I am a firm believer that through out life, we learn some of the most valuable life lessons through places we don’t always expect. I recently took another trip to the barbershop with my kids. My boys are 11 and 8 and they go to the barbershop every two weeks. They have built a relationship with their barber, and they look forward to telling the barber how they like their haircuts. Each time i take them, me and the barber generally talk sports, politics, relationships, and everything else in between. Those conversations throughout my life have taught me so much about being a man.
As i look at my boys, i think about me at that age in the 1980’s. I recently came across a book that I can personally say captures the life of barbers and their customers. The book How to fade like Griffin, captures what i call the art of barbering. It is not only a book that is good for teaching aspiring barbers the technique and skill of cutting hair, but it captures the importance of what barbers do daily for people in each and every community.
Truth be told, barbers like Kendrick Henderson, the author of the book, change lives daily. Think about it. Barbers boost self esteem through changing a person’s appearance. Nothing like a good haircut to boost a person’s confidence. Good barbers are consultants. Good barbers are friends. Good barbers are brothers and sisters at neighborhood institutions called barbershops. A barber with a good reputation is a role model to kids.
Barbers have the unique ability to bridge the gap between the established business person and the single mom. They connect the single father with the traditional family. The book really capitalized on teaching barbers not only how to cut hair, but on how to build relationships. I highly recommend Kendrick Henderson’s book, whether you are aspiring to be a barber or not. It is a very interesting read and is unlike anything else I’ve read. After reading this, maybe the next time you go to your barber tell him/her thank you and leave a tip.
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