My father's hair had grown wild and unruly, and I told him, “You look like the mad Professor”, hoping for a smile from this working class guy from Buffalo turned local revolutionary hero. His strands of thin, white hair lingered in mid-air with nowhere to go, suspended in time and place, as his body recuperated from hip surgery that was probably a bad idea at age 94. Instead of feeling hopeful, he was despairing, wondering whether he had made the right decision, all the while trying to convince himself that he had. I couldn’t help but join him in this sentiment. I tried to be positive, reminding him that you can’t gauge improvement on a daily basis. It would take weeks, maybe months. But at his age, that’s playing with fire. Why the hell he insisted on having the surgery was beyond me. And why the hell his doctor didn’t say no just made me mad.
Over the years, I had become his make-shift hairdresser, a role that I
relished. It was a way to connect with him in a contained window with a
dollop of distance. For my atheist father, getting a haircut from me
was a little like going to church, a solemn occasion filled with
contemplation and calm. For me? I felt purposeful, able to help this man
who had been such a stalwart support for so many years. The truth was
that there was very little actual cutting of hair involved, but the
ritual called for a slow pace and gentle hands. Using my scissors
gingerly, I always started on the sides where the hairs were most
prominent. The top hairs were next; they were sparse and the task of
cutting was only a prelude to what would come later. I lingered at the
back of his head because he knew it was almost over. And for the finale,
I finished the job with an electronic razor to smooth it all out.
As I look back on this simple act of love, I relish in the peace I was able to bring to him. A firebrand in his day, he was losing steam, at times wondering if life was worth living. That was the hardest part for me. But this pure connection momentarily stripped away his cares and mine, and allowed us to be in the room together.
When I stepped back to assess my work, I would always find wild hairs I missed. There is no perfection here. Only a work in progress. In the end, my father was quietly grateful. Not a man given to ‘thank you’s’, even in the best of times.
