Clipped by Chance

An Awe-fully Interesting Haircut

I run out to get a few groceries before taking a walk. Needing a haircut eventually, I open an app at the checkout, see a ‘7 minute’ wait time, and register.

I drive across the street and enter Great Clips, where my name appears third. A stocky woman about my height glances at me through large black frame glasses and hair to match.

In a pleasant voice, the stylist chirps, “I just need a moment to sweep up.” Following her to a chair, I noticed the store was much busier than usual.

“I had a bird named Andy. I think it was a toucan.” The stylist gestures a long beak as if playing charades.

“You mean like Toucan Sam from Froot Loops?” I ask.

“No… it was another type of bird.”

As a child, Mom carried my favorite cereal in her pocketbook. Fun fact: the Ramphastidae with the rainbow-colored bill became the advertising mascot in the year I was born!

The employee finally recalls her pet to be a conure, a medium-sized parrot.

“Did it say your name like a myna bird?” I ask.

“No, I got it when it was old. I’d like to get another bird, but I don’t think they should be in cages. I like watching parrot videos on YouTube, though — simple things. Kinda weird, huh?”

“There’s something for everybody,” I respond.

The 3/8-inch clippers chatter around my scalp. As my noggin lightens, I don’t miss a beat. “I was listening to a podcast on my walk yesterday. The show is called On Being with Krista Tippett.

The episode was about the new science of awe: A-W-E. After years of worldwide study, this scientist uncovered a surprising finding.

Nature is not the biggest source of awe. People around us bring us into a state of awe… like the kindness, strength, and courage of others.”

“Wow, that is awesome,” she replies, her mouth outracing her brain.

“I knew you were going to say that.”

I elaborate on the episode, the serene voice of the female host, and the fact that the show is sponsored by a spiritual foundation.

“I’m always looking for more positive shows … You know about energy, don’t you?” She pauses my haircut.

“I do.”

“I was raised Catholic like everyone around me. But after turning 50, I feel called to explore different spiritual topics. Where can I go to learn more?” she asks.

Both the conversation and haircut fly by quickly. I don’t interrupt to share that I am Catholic or today is Ash Wednesday. I recall how many holistic businesses have closed in the area. I ask her name. ‘Allison,’ she tells me.

Fellow patrons are swept back into their daily routine like the remnants of their crowning glory chased by the broom of a nearby stylist. After a few more quips, I say we can create the ‘Allison and Andy’ podcast, to which that beautician chimes in, “I’d listen.”

As the pneumatic chairs empty, I catch Allison’s reflection in the large mirror. Her tongue clicks out inquiries of how to learn more and meet like-minded people.

Her demeanor is reminiscent of a New World settler pacing near a seaport, yearning for news from the motherland. After squaring off my nape, Allison raises a black mirror to the back of my head. I fumble to pull out my glasses from under the cape.

“My third eye is fine, but I can’t see anything without my glasses,” I joke.

“I closed my third eye years ago,” Allison responds with a straight face.

At some point in the exchange, I divulge that I left a technical career and am writing a memoir. Walking toward the reception desk, I tell her I was crafting a story a few hours earlier about a painting. Allison reveals that she is an artist.

We linger at the register of the nearly empty store. I write down details about the podcast, an amazing book (Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani) based on her current topic of interest (NDE), and my contact details if she ever wants to talk.

I insert my credit card as Allison casually remarks, “I guess we meet people for a reason.”

“Wow, I just got goosebumps. This morning I spent time researching the poem A Reason, a Season or a Lifetime. I experience synchronicities every day and they always provide a sense of awe.”

On my walk, I assign meaning to a few of the many “random” actions required for this chance encounter: healthy apophenia. My human proclivity to find patterns in the chaos reveals three observations.

• Despite using GPS, Allison gets lost on her first visit to this particular Great Clips store. She is clearly looking for guidance on her soul journey.
• What’s the probability of Allison cutting my hair based on the many clients' stylists and the timing of my entrance?
• With no plans to get a haircut today, I go with the flow (vs. the Flowbee — look it up!).

I possess an intuitive radar for spiritual seekers and heed the advice of that upbeat pitchman for high fructose corn syrup.

“Follow your nose! It always knows!”

Please check out the companion story about the painting mentioned above:

Thanks for reading. Feel free to clap, comment, or contact me at [email protected]