True-This Summer by Howard (recovered)

---

True - This Summer

By Howard


I was in high school in the 80's when long hair over the ears & collar were the norm, a hair style that I kept for 20 years until my trip to London this summer and an unexpected encounter in a barber chair.

It was one of my regularly scheduled trips to London for a sales team meeting, this one taking place in June. I work for a British firm & every quarter they rally the troops and we meet to strategize about sales opportunities and receive training on our latest products & services. The meetings always start on a Tuesday & end on a Thursday at noon providing a free afternoon in the city of London. This particular Thursday I left the office at noon and stopped at a nearby deli to pick up some lunch & plan my afternoon. I sat down at a sidewalk table & noticed a barber shop across the street. I started watching the steady stream of traffic into the barber shop and decided to track a few of the guys going in & coming out - the before & after. This was nothing new, I've always been a little obsessed with men's hair and had done this occasionally in the local mall. I've kept the basic style of my hair over the years and have been fortunate that my thick brown hair has stayed with me and there are no signs of thinning. It's parted off to the side, long on top (5-6 inches) with the sides covering half of the ear and the back long and cut blunt a few inches past my shirt collar - very few layers except at the bottom of the back & sides. It always looks neat, but definitely on the long side. I go to a unisex salon - never a barber - and even though attempts have been made to update my look, I never budged. I would psyche myself up before my haircut appointment and convince myself to get it cut short, but always chickened out once I sat in the chair, until this one day.

After I finished my lunch I decided to walk across the street & peak into the barber shop & check it out. I approached the entrance and stopped to look in and at that same minute one of the barbers was exiting outside for a quick smoke when we literally bumped into each other. As he apologized profusely he put his arm around my shoulders and guided me into the barber shop and then pointed to his chair. As I sat down in the chair I was still trying to figure out what to say, but how do you explain you just wanted to watch other guys get a haircut and that I have no intentions of getting one myself, that I would never have a barber cut my hair, I may fantasize about going into a barber shop and having them buzz off all my hair, but always know that it will never happen! But something was happening, something that seemed surreal.

He introduced himself as Bill, a young guy in his late twenties, as he put paper & a cape around my neck & clipped it tightly. At this point my mind is racing. How do I get out of this, what is happening, do I allow him to do a trim? Bill picked up a comb and started to rake through the gel all the time talking & asking questions about the U.S, where I was from & what was I doing in London. Somehow I managed to calmly answer the questions while still trying to figure out how to escape. Bill commented on how long my hair was and I must admit that I found it embarrassing when he combed the front forward and it fell to the bottom of my nose and most of ears were covered as well. I guess it had been about 7 weeks since my last haircut so it was a little longer than normal. I finally resolved within myself to let him trim my hair, it needed to be done anyway, he seemed like a nice guy, and I couldn't figure out how to get out of the situation I somehow got myself into. Finally the question came, "How would you like your hair cut?" Right as he was speaking, one of the barbers yelled to Bill that his wife was on the phone & she needed to talk to him for a minute. As I sat in the chair I started to look around the room. This was a big place with about 7 barbers and I began to notice all the guys were getting short haircuts. No one had long hair like me. The hip look in London is short on the sides & short top gelled to a spiky look. All of sudden my mind started to take a different turn. Maybe it's fate that we bumped into each other, maybe it's meant to be, maybe it is time to cut it short, maybe I finally go for the fantasy! By the time Bill came back to the chair I had psyched myself up by repeating that it was fate, time to do it, you want to do it, go for it, do it, do it, do it!!! The question came again, "How would you like your hair cut"? My response, "I want a major change, something hip, whatever is popular in London, whatever you think would look good!". Bill seemed surprised and asked if I had any restrictions on length or style and I reinforced that he had total creative control. Yikes - what was I saying!

Before I could retract what just popped out of my mouth, Bill grabbed the front of my hair, held it up, and hacked off a major wad. He told me to sit back and relax, enjoy the transformation, there was no going back, and then dropped 4 inches of hair in my lap! It was happening and I immediately broke out into a cold sweat. Bill confided that he normally would never start with front, but felt the need to act quickly and eliminate any possibility of me changing my mind. The deed was done and he was right, there was no turning back. The front of my hair which once was to the bottom of my nose now fell high on my forehead, and what a startling white forehead! What did I do, what was I thinking!

