Noah Gets Clipped in 1979! by Jonathan

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It was 1979. The last year of a decade of long hair on both men and women. The disco days were coming to an end. People's main way to communicate was still a rotery dail telephone. I was in 6th grade and had this real cool friend named Noah. He could draw anything, so artistic. I would sit and watch him draw and be amazed at what would come suddenly on that paper before my eyes.

Noah also went to my church and was in my class there too. He was quiet and very calm always. I really look back through my life and can honestly say he was the coolest, nicest person I've ever come across. People always have such meanness in them. Sure, they hide it awhile, but sooner or later it comes out. I was lucky to have him for a friend for the last three years of elementary school. You know when someone might ask, "Who was the best person you ever knew?" You start thinking of people. Everyone falls short. Well not Noah.

Noah was a good looking kid. About average height. Nice face and dark blond hair. His hair was always over the ears and the bangs kind of feathered back. It was very straight too. He had always had his hair a little long over the ears since I knew him in third grade. It was the 1970's and nearly all boys had hair like this. Boys sometimes cut it just over the ears right after a haircut. In three weeks it would grow over the ears quickly again though. No one ever got their hair clipper short though.

At school we stayed in the same classroom all day with one teacher. I remember there were a few trouble makers. Our teacher was cool and kids liked her. She was about 45, but looked good for her age. She wore tight designer jeans and had long hair. We all kind of knew she was going through some mind life crisis. She acted like a teenager sometimes. She was just so nice she could pull it off. Then one day she bought a used 1960's Chevy Corvette. She parked it on the street by our classroom so you couldn't help but notice it. She even wore lip gloss too.

Most of the kids in the class came to school on the buses. Some walked to school from the local neighborhood. Kids arrived at all different times. Before school started we came inside the class and sat and talked at our desks. If we got too loud the teacher told us to go outside.I was always just finishing up my homework at this time.

One morning I was at my desk before school and in comes my friend Noah. I could barely tell it was him. His nice straight dark blond hair had all been sheared off. He looked liked a marine. He had nearly zero back and sides way high up to the crown of his head. On top there was barely enough hair to part. It was almost a flattop. I could see he was imbarrassed as heck. He was a little red with embarrassment. Then everyone started to point and laugh at him. He had big ears too. I never realized how big they were before this. They didn't stick out, just were big. He sat down at his desk. The teacher wasn't in the room right then either. People stared and then said where's your hair? Why did you cut it like that? Are you in the army now? You have really big ears! I was really getting mad now. I felt so bad for my good friend Noah. I really cared about him. Suddenly I yelled knock it off, leave him alone!

The kids got quiet. I could see Noah's eyes had started to water. He was ready to cry. I said it's his hair, leave him alone! He can cut it how he wants. Just then the teacher came in. No one said a thing now. People still stared at him all morning though. It was a shocking transformation.

At recess the rest of the school got their turn to mock and tease Noah. I stayed with him at recess and lunch to make it easier on him that day. Kids can be cruel and most had never seen hair this short. Noah told me the regular barber was gone and a new barber had done this to his hair. I told him it looks ok and will grow. Well I knew it wasn't going to grow back the way it had been until next year. It was so clipper short. I had gone to San Diego one summer and seen some marines near Camp Pendleton. That was the only time I'd seen hair this short on a person. Poor Noah!

Days and weeks went by. People got used to him like this. The worst was over that first day. I still hung out with him. The crew cut kind of grew on me. I liked the way the sun shined on it. Also he let me touch it too. I know he never liked it. He let it all grow back. It took until the end of that next summer just to grow to a regular ears showing haircut enough to part on top.

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