The familiar things you take for granted, but shouldn't!

When my hair gets too long, I look ridiculous. I don't mean in a good way either. I have really coarse hair, and it never just 'sits' on my head. It grows up and outward forever and ever...actually, it looks as if I've licked my finger and then stuck it in a socket! For the last three years, I've visited the SAME barber at Kelly's Hair Salon in Chinatown in New York. I have no clue what his name is, he has no clue what mine is, but we have a connection. Every time I walk in, he asks (in Chinese), 'how do you want it cut?', and every time, I reply 'not too short, not too long either'. Then, he just goes to work. EACH time, my hair comes out just the way I like it. Each time, I leave him the same tip, and he always wishes me well, to be safe, and to come back soon. I've taken this small, but significant routine in my life for granted. Before I left New York for London, I made sure to get my hair cut to make sure I could hold out as long as possible.

Last weekend though, I reached the tipping point. Each morning prior, I've been pasting more and more American Crew 'Fiber' into my hair in a feeble attempt to justify why I didn't need a hair cut yet. However, my Saturday morning, I concluded I could not make it one more day. Back in New York, I'd simply hop on the 6 train, go to see 'my man', get my cut, then go to Ten Ren for a bubble tea, then to Fey Da for a coconut bun. I've made the trip so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. Too bad I wasn't in New York anymore. I recalled there was a hair salon near the tube station and wandered all the way over only to get that 'nawww, I don't think this is going to be the place' reaction. I then walked down the street away from my place in search of a suitable replacement. Most places seemed to cater for high end women's cuts, and I surely wasn't going in there to only tell them that I wanted my hair cut 'not too short, not too long either'. Looking high, and low, left, and right, I finally found what seemed to be a suitable barber shop. Long story short, I cannot wait to go back to New York just so I can see my guy.

I've learned two lessons from my experience:

1. Never trust a bald man to cut your hair! It's just like: you don't trust a dentist that has bad teeth, or a running coach that is overweight, or a restaurant chef that is way too skinny. Don't trust a blind guy for fashion tips, a wedding planner that isn't married, a basketball coach that is 5 feet tall, or an accountant that is up to his / her butt in debt. I could go on forever...you get the point.

2. Never take your barber for granted! If you have a good guy, don't go switching it up just for the fun of it. Stick to your guy. If you don't have a good guy yet, go to Kelly's Hair Salon, and use the first dude on your left (he always wears a vest). He is good, trust me!