Gentry's Barber Shop

Some of the best memories I have are of hanging out in my grandpa's barber shop. He, Earl Gentry, was a barber all his life and worked in and owned several shops from New Albany, Mississippi, to Aberdeen, Verona, Tupelo and even in Arkansas. He loved his job and all his customers.

I can still see the combs in their sterilized solution jars, hear the clippers and smell the hair tonic, aftershave, and talcum powder and I still keep his bag of tools even after all the years he has been gone. I remember sitting in that big chair, with him smiling down at me and cutting my bangs, the cool marble chair arms and the black leather seat. The foot rest I loved to sit on when no one was in the shop, the letters Koken embossed on the foot rest.  And grandpa, always in a freshly starched, crisp white shirt with a bow tie and dress trousers with perfectly shined shoes. I remember the nickles he would give me and my brother to go get a coke or an RC cola in the tiny country store next door, and the dusty parking lot when the roads were still made of dirt or gravel. I can almost taste the time.

Barbers in the early days had to have a lot of training to be certified. My grandpa traveled around a lot teaching at schools to help students get certified. He told me one time that one of the tests was to shave a balloon with a straight razor. I know how very sharp those razors were and many times watched him sharpen them on his strap. 

I remember stories too. One man that was a regular customer was known for being a little tight with his money and one day as he was sitting in the barber chair, grandpa happened to look down at the man's feet and noticed the man had his feet crossed but something didn't look right. What really caught his attention, was that the man's shoes were on the wrong feet  He later discovered that the man was known for occasionally wearing his shoes on the wrong feet so the heels would wear evenly and he wouldn't have to buy more shoes or have them repaired.

Grandpa always had something interesting going on in the shop and always had wonderful stories to tell. And he never met a stranger.

So next time you happen to be in a barber shop, remember my grandpa. If I know him he is still just around the corner some where in heaven making folks look nice for Sunday. 

© Joyce (Tidwell) Burns, ChynaMoon Creations 1997-2011