I shaved my head today because of something that happened 35 years ago. Here’s the story.

35 years seems like a lifetime. June 15, 1990, that was my very first trip to a barber shop. I remember it vividly but it wasn’t supposed to happen like it did. My last day of school was June 13. I had been thinking about cutting off all of my hair for months. I had been cutting my own hair for about 2 years now, really just trimming the ends. At this point my hair was mostly all one length all about an inch past my chin a little longer in the back. I mostly tied it back or wore a head band to hold it back. I had never had short hair, let alone a crew cut, what everyone then referred to anything that was buzzed, before. I had convinced myself that it was now or never. I got myself committed to busting out the old set of clippers I found in my grandparents bathroom closet and doing it myself, but as soon as school was out. Late night on June 14, I decided it was time. I found myself in the bathroom in front of the mirror, with those old clippers. I was terrified and excited. I couldn’t wait to see what a buzz cut felt like when I rubbed my head. I had never embarked on this before, so I washed my hair first and towel dried it. Obviously a mistake when going right to the clippers but I didn’t know that. I brushed my hair straight, and fired up the clippers. They snapped on and hummed, waiting to get the job done. I only had one guard, a #4, it was clearly marked. I was staring to shake, I was that excited and nervous. I aimed the clippers dead center at the front of my head and pushed them all the way back. I heard a noise that something happened but my hair looked the same. I tried it again and the same thing. Nothing was happening. I turned them off to make an assessment. Nothing was cut! I mean, you psych yourself up to do the first pass and nothing! Not a hair on the floor. I expected it to be like the haircut scene in Stripes, or full metal jacket. Fast! But it wasn’t. I turned them on again, this time it tried the side of my head. It felt like it was cutting, but it was just pulling. I took the guard off the clippers and turned them back on. I saw them visibly vibrating but at the time, I didn’t know they were in dire need of oil and even though they were on, they weren’t cutting, they were stuck.
Imagine my disappointment. I’ve worked up to this moment for nothing. I was afraid now that I would chicken out and regret it. I’d just play it safe, like nothing ever happened. Something then came over me and without hesitation I grabbed a clump of my bangs and mercilessly cut them well above my eyebrows. Commitment cut. Now I had to do something. I wanted to shave my head! I needed a plan now.

My plan. I woke up at the crack of dawn and had a look in the mirror. It was bad. It was hacked to bits up front with the rest long. I thought about just cutting the rest short with scissors but it would still be a mess. I was in fight or flight mode. I grabbed a ball cap and $10. Yelled to my parents that I was running out and left. Left to go to nicks barber shop about 3 blocks from my house. Nick had a reputation in the neighborhood among kids. They’d go to him for a trim when school let out and end up with a crew cut. He showed no mercy. In the 80s when a kid showed up for picture day with a side part and stubble on the sides and back, you’d know he’d been forced to see Nick. That’s what I needed. Not knowing what time the shop even opened I found myself walking in that direction, hat firmly affixed to my head, butterflies in my gut. I got within eyeshot of the shop and saw the front door open, and Nick appeared. I swear he knew I was headed there because he waited at the door till I was just outside and held the door for me while I crossed the threshold.

This scene was foreign to me yet familiar. It was exactly the way a barber shop was depicted on tv or in movies. 2 barber chairs, about 10 seats to wait, an old cash register and several sets of clippers hanging from hooks on the counter, waiting to take their first pass of the day. Nick motioned to me to get in the chair. I obliged. He started making small talk while he got ready for his first haircut of the day.
I was looking at myself in the mirror, hat still glued to my head to hide what I had already done. He said to me “first time here” I answered yes, he said, “ you don’t look familiar “ what’s your name? “ I told him and he said glad to have here, we’ll fix you up today “. Yes he would. He came over fresh cape in hand and put it on the counter right in front of me. He grabbed a piece of tissue and wrapped it around my neck, then he pulled off my hat. He paused, looked at me looking at myself in the mirror and said, “looks like you got too close to a lawnmower “ and laughed. I laughed, anxiously and said I tried to cut it myself but the clippers wouldn’t cut it so I did that. “Clippers! “ he said surprised, “ well luckily the clippers here work just fine” as he’s now holding a set of clippers turning them on and off.
He then put the cape around my neck and said “ well son, what will it be? You mentioned clippers?” I sheepishly said yeah. He nodded and picked up the clippers again, looking at me for some sort of direction. I said looking towards the poster on the wall of illustrations of “men’s modern haircuts” that one, and pointed to the one that said “the crew”. Nick wasted no time and firmly placed his hand on the side of my head and ran those clippers right past my chopped bangs all the way to the back of my head. Lots of hair fell. Lots! He repeated this again and again till there was nothing on the top but about 1/2 inch of hair left. He then moved to the left side of my head, doing the same front to back motion, just like tv, just like the movies. I watched in awe what was happening in the mirror. He paused and said “first time”? I hesitated and he said again “first time getting a haircut like this?” I affirmed and said yeah I wanted one for a while. He smiled and laughed and said “well now you’re going to have one”
The shop started to fill up, I barely noticed until an older man said to Nick, Dad send him in? Nick said “ no he’s here on his own “ the man looked at me in the mirror and said smart kid and laughed. At this moment Nick had moved to the back of my head, moving the clippers from the bottom to the top, shearing off everything that was in their path. I wanted to touch my head at this point because it felt so different. I couldn’t wait. In the mirror all that was left was the long hair on my right side, I could imagine what I was going to look like when he was done. Nick then made quick use of the clippers and annihilated what was left. Nick paused, I thought I was done. My hand started to move from under the cape, then Nick came back with the clippers and ran them over the top again this time leaving the front untouched. He did this a few times then moved to the sides just above my ears. This was noticeably shorter. He then put another blade on the clippers and started on the left side again, going up to where my head curved. This was much shorter! Skin short! He then repeated this process from the left to the right and back again. Showing no mercy to the hair that was left. He then sprayed my head with water, and rubbed it front to back. I could feel the water on my scalp immediately and it seemed like it was dry in seconds. He then got his scissors out and took care of all the stray hairs, there weren’t many. Next he put some wax on the hair in the front and brushed it straight up. With his scissors again cut them straight across, making the perfect bumper.

With lather, a neck shave and a smack of tonic that stung I was done. I did it. I stood up and rubbed my head, Nick walked towards the cash register as I stared at my new self in the mirror. I met him over there feeling 10 feet tall. I had a giant grin on my face. Nick said “ I’m glad you like it” and I did. I paid him $5 and left that shop a new person. What I ended up with is a height and tight, 3 on top with a bumper. I got a few doors down when I heard Nick yell “ you forgot your hat”. I was so excited I didn’t care I left it there on his counter, but I went back and got it.
About a block away from home I realized what I had just done, I saw my parents hadn’t left yet. I’d now have to explain this. I had minutes to come up with something. But what I said was pretty much what happened, I tried to cut it myself and messed it up. Had to do it. The reaction from everyone was mixed but mostly positive. I did get the “ why would you do that “ comment to which I answered it grows back. And it did grow back. I kept it shorter for about 6 months then I let it grow out again. Till June 15, when I visited Nick again with a mop of hair he took care of. To this day around June 15th I shave my head. Today it was with lather and a razor. I didn’t think that 35 years later it would become a tradition.