I moved away from Farmington several years ago now, but like many, the small town that I still call “home” has a very special place in my heart.
Thanks to the Daily Bulldog it has become easier to check-in on the news at home…and see familiar places and faces in Greater Franklin County. I couldn’t help but smile when I read “Turner’s Final Tender Cut” online today.
Junior Turner and his barber shop offered the very best in a small town business; an honest relationship, some friendly conversation and an understanding that he’d be there tomorrow if you needed him.
I always enjoyed getting my haircut in town, and I often would visit “both places” as I would head to Dick’s or over to Junior’s. The haircuts weren’t much different (my short hair certainly had to be one of their easier cuts), but the conversations were always enjoyable and the understanding that all visitors were more than just a customer was palpable each and every time I went in for a trim.
The conversation would eloquently move from local politics, to the best way to track a deer in November snow, to the death of the hook shot in modern basketball. Sure, we solved plenty of problems when I was sitting in that barber seat…only the hair flew faster than our conversation.
And, as a bonus, I always left in a better mood than I arrived. I’ll never forget the time I forgot my wallet when I was 15 and Junior told me that I could “pay him next time I was around.” As simple as it sounded it showed a great deal of trust and understanding. Both of us recognized the important facts; Junior knew I’d come back and pay him, and I knew Junior would be there to accept my payment.
It was comforting to know that life could work that way; a small businessman could indeed trust a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy had respect for the man cutting his hair. Junior Turner won’t be the face in the mirror when you sit in the barber seat anymore, but I sincerely hope the values and character displayed in his shop will stay, and many more “tender cuts” are enjoyed by both barber and client.
Seth Woodcock
Portland
