Growing out for "unusual" reasons (story)

[HairPlease]

A lot of people here grow for the looks, the majesty, the femininity, or the freedom, or the unique masculinity even. Some people may be growing for other reasons (spiritual and so on). Some people just grow because they want to. There seem to be SO MANY REASONS people grow their hair.
And you know what? That's awesome. You people rock. :eek:

But I stopped to question myself today: Why the heck am *I* doing this?

I think I look just as good with ear-length hair as I do with it here less than 5" to waist. So that isn't it.
Then I thought, is it because I want to express something? Nope. Maybe? Nah, I don't know.

At about this time, it dawned on me. I'm doing this for one reason - adventure! You know how people say they climb Mt. Everest "because it's there" or something like that, well, for me, it's kind of like that. It's something I haven't tried before, something new, daring, adventurous. And the long journey of it makes it even more exciting.

I've always had short hair. Most people I haven't seen in years don't even recognize me with the locks, but I do get compliments. I've never been a real thrill seeker, I admit, I play it slow and safe (if anything, I'm a goodie two shoes and my friends crack jokes about me sometimes). So trying something new like this has been a good way for me to get out of my routine for a change.

Also, it's something to take care of. While I work, study, and do whatever recreational things I may, my hair is always there for me. It's something to entertain me. I can snip splits in an S&D while reading a good book. I can soak in a conditioning mask with it up in a shower cap and a towel around my neck and clean around the house. I can put it in a nice bun at work and nobody questions or notices it. It can be as there or not there as I so choose, and it's extremely rewarding.

Anyone else growing out just for the journey? The adventure? Just for "something to do"?

Like I said, we all have our reasons, each one unique and wonderful on here. But I just wonder how many people are like me!

[gregh]

Adventure and new experiences are definitely something that I have also enjoyed about growing long hair.

[jazzhands]

Oh, definitely! It all feels so new and exciting. I'm a lot like you, I've always had short, dyed hair. It was quite a shocker when I first saw my natural colour after almost 10 years of dyeing and it was completely different from how it looked when I was a young teen! I hated my black hair, but now it's a coppery-chestnut brown and more beautiful than I could ever have hoped for.

[Cg]

This is a different story, then.

As an adult I always had short hair until diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is exacerbated by sunlight (among other things).

Hence I must always wear a wide-brimmed hat outdoors. Hence, if I do not want revolting squashed hat hair, my hair must be long enough to bun and fit neatly under hats.

It began as a medical/vanity matter but has become an adventure in learning about better hair care along with various updos, using many kinds of hair toys, and enjoying the camaraderie of other long-hairs on this forum.

[lapushka]

I recently reached my goal of classic (last year September), and since then I have had to cut back twice. It's different once you attain the length you wanted to grow towards. For me it's about maintaining the length now, and that is fun in and of itself.

[molljo]

While I have a multitude of reasons for growing my hair, which are too long to get into (no pun intended), I absolutely identify with always having short hair and just wanting to know what it's like to be long. It's definitely a journey which comes with new challenges, new solutions, and new experiences the longer it gets. I like being able to find out how different things become much easier and how others become much harder. It's fun to read through this forum and anticipate problems and know how to solve them when they arrive. I like reaching a new length and suddenly I can finally do a style that was impossible a month earlier. I like that you used the word "adventure", because that's exactly what it feels like.

[Anya15]

For me it's two things, both different.

First, my hair is almost the only way I express my femininity. I don't wear a lot of "feminine" clothes like skirts and dresses, or wear actual makeup. But I like having long flowing hair that I can do different things with!

Second, it's so much fun! Pampering it with treatments, getting excited when you reach a new length milestone...

[Andthetalltrees]

Adventure is one of my reasons, The longest my hair has ever been was tailbone almost classic when I was like 13? since then I haven't had hair that long and I want to know how long it can and will get.
I want to achieve something unusual, My goal for now is fingertip but knee or even ankle seems like an amazing thing to do

[maborosi]

I can smack people around with my braid.:lol:

(But really I just like long hair)

[HairPlease]

Wow, thanks for all the replies, it's so cool to hear I'm not alone in the sense of the slow burning excitement of personally pioneering lengths. maborosi - I can't wait until my hair is long enough to do that. Jelly. lol

anou - Oh man are you right about how much fun pampering hair is. I never would have expected it would be.

[Hairkay]

I was curious why my hair had stopped at the same length for years and years. When I was a child I was living in a hot climate so it was good that I could have my hair off of the back of my neck by having it in two plaits and leave them to curve around the shoulders. Now I'm in temperate zones and I hate those knitted scarves. I want to use my hair to keep my neck and shoulders warm when I'm going out socialising for the evening. Almost all winter evening wear have some sort of woolly scarf and or matching coat and hat. Dresses and dress tops worn then are a bit draughty around the neck.

[Robi-Bird]

I grew out an inverted bob because I wanted longer hair for a friend's wedding. (She didn't ask me to, she just always liked long hair best on anyone and it was kind of a weird wedding gift). It was collarbone length in time for the wedding. After that, I just didn't cut it except to even out the back and occasionally to freshen up the ends. It's getting close to waist length now, two and half years later. Now my motivation is mostly just because I can.

[Lizzie.torp]

I always try to stay out of my comfort zone so I can grow as a person. But my hair is most comfortable short and bleached platinum blonde as it was for all of high school. But now, I guess I'm more of a hippie and trying to get healthy hair and skin. But I guess what changed my hair was multiple people daring me to grow it out and I had to accept the challenge and it is an adventure!

[HairPlease]

I grew out an inverted bob because I wanted longer hair for a friend's wedding. (She didn't ask me to, she just always liked long hair best on anyone and it was kind of a weird wedding gift). It was collarbone length in time for the wedding. After that, I just didn't cut it except to even out the back and occasionally to freshen up the ends. It's getting close to waist length now, two and half years later. Now my motivation is mostly just because I can.

Ha, that is actually really cool.

lizzie.torp, also cool - long hair challenge accepted!!

Hairkay, using hair in such a practical way is brilliant. :D

[spirals]

Honestly, I needed a project to take my mind off boys. ;) I ended up finding one in the interim who understands the inherent craziness in the long hair journey. And he's going bald.

[mariazelie]

I think it's all of what the OP said, and for me, the added thought was my age. At about 50, over a decade ago, I wanted to do long hair one more time, after years of short hair. So I did. And I don't think I ever want it short again. I'm having too much fun. And now I have LHC. I had my hair down to BSL twice, and right now it is much shorter, but I will grow for now and hope with WO which I am liking a lot, there will be some improvements. I had a terrible struggle with tangles during the winter and I lost heart on the length. Using LHC has given me solutions to many problems!