The Rate of Growth and Fall

In a lifetime, one can have only two sets of teeth and nine sets of nails. And our hair is wonderful example of how someone can have so much in life while others can only dream. It knows no castes, creed or religion or region. Just like the material wealth, it can only generate on its own, but any act nurturing has no effect.

When I was a little boy, my mother used to tell me stories of dead people’s growing hair. When people die on inauspicious days, cremation is withheld. And especially during summer, dead body is either buried temporarily underground or put in the water until it is time for the cremation.

But our teeth are allowed only two lives. One set is already gone when we are children and basically, we are left with only one set. If your appetite is for meaty meals, then better take care of your teeth, people. For veggies, no such worry. I can chew cabbages and tomatoes even at 95. But these days with science and technologies, you could even replace your teeth and become 15 again.

Hair fall is a serious concern for everyone. People in ancient times may not have minded so much as us today. And especially all these TV commercials in a move to sell their products make people worry unnecessarily. But again, in life the baldness is a serious threat to men’s happiness.

My scientific mother thinks if a hair falls today, two would grow in its place tomorrow. And going by her proposition, if a person loses 100 pieces of hair in a week, he would have 200 more growing. Actually, we have already lost 100, right? So, the resultant growth is 100. That’s quite reliving when people are scared as hells of their heads gradually growing bald.

My colleague Udyog has no sign of baldness, but he thinks he is losing so much hair every day just like me. And all those TV ads are only aggravating his worries. He is getting married before the year ends.

“Don’t worry man, if a hair falls, two would grow,” I tell him, with pride of a hair specialist.

He looks at me and scratches his head. Then he nods and shakes his head before he looks me in the face.

“But you see,” he tells me. “If the rate of hair fall is slower than the rate of growth…”

Definitely, there are reasons to be alarmed if the fall exceeds the growth. But today technology can do wonders. One can even replace your original hair or teeth; however, I would not love to have artificial teeth in my mouth or wigs on my head because sense of belonging is important.

I am undeterred with the rate at which my hair falls because I believe it can sustain for another 100 years.