Finding A Barber

Finding a new barber is one of the very worst ordeals for me.  I always used to buy my hairpieces from barbers, so that it was all very convenient.  The barber would sell and fit the hairpiece, and I would of course go to him for periodic hair-cutting. This all changed a couple years ago when I bought two hairpieces on sale at a discount hairpiece place in Florida while I was vacationing there.  Went I went home, I didn't want to go back to my old barber because I thought he would be mad at my buying my piece elsewhere.

 Its my belief that modern hair stylists generally have no idea how to cut the hair of a hairpiece wearer.  I searched the Yellow Pages and finally located a barber shop just a few blocks away that I had never noticed because its in the lobby of a high-rise.  I called - I hate this part - and asked if they knew how to cut the hair of a hairpiece wearer.  He said he did. I went in. He was VERY old, which I took for a good sign, believing that the old barbers who have been around a long time know more.  One thing I did not like was, he asked me to take it off. Generally barbers leave the piece on so they can see as they are cutting my hair how it blends in with the piece.  Also,
its kind of embarrassing to take it off.  Fortunately there were no other customers.  I took it off and he cut my hair. When he had me put the piece back on, he fussed with it awhile and said he really should cut some of the piece.  I said
I'd prefer he not do that (since the hair in the piece will not grow back!!!).  I was reasonably content with the hair cut.  I went to this guy for 15 months, and he finally got me to agree he could cut the piece in the back. BIG MISTAKE! You know how hairpieces are kind of tapered in the back so the barber can comb it in ?  Well, he cuts it straight across in the back, and now it looks like a bowl!  Not only that, but I wear my good one when I go to the barber so he basically ruined my good one (ok, ok, I know that I have no such thing as a good hairpiece, but its all relative, ok?)
All of this time he still had me take it off each time he cut my hair, which I never did get to like.  So the final straw comes when he tells me the barber shop has been sold to a lady who is going to make it into a beauty parlor, but she is going to let him keep his barbar chair back in the corner.  I can just picture going in there for ahaircut and having all these ladies watch me take my piece off.
  Once again I was faced with the ordeal of finding a new barber.  Once again I went to the Yellow Pages and I wrote down a list of about 10 barber shops within about a 10 block radius of my home.  I set out to check them out.  A few were stylists, which I eliminated.  I saw one shop below ground level and loooking in the windows saw a couple of old barbers.  I called then and asked if they knew how to cut with hairpiece involved.  The guy said, no, sorry.  I kept on looking.  I was getting depressed. I hate calling a barber shop and saying, "hi, i wear a hairpiece, can you cut my hair???".  I toyed with the idea of getting rid of it.. I was near despair when I walked past an old fashioned-looking shop with one older barber inside, and no customers.  So I drew up my courage, walked in and said, "hi, can I get a haircut"? He said sure.  I said, "I wear a hairpiece".  He chucked and said, "Yes, I know".  So to make a long story short - this guy is great.  He cut it just right, and even though I have to take the piece off, usually in front of several customers,  I think he is a keeper.
 I hope he lasts a few years!  Life is good.