Comments (14)

• Mushindo

  My condolences, Mr French. Your touching tribute recalls the way the late Richard Feynman used to refer to his father's wisdom.

  Published: October 7, 2009 8:43 AM

• Byzantine

  Memory eternal!

  Published: October 7, 2009 9:35 AM

• Speedmaster

  A wonderful tribute!

  Published: October 7, 2009 10:13 AM

• HL

  My barber is about 70. He cuts about 3 days a week and golfs, travels and goofs off the other 4 days a week. He lives well. I would be quite content to have any of my kids come to me and say "dearest father, I have decided to become a barber."

  Published: October 7, 2009 12:14 PM

• Wayne

  It is also interesting to note that a barber's job will not be outsourced to India like computer programmers, nor be plagued with government intrusions like a health care worker, and I very much doubt they'll be replaced by technology of any sort any time in the near future. While the flowbee may have given them a run for their money, barber's still won.

  I'll tell you from personal experience it's hard to even find a barber in metro area, but now that I have I've tried to convince all my friends to go there. Barbers are an institution that shouldn't be lost.
  

  Published: October 7, 2009 12:33 PM

• greg

  For me, I could care less about the hair cut, it is the conversation that keeps me going back.

  My kids set me up with a hair stylist once. I found out I had little in common with a young bleach blonde.

  Published: October 7, 2009 12:46 PM

• Hugo Rocha

  My condolences.

  Published: October 7, 2009 1:33 PM

• Mark Gentry

  Mr French, sorry for your loss. This article made my day. I happen to be a barber so I have a personal interest in this story. Barbering truly is the greatest profession. It's the only job I've ever had that I didn't dread going to work everyday. When you have someone in that chair you have a captive audience. Many of my customers may not realize it but they have all been exposed to Austrian economics in some way or another. We have two mottos at our shop--"Serving the hair care needs of real men since the beginning of time" and "Whether it's true or not, you heard it here first".

  Published: October 7, 2009 1:37 PM

• Mrhuh

  "within 10 years, the number of folks 55 and older will begin a growth trajectory that outstrips that of the younger segment nearly fourfold. The number of US residents 55 and older will rise from 63 million today to 83.7 million by 2014, and 101.4 million by 2024."

  What makes Gene Epstein think that the world won't end before then in 2012 when the meteor hits and all the aliens who have been living amongst us for years come out of the closet. Then that will really provide for some interesting conversation between myself and my dear friend and barber, Roberto.

  Published: October 7, 2009 2:52 PM

• Eugenia Kaneshige

  I very much enjoyed the lovely tribute to your Dad. You're right about the vast number of small towns between the coasts. In my husband's home town of Bridgeport, OH, his Mother's hairdresser is an elderly woman who owns the beauty shop and has been doing her hair for decades--$15 for a haircut. She and her husband are reportedly millionaires. They also own one of the busiest restaurants in town, as well as a great deal of real estate. All of their children also work in the restaurant during summer vacations.

  The dream of immigrants who came to this country during the last century was to work hard, save money, and own their own businesses. I'm a third generation entrepreneur. Today, everyone is taught that the American dream is to own a house (thanks to the real estate industry). My aunt, who never learned to speak perfect English, owned a small jewelry store in NYC. She never owned her own apartment or house, but she died with enough money to fund a foundation that provides several scholarships to medical students every year.

  It makes me sad that today, small business owners are reviled as greedy, rotten capitalists. Today's American dream is to get rich quick by finding an entrepreneur to sue (thanks to the lawyers and politicians, most of whom are lawyers). In my opinion, that change in attitude is at the core of what is destroying the ability of our country to grow and compete in a global economy.

  Published: October 7, 2009 4:34 PM

• Bruce Koerber

  Two different worlds - the inspector (drone) and the productive contributor to society. "There's hair on the floor!" is the perfect snapshot of the perniciousness and ridiculousness of socialism.

  Published: October 7, 2009 8:23 PM

• Pete

  My barber is in his seventies, I dread they day he decides to hang up his clippers for the last time. A replacement would have quite a business to take over.

  Published: October 7, 2009 9:32 PM

• Mike C.

  Deepest condolences, Mr French. Your father sounds like he was a remarkable man and your wonderful tribute would do him proud.

  Published: October 8, 2009 12:22 AM

• newson

  i'm sorry for your loss, doug french. this was a lovely, heartfelt article.

  there's something about bay rum, scalp-massages, and the straight-razor barber-shave that is simply not replaceable by the hairdresser.

  besides, the barber's is the last preserve of men-only. you are right, epstein is wrong.

  Published: October 8, 2009 12:41 AM