HAIRCUTS & NOSE HAIR

A lot of people know I cut my own hair. I have not been to a barber in probably more than 35 years. That means for over half my life I've done my own haircutting.

The last haircut I had from a "professional" was at a little shop in the basement of the YMCA, on Madison Avenue, in Memphis. There was a little black barber who would cut my hair just as I wanted it done. [That was another issue with barbers -- I'd tell them how I wanted my hair to be cut & how I wanted it to look. But ... they never did it the way I wanted.] "Jimmy the Barber" -- or what ever his name was, as I can't remember stuff from 10 minutes ago -- always cut my hair to my liking.

Those many years ago I just got it into my mind there was no reason to pay someone to do something I could do myself. If I messed up & cut my hair wrong ... so what ?? It would grow back pretty quick.

My friend Bubba always would rag on me about cutting my own hair. Bubba liked to get his hair cut every two or three weeks. He made appointments. Also, at least when he lived in Little Rock, he went to a "stylist" -- a "hot babe" I believe -- who would serve him wine & fuss on him, no doubt working on Bubba for that "tip" at the end of the session.

I never went to any barber shop which served booze. I used to question Bubba about how many glasses of wine he drank while he was there. I was always concerned the police would nab him on the way home & Bubba would get a DWI. At least he would look neat & trim in his mug shot.

I know that barbers -- or "stylists" -- often trim more than the hair on the head. They cut beards, mustaches & "other areas".

It's no secret guys, especially as we get older, have to be concerned with those little hairs which seem to start growing in our ears & nose. [I don't ever remember anyone in college who had any "hair problems" in those areas. It's an "old guy thing".]

I also don't remember asking Bubba if those girls who styled his hair worked on his nose & ears. I'll have to ask him sometime.

Since I do my own haircutting, I have to also deal with the "other hair". I've got one of those battery operated trimmers which fit so nicely in the nose & ears. Does a good job. I use it about every 3-5 days. Nothing looks worse than a hairy nose, or for that matter, "grass" growing out of the old ear canal.

Now days, since I don't have a job to go to, looking all neat & tidy in the morning is not a major function of starting my day. If my clothes don't match, or my hair is not combed, so what ?? Still, it's nice to know my nose & ears look good & smooth.