Some of you may remember the story of me trying to find a barber on our last furlough. Long story short, I spent an hour getting my hair cut by a bourbon soaked Vietnam vet.
Today I ventured out for the first time to get my hair cut in the U.S. after 4 years. I figured, it couldn't happen again… right?
I am in Oregon, and I just happened upon the nearest, nice looking barbershop, plunked down and began the cut.
Not long before I smelled the alcohol on the breath of my barber, he started asking me about things, and when I was only giving him one word replies, he began in on his Vietnam war stories.
"it changes a man…"
I have the utmost respect for Veterans but as he was speaking I was thinking 'what are the odds I got another drunk vietnam vet barber in a completely different state after 4 years?"
He told me about his PSTD, seeing things you can't unsee, passing out on the 4th of July, etc etc…. all the while buzz buzz snip snip.
I ended up with a not great, not horrible hair cut.
The cynical thought hit me 'maybe there is a line of thinking in the Barber world that to get better tips you can pretend to be a vietnam vet' So I probed a bit.
I told the guy 'you don't look old enough to be a vietnam vet.'
"I guess I'm supposed to be decrepit or something.'
'When did you get out?'
'1970'
'where did you serve?'
"Marine Corp infantry'
etc etc.. so he appeared to be the real deal.
News flash… if you want a nice tip, give me a nice haircut, don't regale me with horror stories that may or may not be true. I wonder if the other guys were snickering the moment I left. I don't know.
Maybe I'm still acclimating to the culture but I seem to have a real problem trusting strangers. I never used to have that problem, but I feel like a lot of people are selfish and out to rip you off unless they know and love you.
Kudos to Chris Tapp in PNG who has given me the best haircuts I've received in years…. and for not being a drunken vet.
