My Oasis Haircut and a Long Lost Reconnect

On Monday I tried to get a haircut. Tried three times, actually. Even tweeted jokingly about the whole ordeal. Jokingly but kinda frustratingly too.

Pretty sure the universe is against my getting a haircut after 3 failed attempts this afternoon.

— Thomas Mark Zuniga (@thomasmarkz) February 18, 2013

First, I rolled by some Indian salon that specialized in eyebrow threading because WOW what a blog post, right? Also, there was a sign for $7 haircuts and I was like OH SNAP that’s so cheap and I’m so broke so this is perfect.

But when I walked into the desolate little salon, this precious Indian lady told me their haircut woman had the day off.

I suppose I could’ve gotten my eyebrows threaded instead — fickle things, those eyebrows — but I just wished Precious Indian Lady a good day and hopped back into my car. Drove aimlessly searching for another place to cut my ridiculous hair.

The next place I found looked promising from the outside…until I drove up to it and noticed the insides were completely gutted with a sign advertising a phone number anchored in the window.

So. That was a no-go.

I continued venturing toward another seemingly promising barber shop: the insides were fully intact, and a woman was indeed employed/cutting someone’s hair, not just threading eyebrows. But then I saw the dreaded sign at the counter: CASH ONLY.

And, like, who carries cash anymore?

I basically drove around the entire city Monday desperate for a place, any place to cut my horrendous hair. After three unsuccessful trips, I returned home and napped because I had a headache and couldn’t take the MADNESS anymore.

My long awaited haircut was delayed two days, as I finally found an open/available/card-friendly place. And it was one of the best haircuts I’ve ever gotten. Not for purely physical reasons — my teenage-esque “beard” still makes me less-than-desirable — as I just simply loved the woman cutting my hair. Lisa, her name.

Wonderful woman. Been cutting hair for 15 years, and she loves it. I told her I totally get it, likening the cutting of hair to writing. The sculpting and cutting of words.

It’s an art. And art is amazing.

After my haircut, I strolled around the shopping center. SUCH a beautiful day in southern California. I’d never ventured to this center before, and it was a really nice place. Kinda tucked away, a bit upscale. A Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, Panda Express, Subway, Bank of America ATM, and even a fancy fountain!

Minus a Panera, this magical oasis basically has everything I could EVER need or desire.

And I’d never have stumbled there had I not been denied a haircut thrice two days prior. Would’ve never met Lisa and compared haircuts to writing and found a magical place I’ll undoubtedly be frequenting many times in the days/weeks/months to come.

Yesterday was probably my favorite day of 2013. After some afternoon tutoring, I closed the day with my church’s monthly worship/prayer night — my first one since last April — and our old pastor from last year was randomly in attendance.

Well, I guess “randomly” isn’t the right word since he very purposefully flew into town for a wedding, but still. I just barely missed his departure from our church last fall, so it was just a wonderful moment to see him again. To hug him and reconnect when I honestly wondered if I ever again would.

So that was my yesterday: an oasis haircut and a multi-hour worship night with a long lost reconnect thrown in there too.

Loved yesterday.

How was your day?