Venky on why he keeps going to the barber every
quarter and how to make the barber earn every penny he gets.
In the 1900s lot of
people have said great many things about hair. I will allow you to pick your favourite/inspiring
quote from this list prepared by a reputed agency . You can also do a quick
Google search and move to the 100th page first to get a better quote
(people rarely go beyond page 3)
Hair is everything
your life is . Fickle, failing and unreliable. Hair , so strong today might
just come off with your comb tomorrow and you wouldn't even feel the prick. In
no time the coiffure adorning your head goes bald. Importantly, it reminds you
that you are always a slave to time.
Haircuts for some
are a prized escape from the mundane and for others it is a pilgrimage (Tirupathi, Pazhani). An hour’s
wait at a barber’s shop may seem like an eternity while the ten minutes after
that would pass away in a matter of seconds. You come out of the shop, a better
person; well rounded, close cropped, smarter and with a reduced rate of hair
fall. In time the drudgery of life depresses you once again and you decide to
get a haircut. The Barber calls and I must go
On my first trip to
the barber, I had prepared my exposition to the last detail, to get the hair
done tastefully. The barber patiently heard me out, looked at my father (who
nodded surreptitiously) and continued with what he had gleaned out of it; the
nod, not my exposition. This episode taught me diligence. It instigated a deep
determination to grow up, build stamina and to cultivate a deep voice before I
had my say in such matters. I ate my mom’s food, oiled my hair, and had ‘oil
baths’ and monthly haircuts while I grew. The frequent haircuts always induced
ridicule during my early morning yawns (I looked really dumb with a huge yawn
and close cropped hair) and was the butt of jokes among my mates. I suffered
through this, steeling myself, growing up, Hair, body and soul.
The barbs used to
tire me, but, I realized the secret to independence, say on your hairstyle
always had an ungainly beginning. First they mock you then your hair grows. I
learnt, perseverance, discipline, commitment and slowly cultivated the belief
that one day I would sport long hair. I dug deep within my hair, and fought
many lone battles.
You age, the hair
does grow long enough and then it becomes a test of your endurance. You wake up
daily, wash your hair daily, try different shampoos daily, and finally settle
down with shikakai.
A haircut after such a rigorous routine gives you the much needed peace, an
escape if you may, from the daily. The head feels much lighter and your levity
returns back slowly.
Sometimes, there are testing times after haircuts too and this is part of the adventure. I once had a haircut from a barber at St. Thomas mount (small hill) that was so bad that there was a sense of disbelief among my friends. I was distraught. I pulled myself and my hair to grow out of this phase. The resolve I had built over the years and a bit of ego helped me get through it. I grew my hair longer and made him work through his next haircut, earning every penny of the 30 bucks I gave him.
Sometimes, there are testing times after haircuts too and this is part of the adventure. I once had a haircut from a barber at St. Thomas mount (small hill) that was so bad that there was a sense of disbelief among my friends. I was distraught. I pulled myself and my hair to grow out of this phase. The resolve I had built over the years and a bit of ego helped me get through it. I grew my hair longer and made him work through his next haircut, earning every penny of the 30 bucks I gave him.
The brashness is
sometimes misplaced and you need to strike a balance. Sometimes you need to
embrace socially acceptable hair styles. You can’t overdo it and turn up like
Bob Marley for an interview or on other occasions where you have turned up to
impress lady friends. You really need to get your hair right as this may be the
difference between life and death. I remember this interview, where I had to go
under the scissors after just 15 days. I knew that once I got through, I
could grow it back.
The most important
thing a barber can teach you is the value of communication; both verbal and non
verbal and how the scissors should always be sharp. A bad haircut not only
tears your hair, but also your psyche and confidence, out of its roots. But
with prior preparation, careful communication and a willingness to brave
the odds, you come out of the shop as a smarter and more hospitable individual.
My hair is
sufficiently long now and my barber is calling.
He messed up last
time and I should find another, less appalling.
The worse the
haircut the better the man,
- john green (Ref: link at the start)
