14 February 2005
Braid-Be-Gone
Last night, for no particular reason, I cut off my braid.
I'd had this braid, also known as a "rat tail", for 17 years. It began when my hair was short, as a stubby little proto-braid, and plateaued at about 14 inches long. It became a sort of a trademark, and strangers often complimented me on it.
But last night I suddenly decided I was Done with it. I washed, conditioned, and braided it one last time, then cut it off at the length of the rest of my hair. For a moment, I was almost surprised at what I'd done. The disembodied braid, about nine inches long, will be deposited in my archive.