Kelly was dropping hints like "atomic you know whats" about needing to get her hair cut - she's really grown accustomed to this short hair style which I like on her and  have also gotten used to which reminds me:  have you ever noticed that when you look at two people waking in front of you down the street and one of them is supposed to be a boy and the other a girl but they both have short hair cuts that it becomes hard to tell which is which?  P.S.  You'll never get Kelly and I confused because I actually tower over her plus most of the time my head is shaved clean which, even with her short hair cut, makes her look like the "girl" so the gender from behind is easily recognized. 

As I was saying, I decided to drop into our local barber shop to get her the "trim" she so coyly desired.  Her regular barber was not there... Now to call this guy "regular" is giving him too much credit.  He always has an excuse about why he can't show up or he just doesn't show at all.  So why does she keep going back to him?  Believe me, I've asked myself this over and over but my question was given an answer from an unlikely source:  the radio. 

( Actually, Kelly told me this as well but it sounds better if I tell you I got the answer from a radio program.)  One day in the car on the way to pick up my beautiful short haired wife, I heard a program that spoke exactly on this matter.  They were asking callers who cuts hair better, men or women.  Most of the women by far sa id men do because 1) they're usually GAY which helps and 2) they know what they would like to see on a woman i.e. what turns men on in terms of a woman's hair style - that second answer or reason sounds like an dicotomy or contridiction, doesn't it?  I suppose anything is possible.  This program also brought out the point that women stylists are usually too catty and hasty with other women to do their hair correctly.  Again, I find this strange because in my male mind, I would think women would want to treat other women like they would want to be treated.  In my experience, most men want another guy cutting their hair.  This may be because of two things:  no other choice and not many women around cutting guys hair.  In the service, it doesn't matter what you think, you sit in a chair and whoever is there cuts your hair.  Women and men are barbers in the service so you basically get what you get but I remember a time when you would be hard pressed to find a woman barber.  Personally I prefer women because it seems just plain wrong for another guy to rub his hands all over my head after he's finished, like he's smoothing the experience out or something:

  " Ooohh, thanks Richard, I really enjoyed cutting your head today!  Here's a little thank you.  Mmmm.. Don't you love how I caress your head?!!!!"

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Anyway, as I was saying, her barber wasn't available and so guess what, she chose the woman barber to cut her hair! Hurray and good gracious alive. I bet you are just waiting for a punch line of a joke or something that is salacious and juicy (is that the same thing?).  Anyway, there are no 'cat fight' stories to tell nor any dissappointing hair lines to reveal.  Kelly actually liked the woman and all was right in the barber world - as it should be. 

The reason for the re-telling of this afternoon tale is that while Kelly was becoming familiar with her female barber/butcher, I was approached by the proprietor of the establishement, Joe.  I must say, he is a very nice gentleman, almost jazzy cool-like, about 10-12 years my senior and he just came out and told me that the men in the barber shop, those who cut and those who are customers, often ADMIRE both myself and Kelly but expecially the way in which I treat her.

WOW!!!

I was taken aback for a second because it is not often in life that someone tells you that they or others admire you.  It's even more bizarre that an entire barber shop - okay here's where I tell you that it was a barber shop of MILLIONS....... but in truth, when full, it is a shop of let's say 20 - 25, including customers.  Still, to say that almost 25 people give or take, admire you can be alot to handle, considering that you come in to see those same people at least once per month.

It was a very nice thing to be revealed to myself by Joe and I'm still sort of overwhelmed by the whole thing.  It's also kind of akward because now I keep thinking to myself how will I act the next time I go there:  do I hold Kelly's hand tighter?  Do I stop in the middle of the shop and bend her over and kiss her?  Being  admired creates alot of pressure but in the end, more than likely, I'll simply act like I do normally. 

Kelly on the other hand.......