Only three people have ever cut my hair: There was the older gentleman that my mother brought me to when I was young. Then there was the son of my dad’s barber, who cut my hair for decades. And finally, there’s the guy I’ve been going to for the last several years.
I especially liked the middle barber. Not only were he and his father great hosts at their establishment, but the vibe inside was always unique and entertaining. You always got some town gossip when you visited their barbershop. And you also would likely run into someone you hadn’t seen in years. It was the kind of barbershop and atmosphere you’d expect to see featured in a Martin Scorsese film.
I’d still be going to that barbershop if life hadn’t intervened and moved me far enough away that the visit became inconvenient. On my final stop to his location before moving, I explained the situation and promised I’d be back when the timing worked out. He then gave me some advice about choosing a new barber: “No matter what,” he said, “look for the barber pole.”
The barber pole, a tall, cylindrical pole with red (symbolizing blood), white (symbolizing bandages), and blue (symbolizing veins) spiraling stripes, dates back to medieval times when barbers also performed bloodletting and minor surgeries. The pole symbolized the staff patients would grip during their procedures, and the bowl at the top or bottom represented the basin used to catch blood. The rotating or spiraling motion was meant to draw attention and symbolize the movement of the barber’s hands.
Consequently, everywhere I drove in my new environment, I looked for the barber pole.
But in a world where Great Clips and beauty salons reign supreme, finding a legitimate, convenient barber was no easy task. I asked several coworkers who they went to, and surprisingly, most went to the upscale salons, where lovely young women pampered them with cocktails and neck massages along with their hair cutting.
I try hard not to be sexist, but when I get my hair cut, I prefer a man. I have nothing against women stylists; it’s just all I’ve ever known. I’ve been to beauty salons to pick up my wife, and the vibe is totally different from the traditional barbershop. Moreover, while I love a good cocktail and neck massage, these are two things I don’t require when getting a haircut.
Eventually, I found a shop in the area I was looking for and decided to take a chance. On my first day, I wandered in and startled an old guy who had fallen asleep in the sunshine streaming through the front window. Two attractive women were busy cutting hair, and for a brief second, I considered breaking my own rule and requesting one of them. However, the old guy popped up and ushered me to his chair before I could say anything.
This guy wasn’t in the best shape physically, which gave me pause. He limped around the chair and occasionally let out a horrible cough, suggesting decades of cigarette abuse. But when he was finally ready to start cutting, his fingers came alive.
The old guy ended up being a great conversationist (everyone knows half of the experience of a haircut is the conversation). He balanced some interesting stories about his life with several questions about mine. I watched intently in the mirror as he adeptly scissored my scalp, never once pausing or stopping to review his work.
When he was finished, he took a moment to display his work with a handheld mirror, explaining why he approached certain areas of my hair the way he did. I was taken aback and impressed; the old guy had given me the exact haircut I wanted on his first try. I paid him, threw in a nice tip, and told him I’d be back. And I’ve been going to him ever since.
My barber turned out to be a consummate professional, the opposite of the main character in this week’s feature, “The Amateur,” a spy thriller that pits a common man against a corrupt and shady CIA.
Rami Malek stars as Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer whose life is upended when his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. Frustrated by his superior’s inaction, Heller embarks on a global mission to track down those responsible for his wife’s death.
This is certainly a cerebral take on the spy thriller genre, with Malek giving a strong performance as someone completely out of his league. Unfortunately, the story is a bit improbable, making aspects of it hard to swallow.
Check this one out if you love the feel of a good thriller; just don’t expect it to entertain reality.
A sneaky “B-” for “The Amateur,” now playing in theaters everywhere.
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