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Written by Andy
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Monday, 12 January 2009 |
 Sometimes strange things happen to me. I end up getting myself into interesting situations (it really is a wonder I've lived this long) and my ADVENTURES usually turn into pretty interesting stories to tell at parties or over dinner. My latest haircut, for example is a good example of my interesting encounters and adventures. How could the act of getting a haircut turn into a strange and interesting story? Well, keep reading and you'll find out.
Ok, so recently I've been getting all bent out of shape about needing a haircut. I've been working too much and it has been time for a trim for way too long. The other week I passed by a new barber shop in the middle of nowhere (seriously, there was no other building on this street that I was driving down. It was just a free-standing barber shop that looked brand new). I'm not going to say the name of the shop - to protect the innocent. I'll refer to this shop as JACK'S BARBER SHOP for the remainder of the story. That's not the real name, either. It's made up. This story, on the other hand, is completely real.
So, I saw Jacks barber shop and thought to myself WOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT PLACE BEFORE. I GUESS WHEN I GET A CHANCE I'LL HAVE TO CHECK 'EM OUT. So, a few days passed, and I finally got a day off work. I ended up taking my car into the shop to get it fixed and I knew it was going to take a few hours. I took my skateboard out of my trunk and started skating around the city. I wound up near the barber shop and decided that today would be a great day to go ahead and get a haircut. I just needed a trim and I didn't want anything fancy. I walked in the front door and turned the corner only to realize (a little late) that this was a black barber shop. Yeah, Jacks barber shop wasn't a place I would have known about. At the moment that this was all being realized (by myself and everyone inside Jacks) the music stopped, people stopped talking, everyone stopped working, and I was being stared at like I had just eaten a 12 foot chocolate bunny at a Jenny Craig convention. It was surreal.
After what seemed like an eternity of people staring at me and me staring at people, someone finally asked me: YOU WANNA HAIRCUT? What could I say? Should I stay or go? The first thing that came to my mind while I stood their frozen in my place was Yeah, can someone cut my hair? I don't want that to sound like I'm being discriminatory or anything. I really didn't know if I would be able to be helped in this establishment. Everyone looked around at each other like they couldn't believe what I was asking. Or maybe that were looking around to see who would best be suited to cut my hair. Suddenly the main guy points to a man coming out of the back room. He goes YO, KEITH. CAN YOU CUT THIS HAIR? Keith looks at me and freezes. He slowly walks up to me to see if I'm joking. He says: WHAT KIND OF HAIR CUT DO YOU WANT? I just said that I needed to get some of the bulk out of my hair and that I needed it cut above my eyes and above my ears. Nothing fancy, you know. This guy Keith looks over and over at my hair before shrugging and saying YEAH, I THINK I CAN DO THAT. Really this was a comfort. No turning back now.
So I sit in the chair and you could seriously cut the awkwardness in this room with a knife. I've never been able to say that before without being as certain about the meaning before this day. It was really REALLY awkward. Finally the main barber starts asking me questions to kill the silence. He starts asking me about skateboarding and shoes and different things like that. Suddenly everyone was cool with me and we were all talking. Of course Keith was sweating bullets behind me, trying to get my hair just right. It took a few tries before he came up with something that we both liked. Very simple and very basic. That's the way I am. Rock on.
So, after the haircut was over I asked Keith how much I owed him. Was said $12. Damn, that's pretty good for a haircut these days. I hold out a $20 and say COOL, YOU GOT CHANGE? Keith looks at me like he doesn't. Then he looks around and really doesn't have change. He goes over to the other barbers and asks them about change. Holy crap! What do I do? All I have on me is a 20 and a single. So, Keith finally comes back over to me and says I'LL GIVE YOU A 10 FOR YOUR 20 AND YOUR SINGLE (that makes my haircut cost $11 for those of you bad in math). Damn, now I'm feeling bad that I walked up into Jack's barber shop without an appointment, having Caucasian hair and now ripping off Keith for a dollar (and I was planning on tipping, too. Trust me). So, I thank him for the haircut and I say that I'll be back at some point. He nods but I'm sure he thinks I'm outta there for good. Great, I just ripped off a barber. I feel like shit.
After a couple more hours, I pick up my car and I get some change. I decide that I'm going to tip Keith $5 for the trouble I've apparently caused. I feel that this is good Karma for me. I drive back up to Jack's barber shop and walk in like I've been a customer for years. Things shouldn't be awkward. I'm a regular now, right? Wrong. Things instantly turned into Deja Vu for me. All of a sudden the music stopped (again) and people stopped talking (again) and everyone was looking at me (*again). Shit. I'm estimating that they're thinking OH FUCK. WHAT DID WE DO? THE WHITE BOY'S BACK. The main guy comes up to me (again) and says. So, what's the problem? Can I help you? Oh snap! I'm not here for a problem. I hold up the money that I was going to pay Keith with (the great guy that he is). I try to explain: I owe Keith more money for the haircut. I didn't pay him enough. I'm here to pay him back. Where's Keith at? Damn, Keith doesn't seem to be here. I don't see him. What the hell? Where's Keith?!?!?!
Someone in the crowd of people - (yeah, there's a crowd. They're all standing around - around me. I shouldn't have to say it, but this was a very awkward moment) someone in the crowd says that Keith just left. So what am I supposed to do? A few people mention that I could give them the money and they'd see to it that he'd be receiving the money. No dice. I was hoping to personally hand Keith this money myself. The main guy finally says LOOK, YOU CAN PUT IT IN KEITH'S DRAWER OVER THERE and points to the place where Keith was cutting my hair. Should I do that, though? I mean, I don't know Keith all that well. I can't go rummaging through his stuff. What could possibly be in that drawer? Everyone in the crowd moves over to one side or the other of Keith's drawer and makes a line for me to follow to go over there. I gather all the courage that I could muster and slowly make my way over there. I quietly and quickly slide Keith's drawer over just enough to toss the money inside. I close it up and you could hear the sigh of relief coming from the room. I turn around and nod to the main barber who has been helping me out throughout the day. Thanks, dude. I say my goodbye's and exit the building.
What a crazy day,right? So, here's my question thinking back on everything: KEITH DID A GOOD JOB ON MY HAIR. Should I become his regular now? Do you think he'd want to cut my hair again? Is this going to become my regular haircut establishment? It's a good possibility.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 January 2009 )
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