Having known each other for almost ten years, Woodson Art Museum curator of education Catie Anderson and I aren’t just coworkers, we’re good friends. She was the third person to hold my daughter, Lucy, after she came home from the hospital. Catie and I have watched each other’s cats; we’ve won a sand volleyball championship together; and experienced many great things at the Museum over the years. We just took our relationship to the next level.
That’s right. Catie gave me a haircut.
Because of Wisconsin’s “Safer-at-Home” order, barbershops are closed until late May. I needed a haircut, bad.
For those who have met me, it might be hard to tell; I have incredibly thick hair. While I am thankful for that, my hair can best be described as a cross between the fur of a golden retriever and shag carpeting.
Since my usual barber (who is fantastic at what she does) is unable to cut my hair during this time, Catie offered a helping hand. My wife plainly refused to wield the clipper and scissors, not because she didn’t want to help, but because it probably would have led to a messy divorce. There are many things that could have gone wrong; it wasn’t worth the risk.
Catie, who enjoys a good adventure, and was given assurance by me that I would not pass judgement on the final product, agreed to take the shears to the thicket atop my head. Thank goodness she did. Not only did it turn out well, but the haircut allows me to look and function like a human being for the remainder of the Governor’s order.
I owe Catie one, but I’m sure she won’t want me to reciprocate.
