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VOICES OF DAVIDSON

First Haircut

by | Dec 22, 2020 | Local, News, Top Middle Box, Voices of Davidson

The team of barbers at Raeford’s Barber Shop has this wonderful certificate for first haircuts.

 

More times than we care to think about, we are confronted by how things are different in the midst of COVID. However, there are still time-honored traditions taking place. And it turns out, one of our best-known local businesses is continuing to make one of life’s milestones a very special event.

Sitting on Dad’s lap for this first haircut.

A few days ago, a friend posted a few pictures on social media. It immediately jumped out to me as a story that needed to be shared – beyond his social media post. So, I asked him if we could expand on the few photos he posted. He agreed.

It seems like a simple thing. A haircut. However, many a parent has learned that it isn’t simple. It is a BIG deal. And even in the midst of COVID, it is a BIG deal. And yes, as the photos attest – there were plenty of COVID precautions in place.

The dad in this story knows a thing or two about haircuts. He’s a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and had four years of intense academics combined with very regular haircuts. In fact, the main barbershop at the academy is located in the basement of an academic building on the 175-year-old campus in Annapolis, Maryland.

Those haircuts didn’t stop when Tyler graduated from Annapolis. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps – an organization that knows a thing or two about haircuts.

Even when he got out of the Marine Corps, Tyler still enjoyed getting a good haircut. So, when he moved to Davidson in 2018 he found Raeford’s Barber Shop. Since then, he’s been a regular – getting a haircut every three weeks, like clockwork. When everything shut down during the outset of COVID, Tyler attempted to take on the challenge himself…but unfortunately was nowhere near as successful at the job as the barbers who man this cherished shop. In fact, the first thing he did when stay-at-home restrictions were lifted: run to Raeford’s for a clean-up trim.

But, enough about Dad.

I’m sure there is a smile behind “Tee” Marsh’s mask.

Saturday (December 12), the youngest member of the Ross family rolled into Raeford’s Barber Shop for his first haircut. He sat quietly in his Dad’s lap, and mask and glove-wearing barber Thomas “Tee” Marsh got to work. Dad asked for his son to get a “fade” and it likely will be the first of many, which Tee expertly obliged. Fortunately, the little man sat confidently on dad’s lap and took his first trim like a true Marine’s son.

Before they left the South Main Street shop, Tee gave Tyler a “First Haircut Certificate.”

“I plan on saving it, storing it in his baby box, and giving it to him when he’s off on his own and out of the house. This is a cherished memory and I am so grateful to Tee and the team at Raeford’s for helping us capture the moment in such a special way.”

But wait, I can’t pass up telling one more story. What is this former Marine doing these days – in the midst of COVID? He’s working with the Novant Health logistics team – helping organize the incredibly complex ultra-cold delivery process for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

Semper Fi!

[photos courtesy of the Ross family]

Jane Campbell

Jane Campbell, U.S. Navy, Capt. ret., grew up in a military family and lived around the globe before graduating from Davidson College with a degree in Political Science. During a 25-year career in the Navy, she served aboard three different ships and held a variety of shore-based assignments. She was stationed on the East and West coasts, as well as overseas. She had tours at the Pentagon and the White House, and volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan. She moved to Davidson in late 2014 and has become involved in a variety of volunteer activities with college, church, and community. She serves as a photographer and Sports Editor for News of Davidson.

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