Nick
Nick’s 74. He’s been my barber for as long as I can remember. I don’t personally wait for him, as I don’t want to sleight the other barbers, but he is undoubtedly my favorite. He’s a conservative business owner like myself and we both value hard work. Case in point, I wanted to get my hair cut on Christmas Eve and I entered at 12:59pm. He was closing at 1pm. He cut my hair without complaining. He said, “if you’re a regular, I’ll take care of you. If I don’t know you, then we’re closed.” We talk about family, business issues, traveling, customers, and general outlooks on life. He plans to work until he’s 79. He says that his parents didn’t come over to the USA not to work hard. I admire that. He’s a guy who I’d like sit at a bar with and share a drink. He’s modest, thoughtful, and a professional above all. Qualities that I would hope people say about me.
I don’t intend to share this post with Nick of Mario’s. I think he knows that I know. We have that understanding. People wonder why I go to the same barber I have when I was 10 and this is the best answer I can give, I do business with people I like to do business with. Plus, he gives a damn good hair cut and quickly. When he shuts down shop, I can tell you that I won’t be able to find a guy like him to cut my hair again. He’s one of the good ones.
I’ve been going to my barber since I was 14 for the same reasons, though I have much less hair to cut now. He no longer owns his own place after a fight with his partners, but he still does his old regulars from his basement before going to another job during the day. He cut my father‘s hair for just as long. He felt bad he couldn’t cut my hair because he was going on vacation and offered to do it the day he came back. I told him let’s wait a week because you’ll be tired and wanna rest up. When he saw me, he said what I did is why he still cuts his old time clients “we care about each other like family”