Naked

Last month two wonderful reporters from the Clark College newspaper The Independent interviewed me for my project. They were both under 21 years old, with an enthusiasm for writing about things that matter in the world. Their energy and passion were absolutely stunning...and reminded me of a time in which I, too, was  boldly naked with what mattered to me.

I was honored to be the focus of one of their stories. Read it here: http://clarkcollegeindependent.com/life/clark-counselor-holds-hair-hostage-for-charity/



Photo credit: Brittany Koonz, The Independent

For the interview, I put on makeup (those of you who know me, understand this as a relatively rare thing) and wore my favorite hat. Until that day, I had been wearing hats EVERYWHERE. Grocery store, dinner with friends, driving, walking the dog...I had been bald for 3 months and rarely been without a hat. On the occasions that I did, I felt absolutely naked.

The kind of naked that you felt in that recurring nightmare you probably had in your early 20s. You're late for a math test in high school. You've forgotten where the classroom is and know you're going to be late. Just after the bell, you make it into the room only to realize you've forgotten to notice you don't have pants on, so you try to fold yourself innocuously into those horrible writing desk/chair contraptions. You know: Naked.

In telling my friend Bryson about this one day over sushi, he pointed out to me that I might get more response for my project if I actually went about my business bald. When he said this, I felt a wave of embarrassment that reminded me I created this project to make a statement that catches people's attention...and more importantly that I had been hiding my purpose under (really cute!) hats.

As with most lessons in my life, the teachers kept coming. First Bryson, then a random lady on the street who shouted at me "You go girl!" as I walked Dexter without a hat, then a dude pumping gas across from me who tried to figure out if I was bald under that hat while staring THE WHOLE TIME...to Brittany and Atalie, the overwhelmingly energetic and passionate reporters at Clark College.

So, I decided to be naked. More often.

Being naked requires nothing more than a willingness to tolerate the discomfort of being seen.

Sure, there are times that I don't want to be seen. On those occasions, I check-in with myself to see if I can tolerate the anxiety. Usually, I can. If not, I put on a hat.

(Please email your hours/donation amounts to: DrBevyn (at) Gmail (dot) com