Tag: barbershop

Posted in Life

A new barbershop

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jeppe Mønster on Unsplash

After a couple of bad haircuts, I decided to try a different barber shop. I always got stuck with the third or fourth chair barber who was just out of barber school or had too much to drink the night before. Or maybe that morning. Who knows?

Anyway, I found another barbershop a little closer to my house. When I walked up to the door, a handwritten note announced “Carmelo is not here.” It was Carmelo’s Barbershop. Okay. No problem. They were open, so there must be other barbers cutting hair.

Just before I opened the door to walk in, I saw a small table with a spiral-bound notebook and pen. It was open to a page with a list of names, most of which were crossed out. I wrote my name and walked in.

A young lady was cutting hair, and a couple of other men were waiting their turn. I sat down and read some emails on my phone. I listened as the barber described how her father (Carmelo) was sick, the other part-time barber was ill, and she was running the shop alone that day.

As she finished each cut, she would take their money, walk outside, check the notebook, and call out the next name. A pretty good system, just one I’ve never seen before. Usually, I walk into the barbershop, sit and take note of the other guys sitting there so I know when it will be my turn. Sometimes I get the front of the line since they are waiting for a specific barber. Of course, then I get a lousy haircut.

Anyway, I got a great haircut that day. I went back and got another great haircut from another barber in that shop a month later.

It all worked out pretty well.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

We’re just doing some evangelism

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Joshua 2.

A few years back, a couple of older men in my congregation – Phil and Gene – would always go to a barbershop on Main Street in Daytona Beach. In those days, Main Street was ground zero for Bike Week and Biketoberfest activities. The street was lined with bars, tattoo parlors, souvenir shops, and from time to time, some “working” ladies. Neither gentleman had a lot of hair, and all the magazines were really old, but they enjoyed the sights and sounds of that part of town. They justified their presence by claiming they were doing “evangelism.”

I’ve always found it entertaining that the first thing Joshua’s two spies do is go to a prostitute in Jericho.

“Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there” (Joshua 2:1).

It’s also entertaining to read uncomfortable commentators insist that the spies never engaged Rahab’s services. So what if they had? Would it be all that surprising if they acted like sailors on shore leave in an exotic port?

Ironically, their mission does include some evangelism. Rahab hides them, lies for them, and confesses the Lord to be God in heaven above and on earth below (2:11).

A lot of people got upset when Jesus spent time with sinners and tax collectors. So what if he did? They probably had better parties anyway.

Posted in Life

Some laughs with Lefty the barber

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Caio Coelho on Unsplash

I had a new barber cut my hair yesterday. Same shop, just a new guy who started with them a few months ago. He was talkative and very witty. It was an unusual day, a rainy afternoon, and I was the only one in the shop.

According to his business card next to his clippers and combs, his name was Lefty. He starts out with, “So what are we doing today, Mr. full head of hair?”

I replied, “The guys usually use the number five attachment on the clippers for the side, then blend a little off the top. Tapered in the back. Not too short so I can still comb it.”

He said, “So, some bulk reduction, shape it up, got it. You know, I wish I could say that to my girlfriend. I love her, but she could use a little ‘bulk reduction.’ For some reason I always end up with bigger than usual women.”

He went on, “When I met her, she asked my last name. I told her it was Kaplan. She said, ‘Wow, I never met a real Jew before!'”

I shared that I had a lot of Jewish friends at college. I was always a little envious of all the Jewish festivals they got to celebrate.

“Yeah,” he said, “There’s that. But the food is terrible. Try choking down some gefilte fish mixed with matzah balls. No thanks.”

Changing the subject he asked, “So what do you do?”

I told him I was a retired pastor. He said, “I guess I better watch what I say.” And then he told me a few jokes about priests and nuns.

I said, “Now that I’m retired, I get to hear all the good jokes no one would tell me before.”

Lefty told me he was a stylist in Miami for most of his career. He retired and moved up here, but he was still cutting hair a few days a week. He did a good job, and his standup routine is pretty good, too.

Posted in Life

Barbershop irony

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“I’m going to get my haircut.”

“What time is your appointment?”

Someone who doesn’t frequent barber shops might ask that question. But that’s not how it works. You walk in, have a seat, take note of the guys already sitting there, and head for an empty chair when it’s your turn. You might wait four minutes or forty minutes. It just depends on how many barbers are working that day and how many are waiting ahead of you. You watch a little ESPN  on the TV, maybe page through an old magazine, check email on your phone or read whatever you brought with you. It’s all part of the experience.

One of the ironies of the barbershop is that no matter how little or how much hair you have a haircut costs the same for every one. From my dark brown-haired youth to my present silver gray, I’ve always had a full head of hair. But my haircut is $15 just like the guy ahead of me who’s only got a little bit of hair above his neckline stretching from ear to ear. I believe seniors get a $1 discount and a flattop costs a few bucks more, but those are the only variations.

All three chairs were filled up when I arrived yesterday and there were two guys waiting ahead of me. It looked to me like two of the barbers were almost done, so I was pretty sure I would get the third. I’ve been coming here for a while and have gotten haircuts from all three in the past. Plus, the guy in the third chair didn’t have a whole lot of hair.

For some reason, that third chair never opened up. Barber number three was experienced, but taking his time, and it looked like they were having  an involved conversation. The other two guys finished before him so I got the “next” from one of them. The last I glanced over, the third barber was precisely trimming individual isolated hairs sticking up from the top of that customer’s head.

Maybe it’s actually easier to cut a full head of hair like mine, because you don’t have to be precise. There’s plenty of margin for error. Not so when you’re down to your last few follicles.