Hair

My Own Haircuts

My childhood probably wasn’t what you’d call ‘easy’, but I must have learned somewhere that the world is full of light and good things, and there’s always a reason to smile, so it can’t have been ALL bad. Sometimes, Mother and Father even let me out of cupboard on weekends, mostly because they needed things done, but I appreciated feeling useful. Often, Mother would let me cut her hair because they were notorious penny-pinchers who couldn’t stand the thought of spending money when they could make me do something, and with some trial and error, I got quite good at it.

So that’s what I’ve been doing for many years: cutting my own hair. But yesterday I finally said to myself “you know what? So many hair salons open in South Melbourne, and I’ve been walking past them for too long. I may be pleasantly surprised!”

The process of getting your hair cut as an adult who isn’t used to such things is strange, to say the least. There’s the poncho, which took me completely by surprise. There was the complimentary hair washing right at the start, which I wasn’t expecting but was a lovely touch. And overall, I would rate the experience. I’m quite happy, in fact; why haven’t I got onto this idea sooner? I suppose old habits die hard, but I now realise that the way I was cutting my hair was quite utilitarian. Now I can DO things with my hair, like little quiffs, and whatever you call the thing where the fringe goes all ‘whoa’. The ‘whoa’ fringe look. It’s quite nice and makes me feel confident. So I finally understand why people make Melbourne hair salon appointments.

What else have I been missing, I wonder? Do people usually replace their own car engines, or is that, also, something best done by other people with qualifications?

-Baz