Barbershop

In neighborhoods like ours, the barbershop is a real hub of social activity. There's a relatively new one two blocks from us that is doing well so far in being that gathering point: kids playing chess and X Box, grown-ups arguing about the NBA or lamenting the recent shooting in a nearby neighborhood. I like that the proprietors are honest and friendly but don't tolerate any horseplay or rudeness.

So when I had to get Aaron a haircut and our usual place closed early, I shuttled him over to Gamin' Cutz and luckily was able to get him right into the hot seat. The barber was kind but firm, a useful mix of skills when you're holding a variety of sharp objects near a little boy's head. He was quite the artisan, shaping a sharp cut out of Aaron's previously moppy hair.

And Aaron? Leery at first of sitting up high in a real barber's chair, but that gave way to an unusual stillness, albeit accompanied with a scowl and occasional squirming. But we're happy with the result, and likely to go back again. Besides, while Aaron was getting taken care of, I got to catch a few minutes of sports on TV, a rare treat for me.