FROM REVEREND ROBIN                                                                 

Firstly, I would like to say sorry for my absence in last month’s magazine. I had a short but very pleasant stay in Treliske after a tiny spec of dust found its way into a tiny cut on my thumb decided to turn green and then track up my arm. After several days attached to a drip of antibiotics I was released back into the world but took a few days to recover and as such missed the deadline for magazine submissions.

To say I felt like a fraud while in hospital was an understatement. The Trauma ward I was on had 2 people whose conditions left them non-verbal, the man opposite me had had a wall fall on his hip, next to him was someone who had had a fight with a chainsaw and next to me sat a man whose leg had made contact with a circular saw. As we were going around the room in what reminded me of a training room ice breaker session, explaining how each of us arrived at this point, it came to my turn. ‘Well, I, um, I had this splinter in my thumb….’ Needless to say, everyone laughed, but I got my own back being the only one who was able to get out of bed and walk to the toilet unaided!  Anyway, I am back to full health and want to thank all who expressed concern and support to myself and family.

Which brings us to now, June, summer, carnivals, picnics, barbeques, sunburn and many more wonderful things. Since I was 12, I have had long hair. It has been a part of me for as long as I can remember and I had dreams of growing old with long white hair where I would start to dress more and more like Gandalf. But I also thought to myself that if this hair of mine started to go of its own accord, I would cut it before it disappeared. When I returned from hospital and had a nice long bath I stood up and looked in the mirror and a wave of panic hit me. I could see daylight in amongst my once thick and full head of hair. After much soul searching and with the words of Christ on the Cross still bouncing around my head I decided ‘It is finished.’

Christ of course was speaking of the struggle and sins of the world, whereas I was speaking of my youth and flowing mane. And so, I came to the decision, I would donate my hair, to the Little Princess Trust so a child undergoing Chemotherapy or suffering with Alopecia can enjoy it for longer. I am praying that my strength doesn’t lie within my hair like Samson or that my family, who have only ever known me with long hair don’t disown me. But just in case I do lose my powers, I would feel a lot better about it if we raised a lot of money for the charity. I am also toying with the idea of holding a raffle to see who will be the one to cut the Vicar’s Hair on the day, but we will see how brave I am feeling.

For now, your long-haired Rector would like to wish you all a wonderful June and to let you know I will continue to pray for each and every one of you. God bless.