I go to Ultracuts because it’s close to my house, and it’s cheap. Now haircutting salons are a very complex ecosystem.
Two years ago there was a lady who cut my hair and she did an ‘okay’ job. It wasn’t terrible, but I thought about switching. But because Ultracuts is so close to my house and cheap, I didn’t want to go anywhere else.
So dare I switch hairdressers in the same studio? I did dare. And I’m still dealing with the guilt today.
I moved on to hairdresser number 2 who did a better job. It kind of felt wrong, especially when number 1 would look over at me, and we would make eye contact all weird through like 4 mirrors. But nevertheless I had moved on, and she has to deal with that.
The news hit me like a ton of bricks when I heard number 2 had moved! She was gone from Winnipeg just like that.
But I had a backup plan. There was this other hairdresser who looked pretty young and hip, and I noticed people leaving her all the time with good-looking hair. But we’re talking about salon suicide – switching three times inside the same building!
But I went for it – I was mad with power! And she was even BETTER! Suddenly it was okay that number 2 moved away.
But number 3’s belly started to get bigger, and I started to get worried. And then BOOM.
Mat-leave takes another one.
This is not looking good, there are only four hairdressers, and I’ve already been through three of them, pretty quickly.
So out of desperation, I schedule a haircut with none other than, NUMBER 1. Boy was that awkward. All those
looks across the salon, all that nervous small talk. And now I was back.
And then it’s the whole thing where we both pretend nothing ever happened…right. And she asks me what I want, like she hasn’t been looking over for two years…right.
So I’m back with number 1, and the universe is balanced out again. I guess she does an ‘okay’ job…
It was a confusing roller coaster of emotions for two years, but eventually I learned a very important lesson: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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The Grass is Always Greener on The Other Side
So after all this - I decided to try ANOTHER SALON. I just drove further down Pembina to the next Ultracuts... I know what your thinking - didn't you learn your lesson?? Well, in all fairness, no.
They're so cheap, and I thought at a new salon things would be different. Things would be better.
So about 5 minutes into the haircut, I realize she doesn't like listening to me.
This is bad news. Everything is going her way. It's not supposed to be like that. It's your hair, they are supposed to cut it the way you want. She did not support this idea.
After losing pretty much every argument from length to evenness, we came to an old fashioned stand off.
I simply said to her, "Don't cut the back, I want to leave it long."
She stopped, put the scissors down, looked at me sternly in the mirror and said, "I haven't seen that since 1984 - you don't want to do that."
This was it, I had to stand up for myself! I'm a man! I have a backbone. So I replied, "I'm bringing it back baby!"
The rest of the haircut was quieter to say the least. I had won the battle. She left the back long.
So after all that, I shall return to the original Ultracuts - and to the legend of, NUMBER 1.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side...
Thank you Ultracuts for making my life interesting. No Hairdressers were injured in the aforementioned events.
Picture Copyright Ultracuts 2010.
