HAIR

July 6, 2020.

We've been attending church for the past 16 weeks via Zoom. It's always good to see our friends at least on the screen, and after the service we can chat for a few minutes. But I've noticed that a few people seem to look different. When I look harder, I realize it's their hair. They haven't been able to get a haircut. It’s  most noticeable on well-groomed women who ordinarily have short, high maintenance hair styles. I've also expected to see obvious roots of a different color, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps it's been easier to do a home-coloring job than to get a professional hair cut.

The usual technique for dealing with front hair that's gotten too long is to sweep it to the side. So several ladies of a certain age have hairstyles akin to what you often see on young boys. Some of the men are sporting very short haircuts, almost buzz cuts. They're probably allowing wives and daughters to do what they can. Pastor Kate is keeping her husband and four sons reasonably well clipped. It's almost startling to see a woman whose shoulder-length hair is now approaching her elbows.

One lady announced after church this week that she'd actually gotten a professional haircut and described how much the routine has changed. She stayed in her car until they were ready for her. The salon was locked to prevent random people from coming in. There was a lot of sanitizing going on, but no coffee.

I'm still recovering from a botched haircut I tried on myself several months ago. I had one professional cut (before Covid-19) to even things up, but there were still some areas that were too short. My hair doesn't grow fast, so I'll be OK for a few more months. Then maybe it will be ponytail time or I'll begin wearing kerchiefs.

It's interesting to recall that there have been barbers in many cultures for most of recorded history. The barbershop has also functioned as a community center where local news and gossip is exchanged. Gentelmen who could afford it visited the barber daily for touch-ups, shaves, and trims. Not too long ago, barbaers were also surgeons; they had sharp tools and knew how to use them.

There's no doubt that getting a haircut makes us feel better, renewed. Eventually we all may get used to engaging in this up close and personal interaction during a time of contageon. Now I'm watching to see who is willing to be first to take the risk.