Benny's first "Lost in Translation" moment

I dropped in to get a haircut on Sunday, my second since being in Okinawa. I was a little excited because they do the straight razor on your neck here, something I haven't experienced since Yuma. I asked for the usual, and the old lady looked at me funny, not recognizing me from my visit a week ago. So I told her high fade, skin on the sides, and number 2 on top. All the while, I was showing her with my fingers about 3/8 of an inch. Turns out the number 2 prevailed. Back in the states, a number 2 is 1/4 of an inch. She snapped in the clippers and they started buzzing.


Flashback. This is also the first time I have been able to watch the barber cut my hair since I got LASIK. I'd always have to take off my glasses to get a haircut, and couldn't see anything being blinder than a bat. Back in Port Hueneme, the barbers usually don't have you face the mirror. So I couldn't see the final product until they were done.

After two runs down the middle of my scalp and watching a clump of hair bounce off my nose, I see the scar on top of my head I haven't been able to see in a while... wait a second. Turns out a number 2 is 2 millimeters. She saw my jaw drop and asked "Too short?"


Of course it's too short, but what am I going to do, yell at a little old lady? "Nope, just right" I replied as I grinned and sucked up my pride.



Flashback 2. Back when I turned 16 I got a similar haircut, except back then my brother and I cut each other's hair. Right after buzzing my hair, I went to Okoboji, Iowa with the Kekichs. While there, we went golfing and the clubhouse wanted to pair up an older gent with us. But Ken convinced the guy in the clubhouse that I was "special and had some random freak episodes," and we really needed to golf by ourselves. If Ken was watching this whole thing play out from up above, he had to be laughing.


Lesson learned. No mas numero dos.