STRONG GIRLS PICTURED. Toupees, and Honest Feedback in Today's Blog

You can read this week’s newsletter here, which includes registration info for our spring youth session.

Weekly Blog: Is That A Toupee? Just kidding, I know it is.

A college buddy of mine, let’s call him Franz, was going bald in college.

Always wore a hat.

Formals, funerals ,or swimming. Didn’t matter.

Yankee hat, every day.

He was also the biggest loudmouth, ball buster there was.

He talked so much shit and had little to nothing to back it up.

Didn’t matter if you made fun of how bald he was, or how shitty his football picks were, or how he sucked at basketball. He constantly came back with the last word.

I get it. I didn’t get hit with the full chrome dome until I was in my 30’s.

It was a slow drip, but it still sucked.

To be almost bald in college must have been brutal, and he seemed to be dealing with it in his own way.

Two years after graduation, I went back home to visit, and Franz and a couple of other buddies made plans to hang out at the Jersey Shore.

When I got to my other buddy’s house, he urgently whispered “I have something to tell you!”

With that Franz walked into the room….with a full head of hair.

I stood there in shock. He looked like he had scalped Tom Cruise and flopped it onto his head.

“What’s up man, How’s Cali?" he asked, giving me a hug.

I nodded, staring at the thing on his head in disbelief, and then glaring at my other buddy who shrugged as if to say, “I didn’t have time to tell you!”

We played golf, went to the beach, out to dinner and then a club, and back to my buddy’s place.

Nobody brought up the toupee.

Every second we had throughout the day, the other three of us whispered and talked about Franz’s hair behind his back.

How long? Did you know? What is it?

Not the best thing to do with one of your best friends.

From that day on I have tried to be better.

I’ve tried to be honest and open from the get go.

That’s why I’m bringing this up.

I’m very lucky that there are lots of people who still read this blog who are not current members.

You were for a short or long time, and you still think my writing brings some sort of entertainment value, I assume.

I’m incredibly grateful for that.

But, I’ve also run into some of you.

Soccer games, grocery stores, walking the dog, when you stopped by the gym the other day to say hi.

At some point, we talked fitness and what you’re up to with it.

You told me about your hiking, bike-riding, hot yoga-ing, Peloton-ing, weightlifting in the garaging.

I know that at the time I smiled and told you how great it is that you’re being “active” and agreed that it has been a tough couple of years for all of us.

The thing is, it might not be working.

You may have convinced yourself.

Someone told you it looks great on you.

For awhile, it boosted your confidence.

That thing you’re doing that isn’t really that hard, that makes you feel good in the moment, that doesn’t make you sore or nervous before you do it.

Yeah, that thing. The thing that when you look in the mirror it doesn’t take much for you to be honest with yourself, because you know it.

It’s a dead animal on your head. A rug. A piece.

It’s not real.

I’m sorry to be so brutally honest, but a long time ago I made a pledge.

I never did it with Franz, and I swore I would never not do it again.

Just the honest truth.

~TJ