Crewcut
A short-short story
In memory of my father, I wear a crewcut. He set the boundaries I needed and the value of a stiff upper lip, just putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what. He never read Marcus Aurelius but he knew stoicism’s wisdom.
My crewcut was an ongoing reminder when girls wouldn’t go out with me, perhaps because they assumed my crewcut meant I was conservative. One even jeered, “Hey, Nazi!” One foot in front of the other.
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My crewcut was a reminder when other employees, less effective than me, were promoted over me. One foot in front of the other.
My crewcut was a reminder when I thought I might have cancer but it turned out to be a nothingburger. But during the waiting period, one foot in front of the other.
But I’m human so, as I was sitting in my sanctuary, the nook in the corner of my apartment, I got despondent. The weight of all the problems now termed, “challenges” have filled me like a balloon that could explode. I’m tired. I looked in the mirror at my crewcut. Should I let it grow out? And for the first time, I noticed a bald spot.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
Marty Nemko is a career and personal coach, and author of 36 books including How to Do Life. You can reach him at mnemko@gmail.com
