It has been a long time since I have felt nervous sitting in a barber’s chair. A long time, that is, before yesterday.

I do not recall a time when I ever did not want to sit in a chair for a hair cut. The thought never bothered me, though I am sure my parents can relate otherwise. For a long time, I did not want my hair washed before it was cut but I overcame that.

Up until the 5th grade, I had what most people call a ‘rat tail’ and I more affectionately called a ‘tail’. When I sat down to get that removed might have been the last time that I was nervous in a barber shop.

Just over a year ago I asked my mother to shave my head. She did not want to do it. Apparently she did not want me to lose the beautiful head of hair that I have always had. I shared this agony with her, but we both made it though.

For the first 21 years of my life, I have only had one person cut my hair on a regular basis. A few months back, she tired from her post and went on to teach instead. I was left with the dilemma of what to do when I needed a haircut.

I am a cheap person, I do not like paying a lot of money for anything even if everyone else tells me that it is ‘worth it’. I had grown to adore my $5 haircuts. Now that I have to find someone new to cut my hair, I am faced with the reality that I will have to pay double or more.

Not so, it seems. A block from my apartment, there is a technical college that operates a salon for their cosmotology students to practice. They offer hair cuts at a cheap price, after you sign the waiver. I signed. I became nervous.

A man walked over to me and told me he would be cutting my hair. I had never had a man cut my hair before and it was an odd feeling of anticipation.

He started out with washing my hair. A process that I had eventually grown accustomed to. As weird as it might sound, I enjoyed it more this time. I think it was his fat fingers mixed with the gentle touch that the students are trained to use that put me at ease.

After the wash, he combed through my hair for an inspection. He told me I have good hair. As if I didn’t already know. He proceeded to cut my hair, a process that took over an hour. I was used to getting my hair cut in 15-20 minutes. This was agonizing. But I wasn’t going to say anything.

The end result is livable. I am not happy with some aspects of it. He also did not cut off as much as I asked. I asked for an inch and he cut what seemed to be a centimeter. But since it took so long for what he did, I didn’t even consider asking for shorter. You win some, you lose some and it looks like I lost one.

I will most likely shave my head next time I need a haircut.

A few unrelted notes.

I got into the writing class that I wanted today.

I have exams starting Sunday morning and I am no where near prepared.

I have a job interview on Monday.

I no longer work for the newspaper.

I ate roughly ten pounds of food last night.