Life Lessons From the Marines: Britney Spears' Hair

Since I've covered the aspects of life and war through the eyes of a Marine, I thought it would be a good time to engage in some practical application. Just as I'm thinking that, serendipity unveils a topic with all the flourish of a Vegas magician. This episode of Britney Spears cutting off her hair is just too priceless so here are my thoughts on it.

The story as I understand it is this: Britney, with no one but a couple of bodyguards, taps on the glass of a salon that just closed and gets them to open up for her. She insists that she wants her head shaved even though the salon worker tries to talk her out of it. After some conversation back and forth, Britney takes the shears and does the deed herself. The salon worker, who didn't want to be responsible for the job, trims up after it is done. By all accounts, Britney was not under the influence of anything except her own stubbornness. After finishing, her eyes welled up with tears and she said that her mother would be furious. (Then there's some bit about a tattoo parlour across the street but that's not important now.)

I remember clearly when the same thing happened to me. Any real Marine does. The air was cold and the ground was wet. I had just gotten off a bus driven by a Corporal who was rather concerned that I and all the other recruits remained quiet and politely seated. It was past midnight, by design, and we lined up on yellow footprints painted on the parking lot; footprints angled in such a way that you were beginning to learn how to stand at attention. We were welcomed to MCRD San Diego and given several loud verbal instructions. Then we filed off, lined up to enter the building, and got our turns in the two or three barber chairs just inside the door. I sat down and eleven seconds later I looked like Britney Spears. (Well, you know what I mean.)

So where's the life lesson here? Simple. Britney Spears gets sick of the constant dog and pony show that her life's become and takes decisive steps to change things. When some spineless jellyfish starts coming up with reasons why she can't succeed, she takes charge of the situation and accomplishes the mission. With a few passes of the clippers she tells the world to take a flying leap. That's thinking like a Marine and that's why I say her new haircut is good to go.