Day1899: Another Dad story ...

Mikako-san, ink on new flip-book

Want music?

 

Click here for Dukes of Dixieland, When the saints ...

then click back on this blog tab or here to listen as you browse, or not?

* Dad loved Dixieland, he was a good dancer and said it was happy music.

Some of you have mentioned that you like my Dad stories.

Well there are a lot of them, I call this one ...

the reluctant barber.

At age 15, I returned from Australia to 

live with my Dad in his tiny house (here)

and start high school at John Marshall.

As mentioned earlier, Dad was thrifty, 

frugal, prudent, close-fisted & penny-pinching.

All of those!
And in fairness, he did grow up during the depression.

He was a single man after the divorce, when I was 5.

So he didn't need much, or have much.

Early on, Dad decided I could save him some money.

He bought a barber kit from Sears.

Dad & barber kit

I hated the idea, but that didn't matter,

he announced that I was his new barber.

I asked, what if I botch it up?

He said: "you'll learn."

What if I nick it and you have a bald spot?

He said, "it will grow back."

I did both of those, but he never minded, since it was free.

This went on for the three year till I left for college.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Whenever we lived in the same proximity,

the reluctant barber was put back on duty.

This was true to the very end.

This is as close as I've ever been, or ever will be to a ...

Nobel Prize.

Barry Barish

John Marshall High alumnus wins Nobel Prize in Physics
A 1954 graduate of John Marshall High School was named Tuesday as one of three winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics
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Happy Birthday dear friend/artist, Irene Rafael!

A smile for Saturday ...