Sometimes I have a hard time believing that I have had my Salon for almost 25 years. Time really does seem to fly by when you're having fun and I don't know of anyone that has as much fun as I do. I'm truly blessed to be in an industry that I love, performing a task each day that I believe in. One that makes a difference in the lives of those that I serve. I'm thankful for all of the people that have allowed me to be a part of their lives, everything from their first haircut to their first dance, school pictures, family portraits, weddings,interviews...... the list goes on and on. Sometimes I have had the honor of being the last person to give them any attention before they are laid in the grave, making sure that they look good when the meet the Maker.
This all came to mind last week when I had a young man come in for a haircut with his girlfriend in tow to make sure that I understood how she wanted his hair to look. I know this may sound irritating to some of you to have some one tell you how you should do your job but I smiled and listened patiently to her instructions and after assuring the young gentleman that I wouldn't do anything to make him look stupid, I proceeded to cut a Faux Hawk on him. For those of you that aren't familiar, it's a trendy style that has been popular with the youth for the last couple of years.
While I was cutting away behind my chair, it struck me that I had known him since the time that he was born. Actually his mother had started coming to me when she was pregnant with him. His father, his grandmother, several of his aunts and some of his uncles, his sister, pretty much the entire family for rhree generations are all guests of my Salon. I watched him grow up from the time he was a "Little Peckerhead Kid" to the young man who was sitting in my chair getting a new style to please his girlfriend. What a fortunate history I have lived with his family and all of the other families that have allowed me to be a part of their lives, living, laughing, crying with them thru the good times and the bad, holding their secrets and sharing their dreams. If I'm fortunate one day he'll bring a young son or a daughter into me and I can watch another life unfold before me and share in their dreams as well.
Twenty five years is a great accomplishment for a small business, especially with the economy in a slump as it currently is. It's astonishing, the number of businesses I have seen come and go in the time I have been here. It can be the ultimate challenge to rise each day to walk the proverbial tightrope without a safety net to catch you when you fall.It makes you question your sanity and wether the decision you made, so many years ago, was the right one to make. I guess I'm not one to measure my reward by the size of my bank account or the material things that surround me. I measure my worth by the lives I have touched and the difference I have made. That to me is more precious than all of the treasures of the world.
I'm starting to feel the effects of middle age settling upon me, I'm a little more tired at the end of the day, a few more aches and pains and the occasional "old man noise" when I get up from a chair or bend to tie my shoes. Many of my friends are making their plans for retirement. I can truly say that the thought has never crossed my mind. I don't know that I'll ever retire and why would I want to, I'm having fun. My wife thinks I'm crazy, I would like to add another twenty five years to the history of the Salon before I hang up my scissors . Fifty is such a noble number.
