The spirit of Christmas  

usually hits me when Im least aware 

so it was on the afternoon of Christmas eve when I was in a little town 

about an hour away ; My business was done and I had a little time 

so I went to see Tyrone ; or the way his friends perfer to call him.

...... TY rone 

I met Ty rone at church 

his church ; 

He was sexton and I was the stone mason

restoring his church .

Some days if the chores were done ;

  Ty rone and I would just sit 

and meditate in the Peace of the sanctuary.

Historic black churches have such a deep soul connection to mother africa

its really not all that hard to tap into it ....

.and go nto that beautiful inner silence 

of root beginings   

we bonded on these occasions

 and  my take on it is past lifes 

you know  the Sarcen and Scottish pirate ;

or something like that 

we talk and laugh alot and enjoy each others company 

In the course of our sitting 

 I found out that Ty rone ran a barber shop 

across the tracks in what some might call the hood .

a low cluster of cinder block buildings of business 

painted white and decorated in Christmas blinking lights all year long .

"Can I get a shave ?" i asked him after meditation one friday 

..."sure Ill shave you "

Getting a barber to professionally shave you with a straight razor

 in this day and age is a luxury ,....no one will do it anymore 

To me Its one of the most relaxing things that  a man can have ;

( and I keep a fu man chu beard  so the barber must  be good

and Ty rone  is  good  

Christmas eve 

so I took a chance to see if I could catch him in  

Ty rone has this classic  old time shop ;

 a big solitary  ornate porcelain pump chair 

from the turn of the century

 with a cuspidor at its side ; 

He pumps you up in front  of a 

a large ornate oval mirror of equal vintage 

 in an gleaming ivory white frame.

Looking into the mirror  you can see behind him   a glass menagerie

 of edu  de cologne 

avec pomades  and various creams and  stink waters

 I hand never heard of   

The outside glass that spells "Ty rone " is in cursive 

was all steamed up