Shave a Beard

Friday, January 14, 2022

For the past week, I have been growing a beard. But now I feel it is time to shave it off, and due to the thickness of my beard, I decided to go to my local barber for a straight-edge razor shave. I went to Bolt Barbers on Spring street near 5th in Downtown Los Angeles. The beauty of surrendering yourself to a barber is a wonderful thing. The only part I don't like is when they dip the chair and you're facing the ceiling. I have severe vertigo, so I pretty much keep my eyes closed during the shave, and I am also a tad fearful of the straight edge razor.

When I walked in I noticed there was a guy in his parked car in front of the barbershop and it seems like he was crying. What really made me notice him is his car, which was a Rambler American, I guess from the early 1960s. The shop has mirrors, so if I dare to open my eyes time-to-time I am looking at a reflection that shows the entrance of the shop, including the crying man in his Rambler. I was drawn to watch him, but couldn't keep my eyes on him due that I got dizzy.

When I did open my eyes I saw him with a container and he was pouring liquid over his car. It didn't strike me as being strange due that I was sort of blissed out by the ongoing shave. So I closed my eyes for a while. I opened it again, and the driver was in his car, still crying. I closed again, and I think minutes later I opened my eyes and looking almost upside down through the mirror I saw him and his car on fire. It was seconds before it became a torch, I closed my eyes again.

It was at this point that the shave was about over and I heard sirens. Firemen were yelling and they had a hose that was spraying high-pressured water on the burning car. I got out of my chair and paid I think $30 plus tip to my barber, and then I walked out, passing the burning car to my bus stop on Main and 4th.