I have had short hair for most of my life.
During the last ten years or so I had been experiencing increasing difficulty in locating a competent hairdresser who was actually half way capable of doing a decent short cut 
I just figured that because short hair isn't as fashionable as it was in the 80s, that hairdressers just weren't trained to cut it in anything other than a blokey style 
Anyway, I decided (following a particularly crap cut) that I would grow it 
So, it grew and grew and grew and it's now wavy and just past my shoulders
I have now discovered some unexpected benefits to having longer locks, they are as follows:
I used to spend ages washing it each morning and then get too hot/bored with the hairdryer. Now, I simply wash it each night and let it dry naturally after sticking some products on I can now get ready in about 20 mins instead of 40
If it's a cold day, you can wear it down and it keeps your ears and neck warm
You get to wear clips, scarfs and bobbley stuff in order to appear more interesting
I now have something to fiddle with, suck, sniff and pretend I have a mostache when I'm out and feeling bored or in need of some comfort