Bic It

Ever since I was about twelve or thirteen years old, I have always wanted to Bic my head.

For years, I guess, it just never crossed my mind… until this past Friday. When I awoke, I said to myself, “I’m going to shave my head.” And, with that, I took out the electric clippers, the shaving cream, and the razor. An hour and half later my head was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

In the hall where my wife saw my Bic-ed head for the first time, I was met with, “Oh my God. You shaved it!” Her queer smile was a mixed expression of disbelief, astonishment, and curiosity. By nightfall, as well as the following days, she revealed, “It’s growing on me.”

That afternoon when we were at the base lake with my folks and their friends in celebration of the Fourth of July, I received a lot of compliments from the men. The reactions from the women were equal to my wife’s. I think women value and distinguish a person’s hair a lot differently than men. Nonetheless, nobody out-and-out said they disliked it. If they had, oh well, it’s my head and my choice. And, I like it!

One thing a lot of people got a kick out of was when my mother came looking for me.

Some guys and I finished up a game of horseshoes and were returning to the line of picnic tables where all of the food was beginning to pile up from people bringing cold dishes and the hot plates of meat fresh off the grill. I had no idea she was looking for me because I had my back turned and was speaking with someone. Interrupting the conversation, I heard a woman calling for me: “Norman! Norman, your mom… she’s here.”

I turned around and there she was, my mother, looking straight at me without recognition. Then, she burst out in disbelief and astonishment at my bald head. Muttering some things in Korean at first, she started in on her commenting in English. “Norman! What did you do?” She rubbed my head and patted my shoulder. “You look like your uncle,” she observes. My uncle shaves his head because he is half bald and prefers to be youthful without his receding hair line revealing his age. “Ahh, you’re still handsome. My son!” She smiles and proudly takes me by the hand and parades around the growing number of party goers. Everybody knows me, but it seems to be a Korean thing to parade your child like a trophy around to everyone, especially mother-to-mother. It is really more about showing off and receiving praise, but children do it because it makes their parents happy. Hell, the other mothers do it, too, and we return the gesture.

It felt weird when my wife rubbed down my bald head with sun block. She commented with a giggle and a blushing face I did not see but heard, “Wow! It’s smooth!” I think she found it a turn on. That night when we made love in a somewhat exhibitionist-style inside the tent with all kinds of passers by just outside, my wife repeatedly rubbed head, which she normally does not do. I enjoyed it feverishly.

Conclusion

Despite most people I know discouraging me from Bic-ing my head, I did it anyway. I fulfilled a long awaited wish in my personal image, stirred up some folks, enlivened my wife, and increased my self-confidence. Nonconform is the norm.

Mavericks lead the way! Hoo-uh!