I'm Done. I'm Breaking Up With My Long Hair For Good

My longed-for Rapunzel tresses are never going to happen so I'm cutting this relationship short

I’ve tried to make it work. I’ve done everything possible, but this relationship isn’t going anywhere. A decision has been made… I’m breaking up with you, long hair. For good this time.

It was so much easier for us when we were younger. We got on so well; I loved you so much. We looked great together and seemed like the perfect couple.

But as the years went on our relationship got more and more strained. I always felt like I had to make so much of an effort, and as the years went by I constantly had to switch things up, to make the relationship more exciting. You’re very high maintenance, I’m low maintenance, you know we weren’t getting on and I became increasingly frustrated.

The amount of time I had to spend lavishing attention on you became something that I wasn’t sure I could cope with as I got older. If I didn’t make an effort, then you certainly didn’t. I hate to admit this because it sounds petty and vain, but sometimes you made it embarrassing for us when we were out together. Some days it really felt like your sole purpose in life was to make me look bad, and you know how you were always splitting hairs over the smallest things.

In a way, my heart is a little broken because this time our break up will be permanent. I need better conditions within a relationship.

We constantly broke up and got back together over the years. Ours was the most on-off relationship you could ever imagine. The breakups were usually sudden and usually initiated by me, after an angry outburst where I’d proclaim, “That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!”. A few days later, we were over yet again.

You took the break-ups pretty well, though. I think it was because I knew we’d get back together eventually (very amicably on your part) that I made so many on-the-spur-of-the-moment decisions to end things… I always knew (hoped) it wasn’t the end-end.

Getting back together always took so long, however. Looking back on those days they seemed to go so slowly, and it wasn’t always fun. There were often so many layers that complicated things, or we felt like we were on the fringes and “looking in” on others with similar situations to ours. Others seemed to make it work so much better than we ever could, and I have to admit I often felt pangs of jealousy.

But about three years ago, I decided that I really WAS going to make our relationship work, and it would be permanent this time. I was inspired. I said, “I’ll put in all the effort! No more break ups.” No more arguments, no more who made who look bad and no more caring what other people thought about us being together. I wanted forever for you and me, for us to go on and on.

But despite the compliments from friends and family about how great we were together, in the back of my mind I always knew something wasn’t right (appearances can be deceptive). It’s like I knew we weren’t going to go the distance. This time the relationship had lost its sparkle; you’d really lost the shine you had during the early days. I wondered whether I was to blame. Maybe I treated you too harshly, and if so I’m truly sorry for that.

I wanted to grow and you to grow with me too. But for whatever reason, you just didn’t see that, and couldn’t bring yourself to go the extra mile for me.

It wasn’t working between us, and I think you knew that. I had to sit down and rethink our future together. As sad as it seems, I had to consider a future without you.

And if I were being honest with myself, I also knew that you were silently changing in a way that blindsided me.

You seemed to drag us both down; you seemed a little greyer every day, and although I didn’t really notice at first it really started to take you over in the last couple of years. I tried to patch things up for us both, but although I was dying to make things work I think I overdid it by trying to inject a bit of colour (probably too much) into our relationship. I know it had a lasting effect on you that there was no coming back from. I took it too far.

I have, therefore, made the difficult decision to cut all ties with you, and for that I’m sorry. But I promise it’s for the best.

I’ve yet to tell my friends and family, but I know it’ll be a shock for them. Especially because I’d told them you and I were forever. But knowing my loved ones, they’ll no doubt have opinions, and suggest that I shouldn’t give up, we could still get back together in the future… NO. I can’t do it. I’m not going back there. I have to keep telling myself that this is the right decision.

So you now know that I’m finishing it. Although you may not want to hear this, I’ve already moved on. The ties have been cut.

I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m really happy. I know that you too will be happy with someone else in time; it’s just not me anymore.

My memories of our time together will be fond, I’m sure of that. I’ll almost certainly reflect back on happier days and feel a little regret now and then. Will we rekindle our love sometime in the future? I’m telling myself no, but past experience has taught me that you always pulled me back in eventually. I know I have to be strong this time, because closing this chapter once and for all is the right thing to do.

Adieu, long hair, my love…