When I cut all my hair off and got a Mohawk, I started going to a “Bro” barbershop in Kendall called “Cyber Clips” to get my bi-weekly trim. At first I was scared. I mean come on, I’m a petite white girl hanging out in a barbershop where all the “hard” Latin guys get their fades and blowouts….one of the barbers looks like a Mexican Gangster (The Mexican Gangster’s name is “Lucky.”) I was terrified when I met “Lucky” for the first time.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve gotten to know these barbers. I’ve heard their stories, seen their gun shot scars, their tattoos, piercings etc., and could see that, behind all of those things are fellow human beings just trying to find their place in this world.
One of the thing I like about Cyber Clips is the sense of community. When someone walks in that is a “regular,” they are greeted with a big smile followed by a “Bro Hug” (picture the handshake with the one arm hug and loud slap on the back). For me, I get a loud “Caaaaaarrrrrrooooo!!!!!!!” along with big smiles and a more gentle version of the hug and air kiss on the cheek. They are always gentlemen-ly towards me. Which I appreciate. Because I am a lady after all.
But I think my favorite part is just getting to hear the stories of my barber, Aaron. We are both extroverts, so from the moment I sit down, till the moment my ‘hawk is stage ready, we are non-stop talking. We have much in common. For example, we are both parents. He has a beautiful 6 year old daughter whom he wants to give the world to. Sometimes he has her on Facetime while he cuts my hair (she lives in Puerto Rico with her Mom). Like me, Aaron is also song-writer. He has an incredible ability to put creative twists on words. In fact, I was so inspired by him after one of my bi-weekly trims, that I was finally able to sit down and finish a song I’d been working on for a long while.
Unlike me, Aaaron came from a pretty rough and scary past, as do many people…. And he has the gunshot scars to prove it. A few years ago, I would ha
ve been scared to sit down to talk to a guy like him, but you know what? I’m so glad I wasn’t afraid to keep showing up to this “Bro” barbershop because I would have missed out on meeting some fascinating people, with insane stories. EVERYONE has a story that’s worth listening to. One of the greatest things we can offer to another is a listening ear. You never know what you can learn from another person.
One thing that Aaron has always reminded me of was that, crap happens in life. Sometimes it’s the result of our own bad choices, and sometimes it’s the result of other people’s. But at the end of the day, you always have the opportunity to clean up the mess you make. You can always do better – whether that be a kind word to someone for the sake of keeping things peaceful, or an apology when you’ve screwed up. You can always strive to be the best version of yourself, so that you can make a difference in this world.
