Breaking Up is Not so Hard to Do

Well it's been a long time coming! We'd been together for almost 20 years, but I just wasn't happy any more. I've been contemplating it for a long time and I feel that it's time. Breakups are never easy, but this one wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. You see, last Thursday I had an appointment to get my hair cut and on Wednesday I finally broke down and made the call. I cancelled the appointment. I was breaking up with my hairdresser.

I was first introduced to Joanne by my ex in the early nineties. She'd been a friend of a friend of his and she cut hair in a salon near where we lived. At the time, I was looking for a fresh new start with my then unruly hair, and Joanne breathed new life into my dull do'. We hit it off the first time.

Over the years, I became a regular at Hot Heads, the shop where Joanne worked. I got to know many on the staff and even befriended one or two outside of the shop. I deejayed several of their Christmas parties and Jay and I even had Joanne over to our house once, but over time, as things go with any relationship, things got stale. In recent years, she'd stopped asking me how I wanted my hair done and ceased making the suggestions she'd had in the past. It was just walk in, cut the hair, and move on.

Being a guy and going to a salon where the predominant clientele is women can be a little taxing. On more than one occasion, I'd arrive at there on time for my appointment and I'd have to sit and wait because either someone's hair coloring had gone overtime or a perm went awry. Once I was even asked to reschedule my appointment because I was late and Joanne had been booked heavily that day. I was angry and I should have ended it then, but I've always had a high tolerance for being inconvenienced and so I went ahead with a rescheduled appointment and kept right on going to Hot Heads for my haircuts.

Of course, though, the ultimate catalyst for the breakup was the money. Little by little, the prices for my haircuts had climbed to their current level of $25 for a wash and cut, plus tips for Joanne and the shampoo girl. Now I'm no baldie, but I've been paying more for my haircuts with less hair for her to cut. Even my ex Jay broke it off with Joanne last summer for the same reasons. He'd found that barbers charge less than half and do as good a job as Joanne did.

So this morning I took a ride to my local barber and got my haircut. I didn't have to make an appointment and the whole thing cost me $14 with a tip. And my hair hasn't looked this good in years. With all the money I saved, I even went out and got a manicure afterwards, a rare treat for me.

Breaking up with a hairdresser is a difficult thing to do. So, to Joanne I say I'm sorry. I know you and I have had a good relationship over the years, but it's time for me to move on. Thanks for the memories and I'm sorry it had to end this way, and I hope you'll understand, but a buck's a buck!