Haircuts with Herb by Ed Belote Sr.

Herb Benjamin has been cutting hair in the town of North East, Maryland for more than forty-five years. His barbershop (just off the side of his tackle shop) has become a landmark, and all who visit appreciate Herb’s affable, witty personality. Getting a cut at Herb’s is like stepping back in time; almost like being in Mayberry — the friendship and laughter beckon you to come back for more. Push open that squeaky screen door — come on in and listen...

September/October 2009:
On Meeting New Best Friends

Lacinda Adams and daughter Brandi Sadler

Saturday, August 8th, 10 a.m. — I arrived at Herb’s and was greeted by over a dozen chatty customers. (Saturday “story collecting” at Herb’s has become my regular routine because it’s when the shop is busiest and, well… the more, the merrier.)

Herb introduced the gentleman sitting in his chair as Derrick Lowe, a young jovial man from Elkton. As we chatted I glanced over at Cap’n’ Mike’s room and saw our old friend Tom Jackson. (You may remember Tom and his “Topsy-Turvy” tomato plant from the last issue.) I asked Tom if what I’d written about him was okay. He shot a smile back and replied, “Sure, I only had about 200 co-workers ribbing me.”

Tyler Adams getting sideburns trimmed high

I chatted with Lacinda Adams and her daughter, Brandi Sadler, as they waited for Lacinda’s son, Tyler, a ninth grade student at Perryville High School, to get his cut. Herb was just about finished with this well-mannered 13-year-old, when his mother observed, “Herb, better take his side burns up a little higher … he’ll be going through an inspection with the Young Marines.” She explained that Tyler has a number of events coming up, including a tour of Aberdeen Proving Ground and a trip to Washington D.C.

Tyler informed me that the Young Marines is a national program with units located in almost every state in the U.S. He is a member of a unit in Harford County and hopes someday there will be a unit in Cecil County. When asked how he became interested in this group and he replied, “I saw the Young Marines marching in the North East Christmas Parade and after doing some research, I knew I needed to be a member.”

Mr. Bill Horner of Oxford

When I asked Tyler if he was going to become a grown-up Marine, he replied, “I’m not sure, I may get into medicine, but at the same time the Marines appeal to me.” Herb, who has been cutting Tyler’s hair since he was a one-year-old, injected, “Tyler, you have the ability to be anything you want to be.”

I personally found Tyler to be an exemplary young man, and I predict a bright future for him no matter what he does. (After I returned home that day, I got on the Young Marines web site, www.youngmarines.com, and found much more information on this remarkable group that has been “strengthening the lives of America’s youth” for fifty years. In Tyler I had seen firsthand the kind of positive impact they are making.)

A while later, 80-year-old Bill Horner entered the shop, escorted by his friend, Ken Blomquist, from North East. Mr. Horner sported a kind and joyful countenance and his eyes sparkled with life. When I asked Mr. Horner some questions, he didn’t reply. Ken explained to me that Mr. Horner was having some problems right then, but proceeded to share some information about him, including the fact that he had been a sixth-grade science teacher in Havre de Grace schools for many years.

Ken Blomquist of North East

His haircut completed, Mr. Horner stepped out of the chair, walked up to me and extended his hand. As I held his hand, he said quite clearly, “I like you.” I looked deeply into his eyes and replied, “I like you too, Mr. Horner.” He turned to walk away, but quickly turned back to face me, and said, “One more time.” And so we shook hands again. I’ll never forget him.

I wish I had more room in this column to write about all the characters I enjoyed conversation with that day… like Al Johnson and his son, Caleb, from Port Deposit, and Sean Sullivan, and his four-year-old son, Sam — the cutest little kid I have ever seen and well-mannered, too. He thanked Cap’n Mike twice for cutting his hair, and he wasn’t prompted to do it. I took a picture of Cap’n Mike standing with Sgt. Dennis Campbell, of the County Police force; Cap’n Mike accused me of always taking pictures of him standing beside “giants.” “People must think I’m four feet tall,” he said. Later on, Thomas Yonts from Elkton stopped in and joined us for more pleasant conversation.

Sgt. Dennis Campbell with Cap'n Mike (not 4 ft. tall)

At twelve noon, Herb put the “closed” sign up, and as the last of the customers wandered out, we sat back for a quiet talk. Cap’n Mike told the story of a steady customer he hadn’t seen in awhile, who finally showed up one day and apologized, “Sorry, Mike, but my wife has been cutting my hair.” Later the fellow asked, “Where are the spring perch running?” Cap’n Mike, with that “gotcha” look on his face, replied, “I don’t know; go ask your wife.”
—CSM