An old-school barber shop

Some high society middle-aged men frequent the finest barber and male beauty establishments that money can buy and this middle-aged man says “Good for them!” 

These establishments offer beauty-conscious middle-aged men more than an à la carte standard “Joe Blow” haircut with their endless assortment of other pampering and grooming delights.

Shop hard and you'll find a barber shop not too far from home offering ancillary manly activities like shooting pool, watching TV on a high-definition plasma screen or downing a strong adult beverage while you sit, ever so comfortably, in a lush leather chair waiting in tingling anticipation for your upcoming facial massage and manicure.

A high-end barber and male beauty establishment for rich middle-aged men.

These are not your grandfather’s barber shop with a seasoned white-hair and wrinkled master barber experienced in giving you a standard middle-aged man haircut and ancillary services such as trimming your excessive ear and nostril hair.

One old-school Joe Blow middle-aged man haircut please!

This middle-aged man has traveled the world and gotten haircuts from old-school barbers in South Korea, Turkey and Italy in a serious search for the best barber shop matching his personality.  

Pierini Fitness on special assignment in Rome Italy circa April 2007.

Closer to home, I found my perfect match about five years ago with a barber named Ruben.  Ruben is a couple years younger than me but has lived a harder life resulting in his less than stellar health.  My recent calls for an appointment found him AWOL and nowhere to be found.  I hope he’s OK. 

So late last week, in desperate need of a long-overdue haircut and with Ruben still missing in action, I reluctantly conducted a worldwide search leading me to a new barber shop about six blocks from my office. 

Did I decide to take my male grooming and pampering needs to the next level by choosing the finest middle-aged man grooming establishment my hard-earned money could buy?

Was my middle-aged manhood crying for soothing comfort of a fashionable haircut, scalp massage, straight razor shave, 60-minute deep-tissue massage, valet parking, a shoeshine, lunch or a car wash and use of a locker room and lounge with music, drink and high-definition plasma screen television?

Nope!  This middle-aged man decided to stick to one that has stood the test of time – an old-school barber shop.

Worldwide headquarters of Vicente, my new 80-year young barber.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum