Previous memories of haircut aversion days from youth juxtaposed with adult years interspersed with fun stories of going to the barber, going from hippie to shorter hair styles, self-hair cutting, a "make-over" and being treated to a salon experience.
"Hair-raising" Haircut Memories
How can something as mundane as getting haircuts bring about so many memories in my head? Is there really great strength in having long hair as was the case with Samson – a story that I used to belabor sharing with my mother as a kid when trying to get out of a dreaded trimming which always seemed to turnout as a crew cut? “Get to that barber shop and get that haircut off your head,” lyrics from an early Beatles tune named “Bad Boy,” that relates well to these younger haircut aversion days of mine.
I would even note to mom that most depictions of Jesus and the Apostles showed them having rather lengthy hair – hoping that would convince her to let me keep a “mop top” like style that was popular back in the 60’s from the Beatles. I figured that if He “knew how many hairs were on my head (Luke 12:7),” he certainly knew that I wanted to look like Him!
Nowadays, I find myself having to tell the barber the opposite of what I’d always squirmed about when mom was trying to clip above my ears. Some of the younger hair stylists will give me a puzzled look upon their faces when I tell them that it is okay if they give me “white walls,” referring to having the hair length a little above the ears enough to show my scalp. Usually, they’ll give you a mirror at the end of their cutting, at which you can decide if you are satisfied with their work. Inevitably, I’ll have to convey to please cut a little higher!
Lately, with the tough economy that we are all experiencing, I’ve ventured to self-cut occasionally to help save some money. The $ 15 Remington electric clipper that I bought from the big box store surely makes it easy to handle most intermittent jobs between goings for a sprucing up by the barber. I’ve found that the # 3 clip attachment for the Remington suits me best to give a tapered look that is not a super short look. My wife got us a nice pair of hair shears from our sister-in-law who is a beautician; these scissors also help in cutting around the ears. Usually, I have to get my wife or son to help cut around the neckline and be sure that I didn’t create a cowlick when self administering the electric haircutting kit.
When I had the opportunity to go back to the same hair stylists who seemed to do a great job, it sometimes meant waiting a little longer for my turn with that person. It was certainly worth the wait when you knew you could just tell them, “I’ll take the usual cut,” when asked at the beginning of the hair cutting encounters what I would like. I would be sure to give an extra tip to a regular barber who had cut my hair previous to an interview that had landed me a job!
When I first had a mustache, I didn’t quite know how to keep it well tailored. Now that I also have a beard, I’ve learned to use the Remington apparatus to also help in keeping both it and the “cookie-duster” in decent shape. But it is a real treat when I do go for a haircut to also get the “face-ware” trimmed up. When I really want to splurge, I’ll also get a shampoo which is like a scalp massage. While I haven’t had dry hair problems in a long time, Scott and I once wrote a tune about them: “The Selsun Blues!”
In 1981, when I was doing volunteer work in California, I did let my hair grow the longest that it had ever been in my lifetime. It happened that one of the other staff members that I worked with at an outpatient mental health facility had been enrolled also in studies to become a beautician. As part of their studies, they would have a contest at the end of the semester to see who could do the best “make-over” for someone. My messy long hair and semi-waxed type mustache provided an ideal case study for Lauren. I wore an old “seer sucker” suit for the occasion that converted me from a hippie to a “Magnum, PI type look” that was popular then. While Lauren didn’t win, she did get an honorable mention for what she had done for me.
About 10 years ago, in order to save money, I started going to Lockworks, a barber school that used to be in town on Government St. It was great, because the cost was only $ 5, since hair stylist apprentices would cut your hair per the supervision of a trained stylist. When I initially went there, I thought that I could possibly be a guinea pig and end up with a terrible haircut. As I found out, this never happened and usually was very satisfied with the student’s work.
One Friday, when I couldn’t get away for lunch for my usual clipping at the barber school, I decided to look up for another one to try after work, since my wife and I were going out to a social function that night. I looked in the phonebook for another Lockworks and found one on Highland, so I made an appointment for after work.
Upon entering the hair salon, I noticed that it was much more extravagant than the usual location, but I still thought it was a barber school. As I was seated to get my haircut, I was offered some fancy coffee in fine china and then realized that this operation was in a different league! “Oh well,” I thought as I was pampered to a hair cutting experience unlike any I’d had before. Thankfully, that was a payday Friday when I’d gotten some extra cash, so I could afford more than the regular $ 5 charge! While I may have never gone back to that establishment, it was certainly a “hair-raising” experience.
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