Much like PortableApps rocking, so does the old American tradition of getting your hair cut in a barber shop. Today I was wondering around Mukilteo just killing time and remembered there’s a hometown barber shop near 4th st. The last time I cut my hair Sabrina helped my by using the 3/4" guard on the clippers. It worked ok for a while but wasn’t too even and missed some of the finer points. So a trim was in order.
I stepped into Mickey’s Barber Shop to a waiting Mickey in the classic position of reading a newspaper in the chair. It must be a comfy chair if the barber uses it most of the time. Mickey has a very calm demeanor and way of speaking. It’s very soothing and not in your face which, for me, works best. With pictures of Tony Vuntralia and Johnny Cash on his was, plus a quaint "On this site, in 1897, nothing happened" sign, Mickey keeps a relaxed environment in his one chair establishment. I was only after a quick trim to even up the mishaps of using clippers a month ago and he deftly set to work.
The banter was just what I needed . Not too heavy, not in my face. We talked about Taylor’s Landing which used to be a restaurant and shop in Mukilteo where Ivar’s now stands. Mickey worked there for a couple of one year stints and relayed some funny antidotes about the strange folk who frequented the shop and the mishaps he committed in the kitchen his first week on the job. As a couple of other customers came in I was hit by the fact that the barbershop is still a place in this country you can leave the hurried world behind. There is no rushing in a barbershop. There are no appointments. There are plenty of copies of Hunter World and Sports Illustrated to pass the time. But the fact remains, it’s not ok to rush when you need a haircut here. And I’m ok with that.
