#1 SON’S FIRST HAIRCUT

At about the formative age of 2-1/2, #1 Son was running around in long blond hair, and starting to look like Dagmar, and so I decided I had better get the kid to the barbershop.

This was to be a father-son outing of the highest magnitude: this was his first haircut as a little boy, getting his locks trimmed. Daddy had to be there, and so TLW (The Little Woman) and myself and my daughter all attended the event.

You wonder at that age how they will see things, will they become upset, or will they bravely carry on? The infield chatter was considerable, encouragement was coming from every corner, and #1 Son was marching into Bruno’s barbershop and introduced to his first barber chair, his first time on the leather.

Bobby Lew Stephenson

As his long hair lay over his ears for the last time, the barber sat #1 Son on the customary bench on the chair and placed a towel around his neck. Little puffs of air started to escape, shaking his little body. Summoning up the strength NOT to cry he gamely sat and stared into the mirror.

Ernie Hemmingway

The Barber applied the first snips, and the breath was escaping a little quicker, a little more rapid. Mom and Dad held their collective breaths while the barber started to snip some more, and suddenly, he could no longer hold back the tears, and erupted! The sobbing was not from the trimming: I think it was from his disappointment that he couldn’t hold back the tears? I know Mamma was losing her long haired blond kid, and I was gaining a son!

Buddy Hackett & #1 Son

But he survived, got out of the chair and when we looked at him for the first time, realized we had just ended his babyhood! Here in front of us was the kid that would become my favorite writer, step aside Stevenson, make room Shakespeare, pardon us Hemingway, #2 Son was on his way!