It just dawned on me a couple of days ago that I began shaving my head ten years ago this week. Actually, Mrs. TBF had to shave the back for me the first couple of times because I was afraid of slicing my head open, but I eventually figured it all out.
I remember it like it was just yesterday...
Mrs. TBF and I decided to go to Hawaii for two weeks to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Although our anniversary is in October, we decided to go over the Thanksgiving holiday (happy belated Thanksgiving, btw...) so that we wouldn't be forced to use as many of our sacred, American vacation days.
Up to this point, beginning in about 1995, I was using electric clippers to cut my own hair to about a 1/8" length. However, I didn't really feel like packing the clippers, so I asked Mrs. TBF if she'd help me shave my head while in Hawai'i. She agreed, and the clippers remained at home. Little did I know that they would NEVER touch my scalp again!!
A few days into our trip, I was getting a little stubbly, so the two of us went at my rather rather ample scalp with the razor for the first time. I think I escaped with maybe one little nick, so not too much blood was drawn. After rinsing off the shaving cream, I ran my palms across the smooth, velvety skin of my scalp, and for the next several days...I couldn't stop touching it. Mrs. TBF would catch me stroking my scalp...at breakfast, walking out to the beach, in the pool, driving the car, on the plane between islands, etc., etc.
Another noteworthy point about this trip is that it was the beginning of the heaviest (in terms of weight) time of my life. When we left for our vacation, I weighed 250 lbs. When we returned, I weighed 270 lbs.! You read that correctly, folks - I GAINED 20 LBS./9 KILOS IN TWO WEEKS!!!
...must have been all those breakfast buffets, luaus, etc.
This picture was taken in the pool of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Maui, and it is one of the first pictures of me with a clean-shaved head. Do you notice something else about the picture? Does my face look, well, a little bit round to you? It should - I was at least 50 lbs. heavier in this picture than I am now. At the time, I didn't really think I was that overweight. I just thought I was big. Now I look at the picture, and I realize that...I was really fat. Believe me, it's intentional that I posted a picture where you can really only see me from the shoulders up. I think I was probably between 265 and 270 lbs. in the picture. My weight eventually climbed up to 275 lbs. (125 kilos) before I brought it back down to 250 lbs. - where it pretty much stayed (+/- 5 lbs.) until a couple of years ago.
Hawai'i? We'll DEFINITELY go back!
Hair? It'll MOST LIKELY never be back (unless a cure for baldness is discovered).
Obesity? I DEFINITELY NEVER WANT TO GO BACK!!!
I need to post these pictures of fat-TBF from time to time to remind me how I once let things get WAY out of control.
3 comments:
So that's also one of "Hawaiian moments"?? :)
What a great flashback photo. I know I have a few excessively large photos of myself when I first moved to Switzerland. I think I gained 40lbs within 2 months!!! Yes you heard that correctly... I was XXL for sure all the way around.
And I totally agree with you, I NEVER want to go back. I was so out of shape and unhealthy.
But I agree too, I definitely want to go back to Hawaii. WE almost went for Christmas, but decided to visit Cali instead...
You'll always look to me in my mind's eye the way you do in this picture. The "new you" surprises me each time I see you.
Post a Comment