I really, really loved this. Really. Hair--and it's length--is something that is a huge symbol for me, and not something that everyone understands, but you captured some of my thoughts on it perfectly. I chopped off all my hair when I was a teenager for precisely some of the reasons you talked about here--control, or at least the semblance of it--even though it took me years to really understand this about myself. It's been one of the hardest things to let go of in my life, to surrender this perception of control. It's one of the reasons that I grew my hair long again, and one of the reasons I will not cut it again.

But this piece you wrote really meant a lot to me personally, as well as being something that was just completely enjoyable to read. :) I loved Cloud's portrayal, of course, with his quiet way of wondering why she had cut her hair...and his admission to fantasies about it. ;)