing to do with color or any of these other things we want to make issues.  I basically believe I don't have to agree with anything you or anyone else thinks but I do have to stand before God someday and when He asks me how I did I want to have really good answers.

And I know there are more issues but it seemed that these dominated my thinking.  I remember some of the older guys would take someone with long hair and give them a cut if you know what I mean.  I will have to say the older men kind of liked that.  I was a little confused but like most I supported what the older generation thought and if they thought it was OK we did too.  Now as I have gotten older I realize not everything they thought was quit right.

Here is some hair that would have gotten you kicked out of school in the early 60's  but not in the 80's

Anyway back to the hair thing.  When I got to Shidler in the 8th grade I had a burr haircut and I remember Gene Rash and Wiley Smith had long hair.  I thought they must be really bad duds.  But just like Pee Wee and Joe center who always wanted to fight me, I learned they were pretty good guys and in fact some of the most talented.  The real reason I bring up Pee Wee Robinson and Joe Center is my wife got on to me as she  said I made it sound like they were bad guys.  Actually they turned out to be some of the most fun and good friends at Shidler.  They just wanted to see what I was made of.

Well somewhere during my 8th grade year my hair started getting longer, not much.  By the time I was a Junior or Senior I remember Mr. Treadway coming up to me and asking if I could cut my sideburns so he would not have to kick me out of school.  Well by the time I got out of college at SWOSU in Weatherford, Oklahoma my hair was over my shoulders and I had lightened up a bit.

The funny thing about that is right about the end of college I was hired by EDS but before they would let me go to Dallas for an interview they told me to do 2 things:

• cut my hair over my ears and no side burns
• get rid of my suit and get  blue  or brown and it could have stripes, small ones and NO patterns
• and I forgot the third, white shirts and neck ties every day and NO patterns in the white shirt which they called white on white  (not allowed)
• oh ya. the forth, black or brown shoes, no slip ons, tie shoes only.

Now here I am 59 years old this year and I am thinking about growing my hair out and getting a pony tail.  How cool would that be?

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• don't be too critical of others as it might bite you in the rear
• Prejudice has no home in the Osage or anywhere else
• Everyone can have an opinion and they don't have to agree with me or you
• Do the right thing and serve your country and respect your president, even if you don't agree with him
• then if you don't like the president, dadgummit VOTE or shut up and don't complain

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com