Sunday, February 11, 2007

can you cut black people's hair?
I'm in Arizona and today I cut and colored Deanna's and Liz's hair. We were standing in line at Chipotle, waiting to order our burritos when I heard a man behind me talking to Liz and complimenting her on her haircut. Deanna pointed to me and said, "She did it!" I was surprised to turn around and find a black man standing there. He looked at me astonished and said, "You did??" He complimented her hair a bunch and then he asked, "Can you cut black people's hair?" I said yes (even though I had never cut a black man's hair--only black women's but same thing, right?) and he offered me $20 to cut his. I laughed and said ok but I didn't have time really as I'm leaving tomorrow, I don't live here, and I don't have anything with me. He said we could go to his house as it's only two blocks away and I could use his clippers. I agreed as scary as that sounds and he introduced himself as Jules from New York. He told me that I had better not mess up and accidently cut a hole in his hair cut. I said that if I did I would just shave my name into his head. He liked that idea. He called his brother somewhere between finishing his food and meeting us outside. He handed me the phone and said I had to talk to his brother because he was saying he was crazy for having a white girl cut his hair. (I can't say that I don't agree.) His brother told me that Jules wouldn't pay me and that I should be prepared for that. Having watched Jerry Maguire that day I said, "Oh do I need to have him show me the money?" Everyone was laughing now. His brother then rephrased and said that Jules would pay me but it would be in trade. I asked, "trade for what???" Jules was still laughing and grabbed the phone away saying his brother was crazy. So we followed Jules and his friend Sean over to their condo. Liz stayed in the car and called her friend to tell him where we were at just in case something bad happened. As I was cutting his hair, he couldn't seem to let the idea of me shaving my name in his head go. He kept bringing it up saying that if I did he would have to be my boyfriend. He kept saying stuff about how he is 'real' and it's probably been a long time since I've been with a man that is 'real'. He also kept saying how beautiful he thinks I am and how we met for a reason. I kept saying that I live in Utah so it couldn't work and he finally said, "Have you seen my house? I can fly anywhere I want! See, that's me being real!" He wanted to know how he could see me again and I told him he could find me on my space. ha ha