Shave & A Haircut, Two Bits

I was rushing around, trying to line up homework assignments, make sure rooms and bathroom got cleaned, and tending to other details all weekend getting the kids ready to fly to beautiful Orlando, FL for a Mickey Mouse love-a-palooza at Disneyworld with their other family  All well and good, but I still had to give J-Man a haircut.  Been doing it for years.  Notorious B.E.N. opted to pay for cuts rather than have me do it, but J-Man has always been quite happy to let me attend to this tiny detail.

I’m thinking after this last haircut, I’ll be taking him to the barber.   It was all going fine, just an ordinary day.  J-Man verified that the shield was the #2 for a nice short cut.  I oiled the blade.  I placed the shield on and gave him the cut.  Then, I took the shield off to do his neck, ears, and sideburns.  The boy had sideburns all the way down his cheekbone—that was a little shock.  How had I not noticed?  So, I then put the clippers down and use the scissors to grab those little stray hairs on his almost totally kinky hair so he had that smooth, polished look.  Ah, I see that I missed a spot on the left temple – need to get the razor out again to give it that nice #2 blade look.  Do you notice what I didn’t?  Yes, I forgot to put the shield back on and J-Man now had a decided bald spot on the side of his head.

I panicked.  Would he notice?  I said nothing.  He went into the bathroom to inspect.  I could see it all in the reflection in the mirror.  Yes, that looks fabulous.  Yes, yes, so does that.  Then – he noticed.  He turned and looked at me, eyes wide.  I just shrugged and said, “Oops.”  Then asked if he had a hat.

He looked at me and said, “It could have been worse.  It’ll grow out.”   As excited as they were to leave on that plane  to fulfill their Mickey Mouse destiny,  I got double hugs from them both and J-Man let me kiss him goodbye.

Forgiveness is a beautiful thing.