Bill was fast. He started at the side and lifted the hair with the comb & cut it close against the scissors very quickly working his way up the side. Within a minute the one side of my head was cut down to an inch and my ear was exposed for the first time in 20 years. Bill then repeated the process on the other side & then started hacking at the back. I couldn't believe the amount of hair that was piled on my shoulders, lap & floor. He had cut off at least 3-4 inches on the sides and even more in the back. At one point I asked him to take it easy because the back was snagging as he was combing through it with the scissors. Bill apologized and slowed down saying the back was thicker & longer than he thought and evidently he felt the need to prove the point by showing me the 5 inch chunks he was cutting off. He explained that he was starting with the scissors to get rid of most of the hair & bulk. Get rid of most of the hair, starting with scissors - what does that mean!? He had stopped speaking for the most part except to comment that he mostly does trims so taking someone from long hair to short gives him the chance to be creative, especially since I gave him no restrictions - something he keeps repeating & I'm regretting. I just sat and stared in the mirror, numb with what I saw happening. He finally moved from the sides & back and headed for the top. This was the most dramatic since my long hair was my signature, how I identified myself. It didn't take long. He continued with the same comb up and cut against the scissors process only this time 4-5 inches of hair was falling in my lap in full view - what was happening! I sat & looked in the mirror & couldn't believe what I saw, or didn't see!! What had I done! I agreed to let him give me short haircut! How could I let a barber cut it, dry, with scissors & a comb - what the hell got into me! I then started to rationalize and decided it wasn't too bad, there was still at least 2 inches left on top & maybe 1 inch on the sides & back. He could have cut it shorter. It'll grow out by Christmas. At least he's done cutting, I think!

I assumed when Bill started the electric clippers it was to trim my neckline & sideburns so what I surprise when I felt the cold metal run up the back of my head, several times, and then he started buzzing the sides as well. My hair was getting even shorter! I broke out into another cold sweat. The sides were now buzzed to about 1/2 an inch. He took a few minutes and worked with the scissors to blend the newly shorned sides into the top which he then sprayed with water. It seemed like he was finally done, after all, what's left!? Evidently the top. He took a pair of scissors and started cutting once again, although this time he used the scissors & his fingers, no comb, and cut from front to back and then repeated the process from side to side telling me this was to create 2 different lengths so the top would easily spike which was rapidly becoming evident! I can't believe he continues to cut it shorter! The cutting finally stops. He combed the loose hair off the top and announced that he was almost done, but he wasn't sure about the back. I couldn't imagine there were any options left since he already ran the clippers up the back of head a few times! He then asked one of the other barbers if they thought the square back looked good and would a fade look better. I've got to admit that not being in a barber shop in 20 years I had no idea as to the question or the meaning of a fade. The decision was a fade would look better since I have a low hairline. It would grow back more naturally. All I know is the clippers came back out and he started buzzing even more off the back which led to the sides needing to be a little shorter as well - yikes! The cutting finally stops!!!!

Bill spent several minutes gelling the top and getting the exact look he had in mind when he started. His masterpiece, my nightmare! I sat & looked in the mirror in disbelief. The reflection I saw back was a person with brown spiky hair, 1/4 in on the sides, 1 to 1 1/2 inches on top - ears, forehead, & neck fully exposed! I also learned the meaning of a fade. It's no hair starting at the bottom of the neck to gradually increasing length towards the top, max length 1/4 inch! Bill asked me what I thought. I lied & told him I thought it looked good & he did a great job. He thanked me for trusting him with such a major change and hoped I enjoyed the experience as much as he did. I lied again & told him I did. He told to stop in for a trim the next time I'm in town and I agreed - lying once again. I then paid, gave him a hefty tip, and left in shock! It would take about 9 months to grow it back out!

The reviews from most people were favorable, except for a few that thought I went from one extreme to another. The first 4 weeks I cursed my short hair every morning. By the fifth week I didn't like the fact that I started to have trouble keeping the top spiky, and by the sixth week I started to think that maybe I needed a trim. Here's the short ending to a long story. In September I was back in London and on a Thursday afternoon I was back in Bill's chair, but this time I gave him precise instructions. "Give me the same haircut I got in June, except go shorter on the top". Who would've thought?

The End

---