I
had a flood of memories today and it was so unexpected. Dawson
needed a haircut in the worst way. His hair is thickening and it's
straight so instead of growing down it goes out like a little
mushroom. So to the barber we went. He loves to go with his dad but
it was long overdue, so he had to settle for mom taking him. We
pulled up and in true fashion the barber shop pole was beckoning us
with its classic red, white, and blue. We walked in to a small set
up, its a one chair shop with one barber...Bill. This is a mans
place; a tv, hunting magazines, & man talk all around. As the
door shuts, Bill looks at Dawson and says, “how are you doing young
man?” Dawson's chest puffs up a bit as he answers, “good”. He
climbs up into the chair like a little man. He didn't need me to
help or hoist him up, here he feels big. I sat down in a chair to
wait and it hit...I used to go to the barber with my dad all the time
as a little girl. And, I loved it.
Some
saturday's Dad would load us up in his car (mom must have loved to
see 3 small children ride away for an hour:) and let us go with him
to get his hair cut. The barber pole was spinning its colors, the
bell would jingle as we would walk in and Junior would say, “Hi
Lynn, I see you brought the kids today”. He would chuckle as he
filed us in and sit us in the chairs opposite him where we would
wait. We, my brother and sister, would wait for the crowning moment
when Junior would give us each a piece of bubble gum. Yes, it was a
highlight. But between the waiting and the gum we watched. The
barber shop is not like the beauty shop, they use a water bottle to
get the hair ready and men talk they don't gab:). He would start
with the electric razor, then go to the scissors, and finally to my
favorite part the straight razor. He would grab the leather strip
hanging on the side of the chair and rake it back and forth a few
times to sharpen the blade. Then in no time my dads side burns were
in perfect form. The next part was the best, at the barber they have
a special vacuum, Junior would tap his toe and vacuum dad's neck (I
always giggled at that one). Lastly, he brought out the red and
black massage machine. This thing was powerful, (ok it was powerful
to this little girl) he would spend a few minutes massaging Dad's
neck. Dad loved it and we just wanted a turn. And Junior didn't
disappoint. He would give us each a turn and all the while we would
say “aaaahhhhh” just to hear our voices vibrate. Oh, we were
hilarious. And, by the time we all left, we were happily blowing
bubbles.
For
just a minute today, I was somewhere else, I was little again. I
loved going to the barber with my dad. I love you Dad.
 |
| Dad, Grace Anne, & Dawson |
