White Like Me

Both boys desperately needed haircuts. For the past 8 years I have cut Emery's hair and for the past 4, Wilbur's too. But they've gotten too squirmy and there's too much complaining and I'm sick of sweeping hair into the yard... So, I started taking them to this little neighborhood 'Hair and Nailz' kind of place. But I want to be able to walk in (their signs always say, "Walk-Ins Welcome") but this last time no one was available to cut their hair. Plus, they'd each had their hair cut at this place once and they hadn't done a great job. All I ever did, and what I wanted done, was a buzz. They both have perfectly straight hair and until they are ready to groom it themselves the only haircut that keeps it neat and tidy is a buzz.

So, out we walked. I told the boys that we were going into town to see if we could find a barber to cut their hair and low and behold as soon as I got downtown in Woodinville I saw a barber's pole. I swear I've driven that way a hundred times and never noticed it, but there we were. I parked the car and we all went in. There were 4 black men getting their hair cut by 3 black men and one black woman. I registered this information - we were the only white people in there - and then realized that one of the guys getting a haircut is a guy that works in my building. So, we spoke and laughed for a moment and I made arrangements for the young woman to cut the boys' hair. We sat down. Emery has been giving me looks and then when he's out of earshot of the barbers and customers he says, sotto voce, "Are we going to get our hair cut here?" I said that yes, we were.

Well, it only took about 10 minutes and the boys were comfortable (there is a chess set and a pool table and they wanted to do both) and they got the best haircuts they've ever had and they were more comfortable actually getting the hair cut (she was good with the clippers I mean). We talked about the experience on the way home. I asked Emery, "were you uncomfortable when we first walked in?" and he told me, "yes - I felt like we didn't belong there" -- I pointed out that any one of those people in there might feel the same way anywhere else in Woodinville. It was very likely that they were surrounded by white people and one of them might be the only black person in the room. I told the boys that it was a good thing to be in a situation like that where you were the 'other'.

I asked the young woman her name as she finished Wilbur's haircut and I paid her. She said, "Mess" and handed me her card. I thought I'd misunderstood her. But sure enough, that was her name.