Harris's Talk First Haircuts
On March 5, 2006 as the Harris family prepped for their responsibility of watching the Oscar telecast, the e-mail chain was lit up by the topic of Mason Lee’s first haircut.
Lilli’s original note:
Another
milestone in young Mason's life this weekend: his first haircut! Ben
.jpg)
had
protested to cutting his hair even though he was growing quite the redneck
mullet and wispy sidewings. I was pushing for it so on Saturday when we were out
doing errands together anyway, Ben suggested going to the Yellow Balloon, too.
At first I said no because I didn't think his outfit was milestone photo
appropriate (would a father ever have the same thought?) but then I figured if
Ben was into it, it was now or never. So- off to the Yellow Balloon we went.
The place was much more chaotic than I had remembered it to be but Mason was a good sport and hardly cried at all. He didn't want to sit in the chair by himself so he sat on Ben's lap (they put a smock on Ben and one on baby- that was a cute photo). The 'stylist' asked me how I'd like it done and I'm sure I looked at her like she was crazy. I seriously thought it would be holding that mullet between her fingers, snipping it off and we'd be done. But no- she did a whole cut ending in the buzzers for the nape of his neck and behind his ears! Ben and I both had tears in our eyes to see him look like a real little boy when it was all over. Mason had plenty of tears in his eyes but they dried pretty quickly when he got to eat his good boy cookies. Then they took him over to a photo area and snapped a poloroid (huge grin on his face for that shot) to commemorate the momentous occasion.
I couldn't help but think about- what was his name? George?- and wish he was still alive so Mason could've sat in the Harris male traditional barber chair, under those rusty shears for his first cut. Oh well, at least he made it through this experience not needing a tetnus shot which probably wouldn't have been the case with good ol' George.
If we had a scanner or took digital pictures I would send along a shot of his new 'do but we don't so you'll just have to see him sometime in person.
Hope you all enjoy the Oscars tonight!
LL
Stacy was first to respond:
I had my first cut at the Yellow Balloon too. I still have the envelope with the hair in it in my baby book- and my certificate.
Devin is off for a haircut today too. Luckily, he loves it now and vainly grins at himself in the mirror the whole time!
Stacy
Next Scott stepped up to the keyboard:
Andrew's first haricut was not at Yellow Ballon, but he had a memorable haircut there as a youngster. In the process of getting a trim, they clipped the top of his ear and drew blood. As a family, we have never returned to Yellow Ballon.
George operated from a tiny strore front at the corner of Pico and Prosser. The lettering on the front window declared that the shop was "Nick's Barbershop" and so he also answered to Nick. George's best customer was Big Mike who probably sported a George haircut while appearing in the pivital court room scene at the end of "The Born Losers."
Back in my day, a haircut was a punishment rather than a fashion accessory. A measure of your behavior was the amount of time between haircuts. My memory of Geirge's shop was sullenly waiting for my time in the shair and pleas to "only make it a trim!" being ignored.
Scott
And Mike closed out the chain:
Scott is absolutely right about George at Nick's shop on Prosser. I started with George at about 11 and continued until he died when I was about 55. Over 40 years with the same barber should have been a record. He never got a tip, and I heard all about his daughter but I do not remember his politics, except I believe he was a holocaust survivor. I miss the George experience, when I saw my boufant cut descend through the gray and then the comb-over, and then the bald look all in the same chair with no extra Wildroot. MH
I went to Nick's barbershop a few times. I didn't like him nor the place.
I stopped going there, long before Good Ol Loyal Michael, who would still be
goint to George at Nicks if:
(a) George was still alive
(b) Nick's Barbershop was still open as a Barber shop
(c) Michael still had enough hair to justify going to a barber
(d) My mother still said, "Michael, you look as though you need a haircut,
why don't you just go down and see that nice old
man George. You know just behind Mert's
Market."
Jeanne takes a turn at bashing MH:
Why should MH go to a barber when we have very good neighborhood mobile pet groomers.
JH
March 5, 2006