Bald Decisions Save Lives. You are probably thinking "Bald Decision, do you mean Bold Decision"? Actually I meant bald, after the story I am about to share with you, you will know why.

While I was on break during my second year of college, my 20-year-old friend and basketball teammate John, who was very slim with blond silky hair, invited me to host a basketball camp at his former high school.

YOUTH MINISTER'S ODD SUGGESTION

At the end of camp, my teammate took me to his youth minister's house to eat with him and his family. We got to the bricked house and were greeted by a man in his early 40s with a fiery red beard and a shiny bald head. "I'm Eric, nice to meet you Gene. I heard good things about you at basketball camp." "Nice to meet you too, Eric. That's great to hear."

As we sat at the table eating, Eric asked, "Gene, what are your plans for the rest of the break when you get back to Houston?" I responded, "The first thing I'll do is go to the barbershop, get my haircut and talk to my homeboys." I'm not sure if Eric had some sort of divine intervention powers or something, but I believe that what he suggested next saved my life. "Gene, I know this is going to sound a bit odd, but you have an oval-shaped head that would look great if you shaved it." "I'm not shaving my head, man. I would look like a fool" "I highly doubt that, Gene. I think you should give it a go. Plus, you'll save a lot of money and time trying to get haircuts."

HE TAUGHT ME

He had a valid point about saving time and money if I shaved my head, so I pondered his suggestion. "Eric, I've never shaved my head before, so I'm worried I'll cut myself." "No worries Gene, I'll show you how."

Eric, John, and I went into the bathroom where Eric had set up a chair in front of the mirror. I took a seat in the chair as he placed a towel around my neck. He said, "I'm going to shave your head with a new razor, so make sure you stay still, so I don't cut you." "Okay," I responded. His wife brought him a package of new razors, and he took one out. He started to slowly shave my head as he explained the process.

BARBERSHOP TROUBLE

In the middle of him explaining the shaving process, he asked "Why would you go to a barbershop to see your friends? Is the barbershop a popular spot?" "Yes, actually. In most hoods, the barbershop is where people hang out, and you can learn about any issues going on in the hood. To be honest with you, my Mama has been trying to discourage me from going to the barbershop when I come home from school because she said there is too much trouble there."

"Is she right?" Eric asked. "Yeah, but I don't stay for very long. I get my hair cut, chat for a bit and then leave." "Well Gene, I'm glad you decided to go bald because now you won't have to go to the barbershop. Which is a good thing since it's a place that has trouble."

BALD HEAD OVER THE BULLET

After Eric was done, I liked how my head looked shaved, so I decided to maintain a bald head. When I arrived in Houston, I was tempted to go to the barbershop and chill with my homeboys. But instead, I decided to listen to my Mama and not go.

A few weeks later, I found out that the day I was going to go to the barbershop, it got shot up by a guy and some of his friends. They did it because one of my homeboys violated the guy's sister. This incident made me realize that Bald Decisions, which are decisions we make based on the wise counsel of those who have our best interest in mind, can save our lives.

Now that you understand what Bald Decisions are, I want to encourage you to make them in your own life. Listen to the advice of those who have your best interest at heart, whether it’s a spouse, doctor, etc., and make a Bald Decision that could save your life because YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE GREAT!