Making My Vocation My Vacation

So today, the day I am writing this blog, I did something I have never done since being a business owner. Today, I took a much-needed, dare I say, mental health day. Being that I love the work I do as a barber, I do not take any time off from working at my barber shop. As most people know who drive through the beautiful town of Schwenksville, I am part of the landscape on their drives home.

Every day that my business is open I am there. I work very hard at being the name and face behind the business that is John's Old School New Skool Barber Shop. I am at the barber shop even on my two days off each week. It takes a lot passion and work to create the kind of scenery and eye candy that adorns my barber shop walls and its facade as a whole. I change the decor quite frequently, in fact.

My logic for constant redecorating of my barber shop is simple. Aside from the fine gentlemen of Schwenksville and the surrounding areas on whom I perform my art, I have many gentlemen that travel very long distances to "experience" a haircut at John's Old School New Skool Barber Shop. So being that there are so many that travel great distances to visit our little crease in the fabric of the space-time continuum, I feel obliged to keep the scenery there constantly changing and new. People who know this always look forward to a visit to see what changes I have made.

Some visitors just look at my adornments as "stuff" or "junk." Those who have an appreciation for nostalgia and a feeling for things of yesteryear see my barber shop in another way. Those folks who visit my shop, who find delight in nostalgic things, those are the people for whom I change the decor. Most people look around my barber shop and figure I just "threw" the stuff on the walls to fill the space. I can assure you, dear readers, that is not the case. I take careful precision and meticulous effort to create the facade and vignettes in my barber shop. I spend countless hours on Sundays and Mondays carefully laying out the ephemera and eye candy that fits into my small piece of a very large world.

I mention this, dear readers, because gentlemen and young ladies who visit my barber shop often remark that they happened to drive by and see my car outside the barber shop on my day off. Well, dear patrons and readers of this blog I write, I am in my barber shop on my days off because I am creating art. I am making statements by way of the layout of my barber shop. My layout is constantly changing because -- in my opinion, dear readers -- I have created more than just a simple haircut or face shave. I have, in essence, created a destination. I have created more than just an expression of my artistic ability by means of cutting a mans hair, I have also made an artistic expression in the vignettes and indoor landscape of my barber shop. I do have a point in all this rambling; I can assure you of that, my dear readers.

The point I am trying to convey in so many words is that I have made my vocation my vacation. I take great pride in the kind of work that comes out of my barber shop. I am at a point where I truly have the best barbers in the area working in my barber shop. I can say that assuredly because their work speaks volumes. I have made it my mission the last five or more years to make my name a household name. I seek to be known around the globe. I want the name "John Scioli" to be synonymous with the words "barber shop." There is a company in California that makes a brand of their Suavecito pomade which bears the name "John Scioli The Barber" Pomade. I say this not to brag; I say this to let you know, dear readers, that this writer has made himself a marketable entity. But alas, dear readers, do not fret, there is a much greater point to be made above my vocation being my vacation.

I must add, dear readers, that in my quest to be a marketable name, I am often times not at home. I love my wife and daughter very dearly, and they are very supportive of me and my quest for success in these hard times. I say this because my wife, as many other wives of barbers, is what is referred to as a "Barber Shop Widow." This is a phrase commonly used in the barbering industry because of the long hours that barbers put in. I feel as though I must not spare any detail as I try to make my point to you, dear readers. Everything I do in life as a barber or as a business owner and as a family man I do so well because I am passionate about my work. Some may say that is a trite thing to say. I must admit that it may really come off like that at times. But I can assure you dear readers, this man who writes this now, iss very passionate and dedicated to my craft and to the art of barbering.

     Now, finally I can tell all of you the reasons behind my few paragraph tirade. Oh and I am quite sure I am not the only person who will ever say or write this. I do not know how to relax. It is that simple. I do not know how to just sit still or just chill out as some may say. I have tried to relax, but my mind is constantly working. This is at time a very debilitating thing. Most people might say, "What do you mean you don't know how to relax?" Well, dear reader, relaxation is not a word or action that this flawed character is able to do. In the five years since my barber shop has been open, I took four days to go to Florida a couple years ago so my daughter could see Disney World. I must admit, all I thought about the whole time away was what was going on at my barber shop.

As I said previously, I have made my vocation my vacation. It is a phrase that my good friend Buddy Light said to me one time, and I liked it so I adopted it. So today was not unlike any other day, dear readers. I did not feel like being "John the Barber" today. I called my good friend Buddy Light and told him to meet me at the gas station in town. I have two very capable barbers working for me. I know my business is, and will do well, in my absence. I drove to the gas station in Schwenksville and whisked away with Buddy Light like Neo in the movie "The Matrix." I said nothing for the first five minutes of the car ride, and the silence was deafening. Finally, after a few minutes I declared, "I need a day off Buddy Light."
At which time my good friend and contemporary told me, "By golly, John, I am damn proud of you."
My contemporary Buddy Light is never one to question my actions or motives and is always up for a road trip. Being that my contemporary and friend Buddy Light is very skilled in the art of conversation, I chose to take him along with me.

 After about a half hour of driving, Buddy Light asked me if I had a destination. I told him, Yes, Buddy Light, I have a destination.
After a long pause, he said, Would you like to share it with me?
I told him we were going to a farmers market in Leesport. Now most would think it quite strange to drive an hour for baked goods and funnel cake in an outdoor dirt mall setting. Neither of us though thought it to be strange. It felt very good to shut out my daily routine for a few hours. I did not call or text my barbers to see how the shop was. I knew the barber shop was fine. It more or less runs itself at this point.

I know, dear readers, that I am a long-winded writer, and I appreciate those of you who have read thus far. Throughout that day I thought I could stay away from the barber shop for a whole work day. Not the case, dear readers. On our way back to town, I thought it would be good of me to pick up a late lunch for my employees. My good friend and contemporary Buddy Light knew otherwise, though. He said, Gee, John, you really can't stay away from your barber shop for a whole day.
I looked at my friend and said that I love my life and the business I have created.

I returned to the barber shop bearing tomato pie from a local Italian Deli for my employees. I was not dressed in my usual work attire; I was wearing a sleeveless shirt. I walked into the barber shop and one of my barbers made some snide comment in a joking manner, which fell on deaf ears. I said "thank you" to Dining Room Dan and Milkman Mike for running the barber shop in my absence. They told me it was no problem. There was a customer of mine waiting. He goes by the name of Kris and is a somewhat loyal customer -- other than a couple times he went to a competitor -- which I had to repair both times, I might add. I informed this gentleman that I was not on the clock. I exited the barber shop to have a cigarette. At that time, Buddy Light asked if he should drape Kris and get him ready for me to cut his hair. My contemporary Buddy Light knows me all too well. Despite myself saying I was taking the day off, it was inevitable. I then went back into the mode I do best. I cut Kris' hair, and also did cuts for a few other gentlemen. I realized this day that perhaps my job as a barber is my relaxation. I am a bit eccentric in nature, and perhaps my being a barber and doing the art of barbering is, in essence, the way I relax.

So, dear readers, for this barber, my vocation is definitely indeed my vacation. I plan to be around for many more years churning out flawless haircuts in this small borough of Schwenksville in this small corner building in this very small part of this very large world. So when you are driving through Schwenksville, dear readers, and you pass my barber shop and catch me standing outside, honk the horn or wave hello. I plan on being there for a very long tim, relaxing the best way I know how. Being a barber in a small town is a very gratifying life, and I am grateful to be able to write about it. Thank you, dear readers. I will see you in the wind!