The Haircut

Local haircut at the Barbershop

Back in the 1960’s and 70’s when I was growing up it was fashionable for young men to have long hair. The guys back then wanted hair styles like the Beatles rock band.
Unfortunately for my brothers and I we had a militant father that believed in hair cuts. Every week we were marched into the barbershop and buzzed.

Our haircuts back then were the equivalent of a lawn mowed right down to the crust. Giving it that burnt lawn look. We looked and felt like circus freaks. When I graduated from High School I ended that madness. No more haircuts 52 times a year!

Today I feel a good haircut is one of the few things that makes a man feel good. I like that 1st Platoon Sergeant cut when I can find a barber who’s open here in Southern Illinois. When it happens it’s like finding rare earth minerals so it seems.

My wife in times past would cut my hair on occasion. I would have to make a point of telling her everyday at least 30 days in advance. When she did cut it she’d moan and complain telling me she had better things to do. Always making the point my head was too big for my body.

That’s funny that subject never came up one time when we were dating. I even offer to pay her. That didn’t matter she didn’t like cutting my hair. Then one day coming from work she fell off her horse and broke her shoulder. That pretty much ended the ball games in that park.

This last Thursday I went downtown Vandalia to get my haircut. I arrived 30 minutes before the shop opened. So did 5 other men. We all figured if we got there real early our chances of getting a haircut were much higher.

When the doors opened it was like storming the gates to a popular rock concert. I thought, Lord I hope nobody falls going in because they are going to get trampled. That didn’t happen thankfully.

One by one the hair began to fall systematically and methodically. Everyone was smiling. It looked like it was going to happen. We’re gonna get that haircut. Lord does it feel good. The best way I can describe it is it’s like winning the lottery. When I got home I was feeling good and just knew it was going to be a great day. Then my wife said, “Your head is too big for your body.”