The Barbershop Church

Barber Shop

Mr. Lee - 12 years - Philadelphia

Mr. Said - 2 years – Las Vegas

Mr. Craig - 2 years - Chandler

Mr. Jay – recent - Tucson

I was sitting watching this documentary on the invention of barbershops (boring Sunday morning) and how they have transformed through the years. But the thing that stuck with me was that they kept saying how a barbershop becomes a major part of someone’s life its similar to finding a church that works for you it becomes spot and the barber is like the “priest of hair and knowledge.” But your first barber sets the standard for every other barber and if you have a good one you’ll remember his name forever So made me think about the Barbers in my life.

So in Philadelphia I had this guy Mr. Lee and I remember him cause the first time I came into the shop I was complaining and shit cause they were going to cut my hair and I wanted hair like my cousin braided and shit. So I remember some guy (not Mr.Lee) cutting my curled out Afro and I was crying after the edge up. So I got lifted out the chair tears going down my cheeks and this other Barber (Mr.Lee) came up to me asked if he could grab me from my mom’s arms and sat me in his barber chair. So he grabbed some candy out popped it in my hand and told me “once you get your first hair cut you start becoming a man and man never cries about a hair cut so for now on when you need to get your hair cut I will cut your hair.” From that day the whole time I lived in Philadelphia he cut my hair and every time he would give me 75 cents to run and get some candy from 7-11.

But that’s not the reason I remember him cause honestly the only reason I remember that story was cause when I went back to Philly, Mr. Lee retold me the story of my first hair cut. The reason I remember him was partly cause of the bumble gumballs and mainly for the stories. See the barber shop was like a after school hangout my friends and I would walk in there and listen to older guys talk about women, music, movies, sports, news, etc and Mr. Lee was the main man I remember a point where I looked up to him like someone I wanted to grow up and be just like. He gave me advice on a girl I liked, he would tell me why to watch out for types of people and I learned all about cuss words and the biggest thing I learned about was sex from that barbershop. I’m not saying that all his advice was positive and I’m not saying a barbershop is a place for young kids to hang out but for the time being I listen to him more then my teachers at the time.

So I got to say I must agree when they say that a barbershop is like a church. A church will teach you morals and Barbershop will teach you other morals. A Bishop is a person to be respected as a positive figurehead and a Barber to me at least can be a model. So what did we learn, when you have kids stay away from black barbershops or they will turn your kids in sex crazy confident, ready to fight black men L.O.L . Not really but I bet if you think hard you can find a special barber in your past like mine