I waited until Saturday afternoon to get my high-and-tight edged up and topped off; I usually go when it's less crowded (say, Wednesday afternoon or take a morning off). But this past Saturday I was alarmed that there were five men in front of me, all waiting, and all for what appeared to be lengthy cuts. I usually would walk out & tell my barber (I've been a loyal customer for 7 years) that I'll come back later, but being that it was Saturday and I was feeling mighty leisurely, I was tempted to wait it out.

What better place could one go than the barbershop for a stress-free, relaxing atmosphere? It was as though I'd seen it with new eyes for the first time. Soothing music played on a small radio. Various enjoyable outdoors magazines tempted readers with stories of boyhood adventures and nature's beauty. The slow, deliberate conversations between barbers and customers was punctuated by an occasional chuckle or joke. Men talked to each other about life, loves, small talk and short stories. The warm buzz of clippers cut through the conversation as a customer watched patiently, his hair being tended to by the most professional and confident barber. The simple exchange of trust and fulfillment, of service and satisfaction, occurred in each chair as I watched the scene unfold time after time. Lather and scissors, shaves and buzz cuts, smiles and thank-yous: it seemed that all at once there was too much to like about the experience.

By the time I was called to the chair, I had already cherished the experience in a way I hadn't previously. Having my barber polish up the sides & back was icing on the cake. Instead of being in a perpetual hurry, it would do all men well to take time and enjoy a barbershop visit in a way they haven't before. Look around. Pay attention to the little things. Sometimes it takes a long wait on a lazy Saturday afternoon to let us know that the experience doesn't begin when we sit up in the chair.

There's nothing quite like the barber shop on a Saturday. You're likely to come across a variety of guys waiting there. Guys who look as though it's been months since they were last in the barber's chair, or guys who already look freshly buzzed, even before they get in the chair. There will be kids getting a buzzcut, high school kids getting a haircut before a big party. Older men who've been visiting the same barber shop for years. Different guys all sharing an experience that men have been sharing for generations. The barber shop - a man's sanctuary.