Month / February 2023

by Janet

Amazing Grace

-Barbershop Tales-

Chapter 1

“My husband’s having an affair,” Grace mumbled, her eyes fixated on the floor. 

A single tear slid down her cheek as she clicked her sandals together – shaking off remnants of freshly cut hair that had managed to land between her toes.

Grace was one of Floyd’s first clients and she saw him religiously – every other Friday. Normally, there was nothing but small talk between the two, so Floyd was quite surprised when Grace decided to unload.

Her hair was long and tired, and she’d kept her natural color (salt and pepper tones) for nearly a decade. She was aching for something new, something dramatic, but every time she got to Floyd’s the panic would set in. 

Grace’s heart would race, her palms would sweat, and her knees would wobble as she walked to the sink. “A simple trim and blow dry will do” she would always say. 

But this time Grace was different. Having said, out loud, what her husband had been doing, she felt stronger – more courageous. She was angry, too, an emotion that had been trapped inside of her until now, imprisoned behind her silent sadness.

“You have my permission to go wild,” she said to Floyd. “I want to feel beautiful again.”

Floyd was ecstatic. There was nothing he loved more than creative freedom. He bluetoothed some classical music to the barbershop speakers, turned the chair away from the mirror so that Grace couldn’t watch, and he began to work his magic. 

Large locks fell to the floor, Floyd brushed on dye from two bowls of color, and a couple of hours flew by as Grace talked about her situation at home. Soon, it was time for the big reveal.

“Close your eyes,” Floyd said, slowly spinning the chair toward the mirror. “Ready, set… Ok, you can look now!”

Grace opened her eyes and stared, taking her reflection in with awe. She barely recognized herself.

The bell over the door jingled as Floyd’s next customer walked in. Grace was so absorbed in the mirror that she hadn’t even noticed, but when she got up to thank Floyd she saw someone seated in the waiting area.

The man was leafing through an old newspaper when the woman rose from her chair. As their eyes met, there was an air of familiarity about them.

“Peter?” Grace questioned, even though she knew it was him. She could never forget those eyes. 

It was Peter McGuire, an old flame from high school. He had moved to Utah after graduation, and the two hadn’t seen each other since. They stayed in touch briefly – a few calls and letters – but eventually, as with everything else in Grace’s life, the romance fizzled out. The two went separate ways… each in search of a more convenient, and more local, relationship.

Peter nodded, still searching his mind to recall who this woman was. Then it hit him.

“Oh my God! Wow. Grace, you look amazing!”

Floyd swept his station and then hid in the back, giving the two a few minutes – and a little privacy – to catch up. 

The door jingled again, and Floyd came out to find the shop empty. “Amazing indeed,” he said, smiling to himself. He turned the sign at the door to read Closed and grabbed his keys to lock up.

TO BE CONTINUED

That’s about all for the letter “G” – a little intro about “Grace,” one of Floyd’s (many) loyal customers. This is exceptionally fun, because stories about each character can change, grow, or even end… the sky is the limit. We may or may not find out where Grace and Peter ran off to. Maybe we’ll meet her cheating husband? You just never know.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed tonight’s chapter… I’ll see you again soon for the letter “H.”

Until later,

Peace & Love!

by Janet

Floyd’s Place

-Barbershop Tales-

Prologue

Secrets were never safe in the town of Jagger Hills. Gossip traveled so fast that the phone lines buzzed. Tourists – who didn’t know any better – would often duck and run, believing that a swarm of bees was overhead. Then, after a while, people got tired, or hurt, or just plain angry, and they all stopped talking. For about six months, the phone lines were silent. That’s about the time that Floyd’s moved in.

Floyd’s was the town’s first (and only) barber shop, and Floyd’s reputation grew about as fast as gossip used to travel. It wasn’t just the haircuts that people were raving about, either. What really had the town buzzing again was the fact that Floyd was a great listener. And, as rumor had it, he assured every new client that their secrets were safe with him. “What’s said in the shop, stays in the shop,” he would say.

And so the story begins.

TO BE CONTINUED

Well… I’m on the letter “F” right now and I thought that Floyd’s Place would be a good way to ease my way back into fiction. It’s a slow and short start (as you can see!), but I think it will be a fun and entertaining story full of “quick to read” snippets.

I had a good time creating the illustration for this as well – and I’m looking forward to some more ‘in the salon’ artwork.

That’s about all for now. I hope you enjoyed the intro – and I’ll see you again soon for Chapter One of the story… and the letter “G.”

Until later,
Peace & Love!

by Janet

Embracing It

I’m super excited for the “E” word – Embrace – because I thought about it a lot today and I’m totally ready to embrace it. Ha! Of course, my first ideas were of a romantic couple in each other’s arms, or two friends, or even a mother and a child.

Then my thoughts went to “embracing who you are,” and I decided to go with that particular theme for my illustration. I used two different models / inspirational images, and when I put the two together they resulted in a form that was a bit out of proportion.

I was going to work on it longer to achieve a shape that was a little more perfect when I realized that embracing who you are has NOTHING to do with perfection. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s quite the opposite.

Another dilemma that came up when I was working on the illustration was the fact that the model image I used had no place for boobs.

I thought about it, and one solution was to cover her with clothes. Then it occurred to me that embracing who you are isn’t about being ashamed of how you look, either.

I decided it would be cool to add an interesting tattoo instead – like the girl is embracing her tattoo.

Then I wasn’t sure if the one that I chose (which is a weird vine of sorts) was the best that I could do. But in going with the whole “embrace it” theme, I realized that second guessing myself is SO tiring, so why not just embrace my ideas rather than finding ways to complicate them.

So maybe embracing who you are can be extended a little further… to embracing “what is.” I liked where all of this thinking was leading me because I was beginning to feel pretty zen!

I can still look at the image and see all sorts of things that I could improve, but that’s OK. It is what it is, and I think I like it.

So, what I really discovered this evening was the fact that “embracing” something is kind of like a step beyond acceptance.

Acceptance says… “Fine. If things HAVE to be this way, then so be it. I’ll accept it even though it’s not really ideal.”

Embracing it says… “YES! Things may not be perfect but I will embrace how they are and I will use whatever I’ve been given in so many awesome ways!”

So, yeah, I think embrace means so much more than two people hugging. I’m glad that I dilly dallied today… and took some time to think about it. That’s about all for now.

I’ll see you soon for the letter “F.” Until then… Peace & Love!

“Embrace uncertainty. some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later”

Bob Goff