Guy in Pepsi Uniform, Student Union

(image from arcticpenguin's photostream)

He's standing in a stairway, leaning against a metal door jamb, with a finger in his ear. It's loud in the student union. Second-last day of classes. There's some kind of food-related festival going on.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. What? What? You ordered how many? I was gonna say. 91? Wow. That's a lot even for an end-cap. That's not even, like, you hit a wrong button? Really?

Mike,barber, about 35

Yeah, I served. Twelve years. But it was the last three that fucked me up. Fucked me up. (He emphasizes his words by digging the clippers harder against my head). Personnel, mostly. It was great. Then I left and went into Special Forces. (Me: Isn't that a promotion?) Yeah. Yeah it is. We have all kinds of training. Quantico. Fort Bragg. (Me: None of my business, but did you go overseas?) Yeah. Oh, yeah. No tours, though. Missions. We did missions. We did in, out. That shit they needed .Then out. Mosul. That's where I fucked up my wrist. Fucked up my ribs. Saw some shit. Got P-T-S-D or whatever. Fucking V-A. You sure want your hair this short? I got meds. But fuck the V-A. I've got my wife's health insurance. I had a good career. This is OK. But I don't want to be cuttin' hair.