Since I was a kid, I recall wanting to become a barber. My dad would always take me to the local barber shop and I would always love being there. Every element of the shop made me fall in love with it: the smell of the aftershave and talc powder, seeing people smile and laugh as they got a haircut. It’s a place where people can state their opinion and not worry about receiving any backlash. This was the one place where I could be who I really am without the feeling of being judged. 

You would have homeless people cleaning around the shop for a 20 dollar bill. You would see cops, lawyers, businessmen and your everyday vato from the hood coming for a haircut. This was a barbershop, and this is what I wanted to do. 

This pandemic has been a blessing in disguise because it gave me an opportunity to do what I wanted to do all my life. I ordered the cheapest clippers I could find on Amazon and a comb and scissors, and I began cutting my cousins’ and uncles’ hair in my garage for FREE. 

Flash forward a couple months later, and I see that I’ve come a long way. It was a headache at first because of all the money and time I had to invest and all the sacrifices I had to make with other hobbies. But in the end, it’s all worth it because I love what I’m doing! Cutting hair is my stress relief from school and life; it’s my safe haven. I have met some of the most amazing people all because of it. I will never trade this for anything!