I am a watcher. Whenever I go into town I will casually look into the windows of hair salons and barbershops hoping to get a glimpse of a girl or woman getting her long hair cut off. Every once in a while I hit the Jackpot. This is a story of one of those lucky times.

The weather had been heating up and felt good after a long, drizzly spring. I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work and slowly walked by the Great Clips hair salon. The salon was empty except for a lone stylist who had a teenaged girl with long straight hair in her chair. The stylist was brushing the tangles out of the bottom-of-the-chair brown locks while a lady, who I assumed to be the girls mother, had an animated conversation with the stylist.

Thinking that this could be one of those rare moments to witness a shearing I quickly grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and pretended to have a conversation. I thought they would be less likely to think I was looking if I was on the phone. The mother moved her hands to the sides of the girls head at ear level indicating to the stylist where to cut. The girl saw this in the mirror and vigorously shook her head ?NO?. At this point the girl placed her hand at the tops of her shoulders, indicating where she wanted it cut. The mother then moved her hand to her daughters? cheek as a compromise. Reluctantly the girl slowly nodded her head yes in approval.

The middle aged lady stylist slowly brushed the girls? silky brown hair a couple more times and reached into her drawer and produced a rubber band. The stylist made a ponytail at the nape of the girls? neck and after getting nods from both the girl and her mother; she took her scissors and slowly sliced the silky ponytail off. When she was done the stylist handed the ponytail to the girl who stroked it like a cat. Thinking I had stood there long enough I dashed into the grocery store to get my items. As I walked by the salon the mother and daughter were leaving. The girl now sported a sharp chin length bob with bangs. Her mother was complimenting her on her new do while the girl continued to stroke her severed ponytail as they walked to the car.