A Brig or a Ship by Walter

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Sure glad I got with the program fairy early. The dynamic of a family of boys sure seems different now that I've talked to other men abut it. Mine was three boys, no females around except my Mom. Dad was WWII Navy, and the haircut wars were on. All the men in the family hated long hair, and the women weren't wild about it either.
It seemed like if your Dad wasn't in the war there had to be a real good reason. Guys like my old man came back and the US was well on it's way to becoming like Prussia-we had triumphed, honorably and boys would for the most part do military service and like it. So in the 1950's boys had flattops just like their Dads, My middle brother and I had our first cut be the requisite crewcut in the early 60'.s My Dad and Grandfather were REALLY into barbershops. Every two weeks we had to get cut, not a day late. Once my Dad sent us back because the barber didn't get our boy's tapers short enough.
Anyway, not much of a story but stream of concioussness. We wound up in military school and had to keep our hair short when boys all had longer hair,
Arguments in the house over hair length. Our house was not unusual.
Finally, in early 80's I took initiative myself to go back to an all-male barbershop and get an ivy-league. Loved it. Been short ever since.
So there you go-a brig or a ship. When I bitched during hippietime about my forced haircut it was the brig. Later on I got on the ship and enjoyed it.
I tried to join the Navy but was 4f. Didn't matter. My father made sure that his boys got hard wired for military grooming, and I simply got tired of trying to "look" any different. its a hell of a lot easier. Looking forward to a short crew soon.

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