What are you hiding? Do you you wish you had less here, more here? Do you hide what’s in your heads or your hearts? I feel your pain. There’s something about myself I haven’t always been open about. I’ve wrestled with it day in and day out, but the time has come for me to put it out there once and for all. Everyone, I’m bald.

Okay, not shocking. You’re used to shiny hairless heads, but there was a time when I wasn’t. I’d look in the mirror hoping to see Brad Pitt, but all I saw was Bruce Willis.

Contest chair, Normal people, with normal people’s hair, I used to be like you. I’d see a bald man on the street, and say, “That’ll never be me.” But now I’m bald.

Losing my hair was like losing a family member. It took time to get over and there was lots of emotions.

I’ve felt them all; denial, bargaining, anger, depression and finally acceptance. Wade, you can’t be afraid of who you are. (you’re bald, and that’s okay.)

I can’t change how much hair I have, but I can change how I think. After a long process, I can stand here today and say, “I’m bald, and I’m proud.” But, Bald pride didn’t happen over night so, let’s go on a bald journey to see how I arrived at where I am today.

It was my second year of high school when I started losing hair. What were you worried about in High School? I was worried about friends calling me names like, Grandpa or Baldy, I tried everything to keep my hair. Exercising, taking pills, using expensive hair creams, I even stopped brushing. None of it worked.

So I went to a doctor hoping he would hold the key to keeping my hair.

But, oh no.
The doctor is bald. I came for help, how can he help me?
The doctor asked, “Wade, are your relatives bald?” “Yeah, my father, grandfather, and uncle, he’s really bald.” “Wade, you have bald genes.” Bald genes, bald genes.
My genes are bald. If my genes don’t have hair, what hope do I have? I was going to lose my hair.

At first, I was bald shy, I wouldn’t admit I was losing hair, even to myself. I tried to carry on as best I could. Ladies, I even went the hair salon from time to time.

What was I thinking? Every snip of the scissors was another piece of hair gone, and who knew if it would ever come back.

I tried covering up my hair loss with hats. I had every hat you could think of. But I realized something. People weren’t seeing me, they were seeing my hats. I was letting the thing I wanted to hide, define me.

My uncle, the really bald one, told me “Wade, you do whatever you want, but if you can’t be open about it, it’s not good.” This wasn’t good.

Why was I hiding? “Wade, you are a bald man, just like your uncle is a bald man, and your father, and your grandfather. It doesn’t scare them, and you can’t be afraid of who you are either.” Enough, “I’m bald as hell, and I’m not going to hide it anymore.”

That night, I got my clippers and shaved my head clean. Do you know what happened when I introduced everyone to the new, bald me? Nothing. My friends didn’t laugh or call me names. The world didn’t stop just because I was bald. Why was I so worried?

Going from bald shy to bald curious changed my life. Whenever I see a bald man on the street, I give him the secret handshake only bald men know. And when my students ask me, “Teacher, Where’s your hair,” I say, “I’m just so smart, there’s no more room for hair on my head.”

Being bald doesn’t scare or embarrass me like it used to. I know I join a long line of successful bald men. My uncle, Vin Deasal, even Dananjaya. All proud, bald men. Heck, Taiwan wouldn’t be what it is today without bald Premier Su Zhen-Chang.

Again, what are you hiding? I tried to hide, only when I opened up did I learn something. You can’t be afraid of who you are
Whatever it is you’re hiding, you’re still a person. Bald, fat, what you keep inside, embrace it. Be true to yourselves and show the world what matters most is the pride in your hearts. I have bald pride, what’s your pride?