TLDR: Listen Insted

So Melvin came to me with something that made my skin crawl.

He said, “There’s a customer who comes in every Friday at 2pm. His name is Richard. He’s been coming here for years. And I just realized he’s never actually gotten a haircut.”

I told him that was impossible. I know Richard. He’s one of our regulars. Nice guy. Always polite. Always tips well. Of course he gets haircuts.

Melvin said, “Show me his records.”

So I pulled up our records. I searched for Richard. And there was nothing. No transaction history. No service records. No payment logs. Nothing.

I told Melvin there must be a mistake. Maybe we spelled his name wrong. Maybe we logged him under a different name. But Melvin said, “I’ve been tracking him for six months. Every Friday at 2pm, he walks in. He sits in the waiting area. He waits for about twenty minutes. Then he stands up, waves at us, and leaves. He never sits in a barber chair. He never asks for a haircut. He just… visits.”

I thought about it. And I realized Melvin was right. I can picture Richard sitting in the waiting area. I can picture him waving goodbye. But I can’t picture him in a barber chair. I can’t picture cutting his hair. I can’t picture taking his payment.

Melvin said, “I asked Sam and Jim about him. They both said the same thing. ‘Oh yeah, Richard. Nice guy. Regular customer.’ But when I asked them when they last cut his hair, they couldn’t remember. Neither of them could remember a single haircut.”

Now I’m freaking out because I have vivid memories of Richard being a regular customer. I remember conversations with him. I remember him talking about his job, his family, his weekend plans. But I don’t remember ever cutting his hair.

Melvin said, “I think he’s been coming here for years and none of us have noticed that he’s never actually gotten a service. We just… accepted that he’s a regular. We assumed he was getting haircuts. But he wasn’t.”

I asked Melvin what he thought was going on, and he said, “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

So this past Friday at 2pm, Melvin waited. And sure enough, Richard walked in. He smiled, waved at us, sat down in the waiting area, and pulled out his phone.

Melvin walked over and said, “Richard, can I ask you something? When was the last time you got a haircut here?”

Richard looked confused. He said, “What do you mean? I get my hair cut here all the time.”

Melvin said, “When was the last time? Do you remember the date?”

Richard thought about it. And he couldn’t answer. He said, “I don’t know. A few weeks ago? Maybe last month? I come here regularly, so I don’t really keep track.”

Melvin said, “Our records show you’ve never gotten a haircut here. We have no transaction history for you. No service logs. Nothing.”

Richard looked genuinely shocked. He said, “That’s impossible. I’ve been coming here for years. I know you guys. You know me. I’m a regular.”

Melvin said, “You are a regular. You come here every Friday at 2pm. But you don’t get haircuts. You just sit in the waiting area for twenty minutes and then leave.”

Richard looked at Melvin like he’d just been told he didn’t exist. He said, “No. That’s not right. I get haircuts here. I know I do.”

But then he looked down at his hands. And he couldn’t say anything else. He just sat there, staring at his hands, trying to remember a haircut that never happened.

After a long silence, Richard stood up, waved at us like he always does, and left.

Melvin turned to me and said, “He doesn’t know. He genuinely believes he’s been getting haircuts here. But he hasn’t. And we’ve all been pretending he has.”

Now I’m terrified because I don’t know what Richard is. I don’t know why he comes here every Tuesday. I don’t know why we all remember him as a regular customer when he’s never actually been serviced. And I don’t know what happens if we stop pretending.

Melvin’s been tracking Richard’s visits even more closely now. He’s documenting exact arrival times, how long he stays, what he does while he’s here, and whether his appearance ever changes. He’s also started tracking whether other customers notice Richard or if he’s invisible to them.

Last Friday, Richard came in at 2pm like always. He sat down. He waited. And then he looked directly at Melvin and said, “I’m sorry.”

Melvin asked, “Sorry for what?”

Richard said, “I don’t know. But I feel like I should apologize.”

Then he stood up, waved, and left.

Melvin said, “I think Richard knows something’s wrong. I think he’s starting to realize he doesn’t belong here. But he keeps coming back anyway because he doesn’t know where else to go.”

I asked Melvin what we should do, and he said, “Nothing. We keep letting him come. We keep pretending everything’s normal. Because if we don’t, I’m afraid he’ll disappear. And I don’t think that’s what he wants.”

So now every Friday at 2pm, Richard comes in. He sits in the waiting area. He waits for twenty minutes. And then he waves and leaves. And we all pretend he’s a regular customer. Because maybe that’s all he needs to be.

Here’s What We’re Thinking

Some people just need a place to belong, even if they’re not sure why. That’s what Venice Barbershop is—a place where everyone’s welcome, even if the details don’t quite add up. And right now, we’re offering 25% off all Reuzel products. Keep your routine consistent, even when reality isn’t.

Get 25% Off Reuzel Products Now

Visit Venice Barbershop off US 41, next to the courthouse. We’re the only walk-in barbershop offering hot lather shaves. Walk-ins welcome Tuesday–Friday 9am–6pm, Saturday 10am–2pm. Richard will be here on Friday at 2pm. He always is.

Look dapper. Belong somewhere. (Even if you’re not sure why.)