Small Town Goodness

Mirra Fine - Blog Posted on July 7th, 2011 by mirra

And this is what happened last week…

As many of you know, our car was broken into in Memphis a few weeks back and the bastards stole Daniel’s electric shaver. So from time to time his mammoth of a beard grows to astounding lengths, which creates a sort of “mountain man chic” that Im not really fond of.

And such was the case when we drove up to Mt. Shasta (an adorable, quaint, little mountain town) last week. So when we walked by a tiny barbershop with a “Walk ins Welcome” sign out front, I ushered daniel in. The woman quoted us $5 for a complete beard trim and daniel jumped on the stool, was quickly wrapped in a black smock…and on his way.

The haircutting began. Mounds of black beard hair were flying everywhere as Daniel’s delicate bone structure started to once again take shape. And just as we got to the half point with the bead trim, the door swung open and a middle aged man walked in, threw out his arms and loudly announced: “Well, looks like I came at just the right time! No wait!” He then proceeded to sit down and ask where I was from.

I told him that we were from Minnesota, and his eyes lit up. “My grandpa was from Minnesota! Bemidji in fact!” He then started to explain, in great detail, his family’s genealogy — How his great grandparents had 12 young children when they died, so all the kids were adopted out by a number of families and spread out throughout the country. He listed where all the siblings ended up, their new surnames, how many kids they had, how many pets, what they did for a living and how much they made. By the time Daniel’s beard trim was complete, the man had just finished explaining how he felt closer to his uncle Jack, didn’t know his grandpa very well, and had a hard time with a couple of his aunts.

He was still talking when Daniel walked up and introduced himself and noticed his already short hair.

“You dont really look like you need a haircut,” Daniel commented.

“Oh no”, the man said. “I wasnt gonna get a haircut. I just wanted to visit.”

And with that, he stood up, shook our hands, wished us good luck on our journey and walked out the door.

 

  • Cdhaass

    That’s hilarious! I was driving through a small Nebraska town several years ago. Every single driver going the opposite way gave me a little wave, as if to say, “Howdy, stranger, good to have you.” 

    • Eric Farrow

      Noticed the same things on my drives about Southeast Nebraska during a summer stint up there a few years back.  I miss NE..

  • guest

    i love living in mount shasta

  • Cougmantx

    I miss the ole’ time Barbar shop…LOL.

    I have thought many times how nice it would be to walk in and have a shave…I don’t know any shops that do that any more. If there was one way I would pamper myself it would be to go to an ole’ school Barber shop and feel that hot towel put on your face…after a little bit just setting there while the Barber shaved you with one of those ole time straight razors…I’m glad I got to experience that before they disappeared.

  • KJ Gardner

    Just think… if your car hadn’t been broken into, you most likely would not have had this conversation with that gentleman…  nice the way bad things can turn into good things, sometimes!