“I feel like I’ve lost 10 pounds!” as some also may say jokingly when they get a major cut at a hair salon.

On Nov. 4, I walked into Studio 329, 2355 Old Post Road, Coplay, to get my hair cut and to donate as many inches as possible while keeping in mind the preferred style I was seeking. That turned out to be two 11 1/2 inch ponytails!

For this donation, I began growing my hair in the spring of 2013 and continued to not get it cut until recently.

I have been donating my hair for a while now. This was my fourth time and I chose a different organization compared to donating three times previously to Locks of Love. Instead, I donated my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. One of the requirements is a minimum hair donation of eight inches.

Since starting the campaign in July 2006, through a partnership with the national American Cancer Society Wig Bank, more than 42,000 wigs have been given to women.

According to the website, Pantene Beautiful Lengths’ “real-hair wigs help women fighting cancer feel like themselves again.” A wig made from my hair will go to a woman affected by hair loss from cancer. It is a very good feeling knowing I did something sincere for another human being. But that is only one of the reasons why I started and continue to do this.

I have had a few women in my life affected by cancer, specifically breast cancer. My great-grandmother died from breast cancer in 1996 and a professor I had while studying at East Stroudsburg University passed away from metastatic breast cancer in 2012.

My professor, who was also a mentor to me, had a profound influence on my life and my education. One of her most crucial points she taught throughout her “Writing About Young Adult Literature” course was her famous ‘So what?’ When writing anything, it is important to include a ‘so what?’ in one’s piece. What will what a writer is saying mean to readers? What will readers take from it? How will it make a difference? And how will the message change anything? A writer should never want his or her reader to ask ‘so what?’ after finishing a work.

Right before I began student teaching is when she passed. I remember attending her funeral – the line was out the door, ending far beyond the back parking lot. I remember other professors and students speaking, reminding those in attendance to have a ‘so what?’ in life.

Each time I donate my hair, I receive an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, but toward the end of this hair donation, I also started thinking about my professor’s ‘so what?’ What will donating my hair for a wig mean to a woman fighting cancer? She won’t know me; she won’t even meet me. But I can guarantee you it will mean a lot to her. Whether she needs it to feel beautiful again; whether it is a comfort to her; whether it is a shield for her to hold on to for strength – it does not matter.

Donating my hair for a wig is my way of contributing to a generous and appreciative society, and I will continue to do so for many years.

What is your ‘so what?’ in life?

Stacey Koch

editorial assistant

Catasauqua Press

Northampton Press

Whitehall-Coplay Press