Keeping It Fair, Even Under the Most Disgusting Circumstances

            Getting haircuts is always an adventure and it usually never goes well. This week is absolutely no exception at all. We hustle in the door. We’re on time. We’re oblivious to the dead bird on the sidewalk that we just breezed past. My son’s stylist, Kelly, asks if we saw the bird as she is trimming up Adam’s little mane. I tell her we did not see it. She had been told earlier in the day that it was there and that it was bad for business to have it there. She was alone in the shop that day and said that she was not going anywhere near it. She wondered if someone had taken care of it since we didn’t see it but I told her that we most likely were all talking and rushing and could’ve easily missed seeing it so Alex, Drew and myself decide to investigate. We are without Adam’s leadership as he is indisposed, he is unavailable, he is in the middle of receiving his bowl cut. We press on without him. We edge toward the door. I reach for the handle and ease the door open. We all peek out the door and there it is! The horror! The cold reality of it all! Yes, the bird is still there and it is still dead. We shut the door and report our findings to the proprietor. Kelly. She is not at all surprised to hear that it is still there and still dead. We move along to the next topic. Adam, however, is now done with his haircut and is ready to be included in the mission but alas, it’s been completed successfully. He is unsatisfied with this. He is unhappy that he was excluded. He wants to see the dead bird and he tells us so by vehemently expressing to us that, “You all got to see the dead bird! I want to see it to!” Oh, to keep things fair between all the children and not be seen as one who plays favorites. Of course I must include him. I walk him to the window and point it out. Ah, to be a member of the family and included in the important things.