Celebrating and memorializing that which that used to be mundane.Big milestone for me this week. First haircut since February...and, I have to say, I was pretty damn excited about it.After witnessing the amount of lettuce on my head grow to Olive Garden unlimited salad bar like proportions and having to endure their regular side comments ("Dad, it is, like, so hard to take you seriously right now with that hair..."), my family seemed to be as well.While the much welcomed end result may have been the same, the return experience of the visit to Frank, my local old school barber, after 3+ months was significantly different.Gone was the ability to casually drop in as my schedule allowed -- instead I was directed to a new website and online booking system. I'm not sure old Frank even knew he had an old website, let alone how to get a booking system in place for a new one. But give him credit -- he worked the problem and found a way to get it done for his community.Face coverings were mandatory for everyone. There were clear plastic shower curtains separating each chair. Because the waiting seats were cleared out, the racks that once held dog eared old magazines and tabloid newspapers were not around.Neither were the few cranky random old timers that would often linger long after their cuts were done because they needed someone to debate. The once typical barbershop BSing was reduced to sporadic surgical mask muted small talk.To top it all off, also gone were the abundant supply of lollipops for the kids. But, as Frank was happy to point out, there was plenty of hand sanitizer for all...We used to take these experiences for granted. Now, in such a short time, we are grateful when they actually occur. It's funny, isn't it?Like so many staples and institutions from our pre-2020 lives, even as things start to open up once again, it is hard to imagine that the barbershop will even continue to exist for much longer in this accelerated new era of social distancing, Prime, Instacart and curbside delivery. But hair still needs styling and lettuce needs chopping, so until there are no more Franks, we should relish the opportunity to go back in time a bit while we can -- even if it has to be under much different conditions.If you take some time to check out the article in this week's Last Word (which I highly recommend), you will understand this: the bread is not quite "over" yet in the present tense for experiences like going to barbershops, restaurants, concerts, commuting to crowded offices and even going school. But in many cases, and for many reasons, it may be over sooner than we think....Here's to you soon being able to experience the pleasure of once again getting your hair cut (or something of the equivalent). XOXODave
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FoD #180: the bread is over
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Celebrating and memorializing that which that used to be mundane.Big milestone for me this week. First haircut since February...and, I have to say, I was pretty damn excited about it.After witnessing the amount of lettuce on my head grow to Olive Garden unlimited salad bar like proportions and having to endure their regular side comments ("Dad, it is, like, so hard to take you seriously right now with that hair..."), my family seemed to be as well.While the much welcomed end result may have been the same, the return experience of the visit to Frank, my local old school barber, after 3+ months was significantly different.Gone was the ability to casually drop in as my schedule allowed -- instead I was directed to a new website and online booking system. I'm not sure old Frank even knew he had an old website, let alone how to get a booking system in place for a new one. But give him credit -- he worked the problem and found a way to get it done for his community.Face coverings were mandatory for everyone. There were clear plastic shower curtains separating each chair. Because the waiting seats were cleared out, the racks that once held dog eared old magazines and tabloid newspapers were not around.Neither were the few cranky random old timers that would often linger long after their cuts were done because they needed someone to debate. The once typical barbershop BSing was reduced to sporadic surgical mask muted small talk.To top it all off, also gone were the abundant supply of lollipops for the kids. But, as Frank was happy to point out, there was plenty of hand sanitizer for all...We used to take these experiences for granted. Now, in such a short time, we are grateful when they actually occur. It's funny, isn't it?Like so many staples and institutions from our pre-2020 lives, even as things start to open up once again, it is hard to imagine that the barbershop will even continue to exist for much longer in this accelerated new era of social distancing, Prime, Instacart and curbside delivery. But hair still needs styling and lettuce needs chopping, so until there are no more Franks, we should relish the opportunity to go back in time a bit while we can -- even if it has to be under much different conditions.If you take some time to check out the article in this week's Last Word (which I highly recommend), you will understand this: the bread is not quite "over" yet in the present tense for experiences like going to barbershops, restaurants, concerts, commuting to crowded offices and even going school. But in many cases, and for many reasons, it may be over sooner than we think....Here's to you soon being able to experience the pleasure of once again getting your hair cut (or something of the equivalent). XOXODave