It's been over a year since I cut my hair. After the last time it was buzzed from my head, there was only a half inch or less left on my scalp. And a few months later, when I'd usually get buzzed again, I decided I'd let it grow out a bit.

Around Christmas last year, people noticed it was longer than I usually kept it. And it kept getting longer. And I kept not cutting it. If a month or so went by since I'd seen someone, most would comment that it was, in fact, getting longer. I agreed.

Now it falls below my shoulders, is somewhat bleached out by the sun and the split ends give it a bit of body. Otherwise it would be straight down, because naturally there is no curl to it. And I'm not into putting too many products into my hair.

I did have to start conditioning and combing my hair. I hadn't run a comb or brush through my hair for years and years, but now I have to comb it back after each shower. And put in conditioner to make sure tangles don't develop.

Every few months I think I might cut the stuff off. There are these mornings when I get up and I can't get the hair out of my face. Or I'm walking around and a group of locks keeps hitting me somewhere on my face, and I can't get it to stop. And there's the shedding, which happens even when you have short hair, but it's much more noticeable when long hair comes out.

At the moment, I can pull it back and put it in a pony tail, although it's more like a top knot. So it's not really stylish, but practical (especially when eating at home) to tie it on top of my head.

And, while on a walk last Friday morning, I thought, once again, it might be about time to cut my hair. Y'know, sometime in the next month or so. Except it's getting colder and did I really want to go through winter with no hair on my head? But the feeling I was old and useless was prevailing that day, so a change like that might help my fragile little mind.

Which leads me to wonder if the reason I grew it out in the first place was to compensate for the natural thinning of my hair. You know, a sign of old age. I've still got a pretty good head of hair, but it's pulling back from my face. My forehead is getting bigger. Slowly and surely.

But this cutting idea was in my head when I went to get some beer at the liquor store later in the day.

I handed the clerk my ID without being asked (it's reflexive now to do this, since I get carded pretty much everywhere I go because of draconian state laws about serving alcohol), but when he looked at me and then my card and then me again, he shrugged and had the other guy working behind the counter approve it.

Then, while handing my ID back, he told me, "You need to cut your hair."

Mind you, this guy is at least ten years younger than me. I just commented that I'd grown it out a bit, but didn't agree with his blunt assessment (which, apparently, meant it would be easier for people who serve alcohol to approve my ID--the real reason anyone makes fashion decisions). I mean, just because I think I might be at that point where I want to cut it doesn't mean I want to be told by some punk ass at the liquor store that I SHOULD cut my hair.

This is my bohemian life, man! I was a dirty hippy in a Kevin Costner movie!

To be somewhat fair, however, I don't look a lot like my ID at the moment. Besides my long hair, I also have a rather full beard (as full as I can make it, which means it's kind of rangy). And I'm ten to fifteen pounds heavier than it says. And most of the time my eyes are blue, even though the ID says green. Of course, I got the ID three years ago, and there are almost five to go before I have to get a new one. And I hate the DMV. Oh yeah, and I'd probably have to get glasses since I cheated on the eye exam last time.

So what if the clean shaven guy with short hair is a little different from the long haired, bearded guy I am now? Am I some underage guy trying to pass off a fake ID? I have grey (or white...and I'm not sure what the difference is) hair on my head and in my beard. It's pretty obvious I ain't a 20 year old trying to be 35. Which could be why this is the first time anyone questioned my ID in the last year. Even if I don't look like that guy as much as, I guess, I should, it's obvious I'm not trying to pull a scam.

I still got my beer without too much shit. And he even hunted around for a box to put it all in, maybe because he felt a little off for questioning my ID (the box wasn't necessary is what I'm saying).

But one thing is for sure now: I'm not cutting my hair this week.

No matter what alcohol servers think of my ID.

Matt Worley had much longer hair in the early 90s.