BUCKING THE SYSTEM: BARBER SHOP POLITICS MORE THAN SHOP TALK

There is perhaps no better place than that which is dedicated to both artistry and communication, which is why I have a standing appointment to get my hair done every week.

Whether I'm going in for a simple wash-and-curl or to get the full "fried, dyed and laid to the side" treatment, getting my hair done is like visiting an amusement park.

A cacophony of familiar sounds always greet me at my beautician's door, and it never ceases to amaze me how anyone can understand what's going on above the roar of hair dryers and the buzz of barber's clippers.

Add to this din the sound of a television humming, water splashing, curling irons sizzling and customers making the "tssssss" sound as aftershave or spritz is applied, and you, too, will wonder how any conversation takes place in these businesses.

Believe me, conversation not only takes place in a beauty shop: It has been developed into an art form. That's because barbers and beauticians are multitalented: They can be counselors for the mentally tired, critics for the talented and consolers for the disconsolate -- all while taking appointments over the phone and performing a precision cut on the person in the chair.

I have a standing weekly appointment at my hair care emporium, which has a real name but is simply referred to as "the shop." I enjoy visiting the shop -- whether I have an appointment or not -- because it's informative and it's therapeutic.

Some of my best information has come from conversations and debates at the shop. People talk freely there and are quick to voice their opinions.

I'm equally quick to asking pertinent questions and take notes on subjects of interest. You see the fruits of these labors in a number of stories that get printed in the newspaper.

It's not unusual for me to go into the shop and hear garbage workers debating with councilmen, or teen-aged girls consulting with business women. People forget a lot of the barriers that separate them in these shops, and if for a couple of hours, they commune together. This will happen in any well-diversified shop or in a shop with skilled workers.

It's also not unusual to see an improvised talent show in the shop on any given Saturday morning. The whole "village" concept comes into play when youngsters are told to "Sing that song you wrote" or "show me that dance y'all do."

Shyness goes out the window when everyone is beckoning you to take the center stage.

Students are also put on display for their academics and deportment. Good students can bask in the glow of everyone's praise, and those with poor deportment are held hostage while their elders admonish them for forgetting their "home training."

The shop is a gathering place, much like all other barber shops and beauty salons across America. People from all walks of life come there for a common purpose and they usually interact on business or community levels. They also take the time to share personal histories and advice.

I would bet people never considers how much they actually grow while in these places of business. They learn how to communicate with college graduates and high school drop outs, and both children and adults develop self-esteem when people compliment them on their looks and grooming.

That makes the experience a learning one for everyone involved.

~Tamara Zellars Buck is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.