This weekend, I tried something new. With great trepidation, I bought new equipment I needed, then went to give it a try. The stakes were high, but I steeled myself and dove in. As my family looked on, I could feel their fear feeding my own. I began tentatively at first, but after a while, I gained some confidence and tried taking some chances. Fear had given way to exhilaration, but at the first sign of blood, I was immediately brought back to earth. This is serious work.
Ultimately, the adventure ended successfully. My Son's hair was cut and did not require a trip to Cartoon Cuts the next morning. I had scheduled my attempt for a day when he would not have to go to school the next day, just in case I would need someone to cover up my gross incompetence. As it turns out, his hair doesn't look much worse than after any professional haircut he has had.
My paternal grandfather (Tasco Delano shared a middle name with the 32nd president of the U.S.) was a barber who put my father through Yale with his scissors and clippers. As I look at My Boy's haircut, I can't help but connect back to my grandfather and his work and sacrifice for our family. His was the first black-owned business on Georgia Avenue in DC, so he gets the credit for being one of our family's first trailblazers. His hard work, perseverance, and values still reverberate through our family today.
Having done a reasonably competent job with My Boy's hair fills me with happiness far out of proportion to the magnitude or difficulty of the task. I am still basking in the connection to my past.
The Day
- Workout: hill run
- Music: Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach
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