Overheard at The Barbershop – This Conversation Had me Shaking my Head

Ever since I was a young boy, I can remember my dad taking my brother and I to the barbershop. We would go according to his schedule (which I used to think was weekly.) But in all actuality is was less. I can still remember the smells and sounds of those trips to this day. I can also recall the conversations going on between men waiting to get their cut, also between the barber and the person in the chair.

Now I also know that  times have changed and there are not that many traditional barbershops left. You know the ones with the barber pole in front with men talking about politics, price of oil or gas or farming issues.

Last evening I scheduled my son and I to get cuts with our stylist. Since barbershops are not open at 8:00 in the evening. She let me know in advance that a lady was getting a perm and ask us to be flexible. No problem. But I did not get into the chair until 9:40, OK, a bit of a problem.

But the bigger issue of the evening was the conversation going on between the lady getting her perm and the stylist. It was normal chat, this that and the other. But all of the sudden, this lady turned into "Sister Bertha Better Than You."  The subject of tattoos came up and she went on this long dissertation about how it stupid to get a tattoo. She said, "You have to be a 'Drunken Sailor' to do something like that. Why do you want to mark your body up? None of her business if you ask me.

Then the body piercings were next in line. She said "my son asked me at 16 what she thought about getting his ear and eyebrow pierced." Her response, "you know what will hurt more that the ear and eyebrow getting pierced? Me yanking them out."  Now my son is listening very closely to what she is spewing out. She concluded this part of the program by saying only 'queers' get their ears pierced. Nice.

Next up, men.  She started quoting from the Bible saying "men that do not work do not need to eat." Then she went on to say that there are no good men left at all any more. Wait. I am sitting in the room as is her husband. I guess that is how she feels about him, but she does not even know me.

I really thought people have moved out of their secretly covered lives of the 1950's and had learned to accept people as they are. Now I am and will always be a Sailor. Served proudly. 22 years. Do I have a tattoo? No, but  that is by choice. Am I a queer? No, but I did wear an earring back in the 1990's. I am a good man. I guess her standards and the majority of the people in this world are 180 out.

Lady, I do not know who you are nor do I care. But keep your thoughts about people and the choices they make to yourself. Some of us do not want to share in your bigotry.  This is almost 2014 you know.