...and so do people.
One day a few years back, my usual barbershop was closed for the day, and as I did not want to go around sporting longer-than-usual hair, I opted to go for a haircut at a neighborhood barbershop that I honestly considered my "last resort".
As I stepped in, there was just one barber, and he was finishing up on a customer ahead of me. I sat down and picked up a newspaper to do some reading. As I settled into the soft cushion of the bench, I heard a voice softly call my name.
"Tyne?"
The familiar way it was pronounced could only mean that this guy who called me was from my high school Alma Mater.
I looked up to see the back of the customer's skin head, and switched my gaze to the now familiar face staring at me in the mirror.
"Tyne?", he said again. He smiled and mentioned his name. "Pare, it's me, _____". I smiled back and said "Yeah, I know you".
I couldn't forget him. He was a character at school. Not really a bully, but not also Mr. Congeniality. He was one of the rowdier guys though.
I immediately recalled my days in Zobel. I was an athlete, but not a jock. I studied hard and got good grades, but wasn't a nerd. I belonged to a small group of friends who kind of went our own way. In short, I was just another face amongst the different clicks of my batch.
"How have you been?" His voice brought me back to reality, and we started chatting. I swear, the barber seemed to have slowed down (how much closer do you shave a skinhead?!?), and I really didn't want to chat with this guy too much. Not that I didn't like him, but I always thought I wasn't "cool" enough to merit his attention.
But chat we did. And as we talked, he began opening up about his life, and how he came to realize that he was empty without the Lord. He asked me if I were still speaking about the Lord, and was genuinely surprised to hear me tell him about my days as a full-time missionary for my community.
"I wish I could have heard you speak earlier, maybe I could have known all these things about the Lord much sooner..."
At this point, the barber was already brushing off the remnants of hair from off his clothes. My batchmate stood up and held out his hand. I took it and got a good, firm handshake.
"It was great seeing you, Tyne" he said. "I hope to hear you speak some day".
We said our goodbyes, and I took my place in the chair he had just vacated.
Yes, people change. And in many cases, for the better. Never give up on people nor hold them to the mold you first saw them in.
Never forget that God is always constantly working on each one of us.
One day a few years back, my usual barbershop was closed for the day, and as I did not want to go around sporting longer-than-usual hair, I opted to go for a haircut at a neighborhood barbershop that I honestly considered my "last resort".
As I stepped in, there was just one barber, and he was finishing up on a customer ahead of me. I sat down and picked up a newspaper to do some reading. As I settled into the soft cushion of the bench, I heard a voice softly call my name.
"Tyne?"
The familiar way it was pronounced could only mean that this guy who called me was from my high school Alma Mater.
I looked up to see the back of the customer's skin head, and switched my gaze to the now familiar face staring at me in the mirror.
"Tyne?", he said again. He smiled and mentioned his name. "Pare, it's me, _____". I smiled back and said "Yeah, I know you".
I couldn't forget him. He was a character at school. Not really a bully, but not also Mr. Congeniality. He was one of the rowdier guys though.
I immediately recalled my days in Zobel. I was an athlete, but not a jock. I studied hard and got good grades, but wasn't a nerd. I belonged to a small group of friends who kind of went our own way. In short, I was just another face amongst the different clicks of my batch.
"How have you been?" His voice brought me back to reality, and we started chatting. I swear, the barber seemed to have slowed down (how much closer do you shave a skinhead?!?), and I really didn't want to chat with this guy too much. Not that I didn't like him, but I always thought I wasn't "cool" enough to merit his attention.
But chat we did. And as we talked, he began opening up about his life, and how he came to realize that he was empty without the Lord. He asked me if I were still speaking about the Lord, and was genuinely surprised to hear me tell him about my days as a full-time missionary for my community.
"I wish I could have heard you speak earlier, maybe I could have known all these things about the Lord much sooner..."
At this point, the barber was already brushing off the remnants of hair from off his clothes. My batchmate stood up and held out his hand. I took it and got a good, firm handshake.
"It was great seeing you, Tyne" he said. "I hope to hear you speak some day".
We said our goodbyes, and I took my place in the chair he had just vacated.
Yes, people change. And in many cases, for the better. Never give up on people nor hold them to the mold you first saw them in.
Never forget that God is always constantly working on each one of us.
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