Barbers with Heart

So, I was sitting at the barber shop with my kid over the weekend. School starts today and he wanted to make sure he was looking dapper….or I guess the kids call it fly or fresh or clean or some other word that I’m not hip to. I don’t usually go to the barber with Mel, mostly because I absolutely can’t stand barber shop talk. I’m all for feminism, but I would not be offended one bit if I never had to walk in a barber shop…..ever. I’m sure it’s the same way men feel about sitting at the salon or outside of a dressing room. Some punishments really are just too severe.  Obviously, with it being Saturday, we knew all the barber shops by our house would be packed with all the kids getting ready to go back to school…..and…..Mel decided last time that he saw his barber that he wasn’t going to use him any more because he fucked up his hairline…on more than one occasion. I had my girl Amanda line him up once, but he likes going to black barbers because he’s part black and he feels like they know better. Who am I to argue? I only let one person touch my hair. If she moves, I’ll either travel or completely quit cutting it. So I get it. Nevertheless, now we had to find a new barber. Mel has a friend whose dad is a barber. He’s white, but as Mel says, “he got skills.” Mel asked his friend if barber dad was working but he had already left for the day. We decided to go to his barber shop anyway. When Bradley, my 22 year old, was little, maybe early elementary, I used to take him to this barber shop. It was run by an old man. Now, I don’t know if barber dad owns it or what, but we walked into Fountain Gate Barber Shop, in Fountain City. It was pretty much a full house when we got there. At least five people in front of Mel and one barber, Cowboy barber (because he was wearing Cowboys football gear not cowboy boots and hat),  cutting everybody’s hair. There was one in the chair when we got there and an old man in a waiting chair in the middle of the floor.  Cowboy barber finished up with dude in the chair and went to see old dude. And I mean dude was old as fuck. Like one foot in the grave, one on a banana peel old. And cowboy barber was so damn sweet to him. He talked gently and shaved dudes beard. And when he was finished, he and two customers helped old dude to his car. Yes, old dude was driving when he really had no business doing it. I don’t know how he was even going to get into his house. But cowboy barber was not concerned one bit with anyone but old dude at that moment. And he took his time making sure every person got the haircut they wanted. Even though there was a bunch of us waiting, he took his time with each and every haircut. 

Professionalism at its best!!!

It is so refreshing to see decent human beings in this world, mostly because it’s so rare. But I can tell you this, I will continue to take my kid there even though it’s significantly further and out of the way than the other barbers he could go to, just because the place is obviously filled with good people and the welcoming environment doesn’t hurt either. Plus my kid was super happy with his new cut. So, kudos, Fountain Gate Barber Shop and thanks for being an awesome person, Cowboy barber.