Call John now, instructed the barber to his apprentice. Story here for him about a crazy guy walking the coast. Who’s John, I ventured? Town journalist, muttered the barber, as he ominously adjusted his no.4 trimmer. No answer, voicemail, said the apprentice. Try his wife then. No luck either. By now all the customers in the barbershop had joined in: where might the journalist and his wife be? Lunch, I suggested? They guffawed: what if a story happens at lunchtime? Big discussion about the last time “anything happened” in the small town. Last week a cat got stuck in a tree. Apart from that, hmm…

OK, instructed the barber, with a grin, to his apprentice, leave this message: “John. I’m. Not. Angry. I’m. Just. Disappointed.” All 10 people in the barbershop knew his bon mots: they all joined in, chanting in unison. Amazing!

Community in the barbershop.

Community matters. Enriches us all.

#3500toendit #cervicalcancer