Pyat and the $5 haircut

[pyat]

There's a little hair salon near my house, built in the front of a house. It's the sort of place elderly women go for perms. In the window there is a little frame with a hand-lettered sign reading "George The Barber." George, it seems, runs a single chair babrber shop out of the larger hair salon.

I first saw him one cold February morning, around 6 AM, while waiting for a bus. There was a light on in the hair salon, a single lamp, and three men. One, a very elderly barber, the second an even older customer (perhaps 90), getting a buzzcut, and a man in his 60s, who I presume was the customer's son.

Today, while waiting for my car to get an emissions test, I walked in to get my haircut. George is very old indeed, at least 80. He's stooped, and his hands were fluttering gently. He's rather deaf, but kept up a pleasant conversation. His set-up was extremely basic - a normal chair, disposable razors instead of a straight razor, and kleenex instead of towels. Still, he gave me a very precise and neat haircut, and at the end, I was surprised to learn he charges only $5.

Nice and sunny day out, today. That is all!

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[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's just across from the Senior's Home on Main, near our street.