The shop.

The buzzing sound of hair clippers, the distinct scent of shaving cream, the burning sensation of alcohol on my head, and the incomparable feeling of a fresh cut—the Barbershop. It all started around the mid-’90s. I was just 5 or 6 years old, but I can still remember trips to the barbershop, waking up around 6 am for a trip to the barber. Other like-minded customers also tried to be first because a Saturday barbershop visit can quickly become an all-day event. I’ve always hated the waiting game we played while sitting in the shop. However, the learning that took place while waiting played a huge part in my interests and hobbies today.

Sports

Darren cut hair in the chair beside my barber. He loved the Lakers. He would always talk about the dynamic duo of Shaq and Kobe and how they would kill any team with their pick and roll play. Kenny was my barber. He would have to suffer the experience of other patrons and barbers talking smack about his team, the Knicks. These discussions/arguments would at times become heated shouting battles that would go on forever. Consequently, this would ignite my love for basketball as I would grow up to play or watch on TV when I’d get home from school.

Music

As I sat and waited for my turn in the chair, I was always intrigued by the choice of music the barbers would play. Earlier in the morning, smooth jazz music would grace the ears of the waiting patrons. I sometimes enjoy listening to jazz music as a calming tool after a rough day. Later in the day, the barbers would listen to the poetry and storytelling of rappers like Tupac or Notorious B.I.G. I still enjoy the pleasure of both genres on any given day.

People

The shop also proved to be a good place to learn about people. It’s a place where all types of people connect on all types of things. We discuss sports, music, local news, and a host of other topics. Barbers were much more than hair stylists. As people arrived and sat in the chair, I quickly learned that barbers aren’t just barbers. They are therapists or sounding boards. People would come in and share the issues and ongoings of their lives with Kenny and Darren. No wonder you feel so much better after a trip to the barbershop/hair salon.

Author Derrick Barnes perfectly encapsulates the experience and feelings one goes through after a trip to the barbershop. In his picture book “Ode to the Fresh Cut,” he describes how optimistic and confident one feels after a trip to the shop. He writes, “When your barber is done, you’ll feel like a million dollars—and some change! When his fingertips hit you with that apple-green alcohol or that witch hazel, it’ll sting, but not like a scorpion or a hornet, more like an electric stamp of approval.” The next time you visit the barbershop or the salon, take note of the things you learn or how much better you feel after a trip to the shop.

Sweet Home Alabama.

Red dirt roads, little to no cell service, a 20 hour drive and no malls or stores in sight. This would describe Camden Alabama.  My grandmother or as I like to call her “nana,” was one of 13 siblings born in Camden Alabama.  She and a few others moved to CT in the 1960’s for better jobs and a better life.  As a child, I can vividly remember the two week trip we’d make every July back “home”.  I’ve always enjoyed the simplicity of life there.  Of all of my aunts, uncles and cousins, no one ever seemed to be too concerned with politics, money or the things that we stress about so much in the city.  My great uncles would work on carpentry while my great aunts would reminisce on the same old stories they told often of their childhood as children of farmers/sharecroppers.  

      I speak to one of my close aunts often.  Aunt Lula will call me and ask “When are you coming home?” or “You haven’t been home in so long.”  Most people think of home as their place of residence or where they live.  I’ve come to rethink that idea.  Home can be where you live, where your family lives, where you learn, where you laugh or where you grow.  Home can be your church, school, house, gym and a host of other places.  What are some of the places you call home? As the saying goes, “home is where the heart is.”

Tea.

 I’m all too familiar with the use and benefits of a cup of hot tea.  In my family, hot tea has long been considered a natural home remedy for cold and flu symptoms.  It’s also been used as a way to warm up on a Saturday morning.  I can fondly remember growing up and sharing a cup of tea with Nana as she gave me saltine crackers with butter.  

      This year, I’ve discovered a new benefit of this family favorite.  In addition to being a cold remedy and way to warm up, it’s also a powerful connection tool.  A few mornings during the week, the literacy team and I start our day with a cup of tea.  This new practice has quickly become my favorite part of the day.  I usually arrive at school around 7:30, unpack and walk down to the literacy room.  “The water is already hot” Dawn will say as we sit in the child sized chairs.  The best conversations happen over tea.  Dawn often shares an inspirational quote like “We’re all responsible for teaching all of the children, all of the time”.  Jess sometimes shares a new picture books( Most People by Michael Leannah).  Ashley shares excitement about the progress of one of her students.  Or maybe we spend the time laughing about experiences from the previous day.  No matter what finds itself as the topic of discussion, I can always look forward to a fresh start with a cup of hot tea.