The Barber

Having party until 2AM, my body felt really tired in the afternoon. I walked home, had a brunch at Matsuya and took Keio’s semi special express to Fuchu. Inside the train, I was reading several pages of Dale Carnegie’s “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. I was at the end of chapter 12 in which the following sentences are written:

JUST FOR TODAY

1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
4. Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible. I will look as low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

- Sibyl F. Partridge -

Simply I took point number 3 at that time and decided I had to have a hair-cut. My hair had been long and often get messy easily after being blown by winter wind. I was tired at the moment hence for old time sake I took Keio bus to Kokubunji after that. It was nice, the sky was clear hence it was quiet warm inside the bus. I was watching people walking along the road and it seemed they were enjoying the same feeling with me. Arrived at Kokubunji, I took Seibu Tamako line to Hitotsubashigakuen.

I went to this barbershop which is located not far from the Lawson convenience-store. The barber himself is an old man wearing thick and vintage-looking glasses. He has a silver thin stripe on his front hair which gives him a certain accent. Well, I don’t know what accent it is but somehow it reminded me of an electric pokemon monster.

Having myself seated, he began a conversation:

“How old are you?”

“Twenty four”, I said”

“not yet a quarter of a century, huh.. Don’t you feel weird while you’re looking yourself from the mirror”

“pardon me?”

“yes, pay attention to yourself at the mirror, don’t you look something weird?”

“what?”

“your upper hair is so thin, you even have this prominent line along your hair. You must have taken hot shower every day”

“well of course, it’s winter and it’s cold.”

And the conversations after that were actually about he, trying to convince me that I should never take hot shower, never use shampoo in my life, never care when people would tell me stinks if I had bad smell because stop using shampoo. But it’s only the beginning.

He then told me some jokes I don’t understand. It was like he was talking with himself with his own words. Sometimes I wondered if he talks in official Japanese or some local language. And I just replied by smile. BUT, somehow he felt offended by my smile. That time I felt a little bit intimidated by this old guy. But realizing he held sharp knife on his hand, I just kept agreeing what he said.

After my hair finished being cut. I paid 2000 yen. It’s quiet cheap compared to others but he said “Well, sorry but Japan has high living cost”. I said no problem and wore my suits before going home. But he stops me and criticizing my messy clothing style. I said that it can’t be helped, I told him I worked until 2 AM (without telling him I had party). He still not ‘allowed’ me to go home, he tried to start a new conversation about the difficult times in Japan when he was young. However, without trying to be rude I asked permission to go home. I respected him but feeling tired if he tried to give me more critics or advices.

I don’t take it personally. I remember the ten points I read in the train. I don’t take personally about what the barber told about me. I am not interested in changing him or anyone. I am what I am who’s trying to improve my life according to my pace and what I think I need to improve. The other people are they who are trying or not trying to improve their self.

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