The soldier was called next. Meantime another man had shown up for a haircut. I realized I’d not been to a barber shop since I was about 10 years old… I’d gone with Henry. Did not seem things had changed much and boy that’s no kidding.

“How long have you been here?” the soldier asked the barber.

“Since 1957,” he said. “Fifty years of cutting hair,” he said with a chuckle.

“No kidding?”

“Nope. This here is the only job I’ve ever had.”

I was stunned.

“Yep. I started working here in ‘57 and bought the place six years later…”

He went on to explain that in the sixties when everyone started growing their hair, he had to learn to “style” hair and he ultimately taught other barbers these skills. He was glad to have made it through those times…

“I like this job,” he said. “I talk to my friends all day and meanwhile I cut their hair. Everyone who comes in here is a friend of mine. You’re only a customer once, then you’re my friend.” He mentioned retiring.

“How old are you?” the soldier asked.

“68.”

Everyone in the place laughed.

The soldier said, “You’re not going to retire.”

“Well I guess not. Barbers never retire.”

He went on to explain he got his first haircut in this same shop when he was one year old. “My mother took me,’ he said.

I laughed because how else would he get there, even though it did seem he was born in the place. He said he was Italian and talked about family so much I though he might be a Cancer but he mentioned his birthday was in October. I decided he was probably a Scorpio. 50 years in the same place is pretty seriously FIXED, as was his focus. We also heard about the near death (of his business) in the 60’s and the place was pretty dirty for the guy to have been a Libra.

He finished the soldier’s hair and money exchanged hands. We knew quite a bit about the history of Kansas City at that point.

Out in the car, I looked at the soldier. ‘Good cut. It looks good.”

“Yeah, it looks good. That’s what a good barber’ll do for you. And he put some smellin’ stuff in there too,” he said with a grin.

‘Lemme smell.”

He leaned his head over so I could smell the smellin’ stuff and I recognized the scent from Henry. “That’s good,” I said.

“Yep. I smell like a man. Not some kind of tutti-fruiti girl!”

I smiled. “What’d he charge you for that?”

“For this?” He ran his hand over his head, it was clear the soldier was happy. “Nine bucks.”

I grinned. “Amazing. Shocking. Well that’s a damned good cut. It’s grand. Every head he did looked spectacular.”

“Yeah he did a good job. Did you hear him explain why he didn’t charge much?”

“No.”

“He said there’s only so much you’re going to charge your friends to cut their hair.”

We sure felt good after meeting Joe Vento of Kansas City. Hope you feel similar.