When I came into the program, my hair hung down right about to the point between the shoulderblades you just cannot scratch no matter what. It had taken me quite awhile to get it to grow that long. I used to even curl it back against itself and pin it into a ducktail with bobby pins like the "Fonz" when I was around the house so that my mom would'nt notice and make me get a haircut. I was so burned out on being poor, and living with a single mother and 3 sisters on foodstamps that I passed for 18 and bought cigarettes and beer for myself no problem. The folks at the neighborhood gas station had known me for buying gas for my lawn mowing jobs for years and never once asked for an I.D. and I tacked alot of that on account of my wildass hair. I had signed myself into the program voluntarily so I could live with my dad and reap the benefits of his superior income, only to find out at my first "Homes Rap" that she had been conned into putting me in under a Court Order and that did not set very well with me. Upon being told that I was not eligible for Talk until after 14 days, I promptly became a world class "jerk." The only thing that I did to comply in those first few weeks, was to agree to have my hair cut. Back then in Milton Roy, girls 4th phase and up were allowed to cut guy's hair. I stood in line with the rest of the guys and they had 4 or 5 girls with safety scissors cutting guys hair like we were going in the Marines or something. This enormous cross eyed girl started hacking away on mine, and by the grace of god, she managed to cut my ear and make it bleed. She was pulled away and a more talented girl took over. I believe her name was Jean Trienan or something like that. She managed to salvage what was left of my hair into a decent looking cut. After witnessing the mangling of my ear, about 3 guys asked to go back to their seats!!!! I agreed to get a haircut mainly for the chance to finally be near a girl, really. I know alot of other guys jumped on it for the chance to look like they were "straighter" and therefore deserved Talk & Responsibility or Home or whatever, but my motives were more basic. Also, with the ungodly heat in that warehouse, I felt it was better to 'feel cool' than to 'look cool.' That first haircut lasted until the second haircut when we had moved to the Morgan Yacht Building. By then, it had progressed to where we actually had stools with armrests and the girls that cut hair were either 5th phase, or staff and even had electric clippers! Jenny Sykes cut my hair and did a damn good job of it. Hey Marnie, if your still out there, did she ever pursue that as a career? She was damn good, but I never gave her a tip, cuz 1st phasers were not allowed to have any money!!!
