Shear Anxiety

I always looked forward to seeing him. He was the best at what he did. And one day, he just left. I had no idea where he disappeared to or who got to have him. The very thought made me jealous. I then started seeing another guy. He is also good at what he does. But somehow it just wasn't the same.

Barbers are funny that way. (And yes, you can all breathe a sigh of relief.) You develop a relationship with him and if you leave him, things can become quite awkward. You try avoiding that person if you see him on the street. But in this last case, I was the one left sitting in the barber's chair: Mike left last November to help his friend, an old neighborhood cutter named Mr. Duvall--a man who could have served as the inspiration for Cedric the Entertainer in Barbershop. Nevertheless, Mike has returned to my current cuttery. I saw him this morning while my new barber was trimming away. It was all very cordial but Mike knew what he had done and how he had lost me. I am also certain my new barber could tell I thought about switching. But, as we all know, it is almost impossible to make "the switch," even with barbers.