"She'd only loved two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing." -500 Days of Summer

Attachment is a funny thing, and what we allow ourselves to become attached to is even funnier. Cell phones, lap tops, purses, blankets, photos, jewelry, our hair. But why?

Technology, we believe, makes us feel more connected, more in touch, but often it seems it is merely a distraction from the world around us.

What we own gives us status, it is an outward reflection of the person we want to convey to the world. Sometimes, it is the meaning behind the thing: who gave it to us and why. And when those relationships change, so do the meaning of those items, and we can quickly cast them off.

And yet other things we cannot explain our attachment to. We can't pin down quite what it is that makes it so meaningful to us. Our hair, the things that make us look the way we do. They are a part of us, yet why do we allow ourselves to become so attached? Why is it some of us feel a welling of tears at the mere thought of a haircut?

So when I made the final decision to cut my hair, I resolved that I would not feel remorse, I would not feel loss. Sure, twelve and a half inches makes a big difference in one's appearance, but the shock quickly wears off. Fades away after the initial slough of comments and compliments. And then, it just is. Cutting my hair, while a frightening prospect, was liberating. I was freed. My life had changed, and I had changed, but my hair changing did not change me. But it was time that I embraced the change, and created an outward reflection of that change.