The Barber

by Ron Irwin

When the heat in Cagli finally made my full beard uncomfortable, I decided to employ the services of one of the local barbers for a shave. The barber I chose, of the five in the old town, was the one a classmate had chosen for her profile writing. I made the suggestion she should come with and take photos that could offer her solutions to several various assignment requirements.

When the time came fore me to take the chair, there were no longer any customers waiting in the shop. About halfway through my shave my classmate came in and began taking photos. She did not get the picture before the barber stopped and sternly warned her, “NO! NO PHOTO! PRIVACY!”

The admonition caught me off guard, as I am sure it did my classmates. The barber had to know we were associates, he had already agreed to an interview, which included photos, and there was no one else in the shop, so I was not sure whose privacy he was preserving.

 This dissonance was expanded for me when I considered what the appropriate reaction would be to the event. I wanted my friend to get her photos, but did not want to impose my cultural norms, on a barber who was holding a straight razor against my neck, (which was expected of course).

In the end, I thanked the barber for protecting my privacy, but I was ok with my classmates taking photos. Still not seeming too pleased, he acquiesced and the pictures were taken. At the end of the day I understood and appreciated the barber’s reaction, and it was a learning experience for me and classmates as well.