One of the things nobody really counted on, was the swiftness with which things shut down here in Oregon. The Covid Craziness actually hit me personally earlier than the mandated “essential business only” date, because my preferred barber, works on the U of O campus, and had already seen a huge shift in business, forcing them to shut down, before they were TOLD to shut down.

And, like my errant cataract surgery, which I missed by a single week...I missed getting my chance for a MUCH NEEDED haircut, by a single day. So…today…a full month later…I was REALLY in need of a haircut.

So, like millions of others across the country, I attempted my first “Covid Cut!”
The good news at my age, is that I have lots of hair. It is “fine,” and always has been…but, I have loads of it. If I don’t see the barber at least once every 60 days or so, I start looking like one of those 1960s Country Western dudes.  My white hair accentuates this look.

But, add to this, working from home, and mostly wearing hats, and it being now, oh…maybe…3 months since my last hair cut (I know it was before Super Tuesday…just can’t remember how far before).

So…knowing that my Dad used to do his own hair for years,  I thought “How hard could it be?”

Well…it isn’t hard at all. If you don’t mind how the hell you look.  Which these days, mostly I don’t.  I used an old (very old) set of hair clippers…my beard trimmer…and the more traditional way of cutting/tapering, using a comb and scissors. Unfortunatetly, the only scissors we have, are “Kid Scissors” you can get in 5-packs at the dollar store.  REAL hair scissors are expensive. But, I am going to assume they are worth it.

In any case…I did a “passable job” of getting some of the mess under control…at least enough to be presentable during “Zoom Meetings”…if I put a bit of Vaseline on the lens to soften the focus.

Before was pretty crazy…

AFTER was reasonably passable…especially since the person I was meeting in person (social distancing on a picnic table…I measured, and wore a mask) ALSO wore a baseball hat. So…I was actually “dapper” in comparison.

This isn’t for everyone…but the good new is…hair grows back.

And THANK GOD FOR THAT…as my daughter’s first attempt to give my grandson Jake a Covid Cut, ended up with the poor kid looking like someone who walked off of the set of “Mad Maxx.” Not even two…and his first “Bro-Hawk” hairdo.

It’s far more serious when you are a teenager, and your “style” is one of your most guarded and recognizable assets!  So, imagine how desperate my oldest grandsons, Andrew (with the shears) and Zach (trusting his brother more than I would have) actually allowed one another to cut each other’s hair. Brotherly love, or sheer desperation. Hard to say. But, they did it!
They will treasure this pic when they get older. I promise! 

Hair grows. No harm. No Foul. And hopefully my barber will take me back when things get back to “normal.”  Some of the other detrimental aspects of this unbelievable period in our history will be harder to “grow back.”

Here’s to hoping for a recovery that includes my barber!