Hey guys…

I wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who has allowed me to be their personal barber for these past few years. I am so grateful and appreciative of your loyalty and patronage of my services. Yesterday, January 26, 2014, I packed up my clippers and have decided to step from “behind the chair” and end my profession as a barber. There are many reasons that I can give as to why I chose to do this now but the truth is that I can no longer hope or dream of all the things that I want and desire of myself yet sit in this place of comfort and routine that, for me, has long stopped producing significant benefit to my life, or my situation. I love the industry. I believe in the power of the barbershop in our community. I understand the medium and what the platform is capable of doing towards the good of what our community needs. I am aware of how necessary barbers and stylist are and their influence and power in the community. I understand the relationships that are fostered and cultivated in that space. And I am aware of the possibility! I am all too familiar with the potential!

I have been cutting hair for more than 20 years. I have been in and around barbershops for almost that same amount of time. I have met and become friend and acquaintance with hundreds, if not thousands of people and I have encountered ten times that amount. More than just meeting them, or cutting their hair, I’ve listened to them, I’ve heard their stories, I’ve learned so much from them. I’ve studied humanity and human nature through the relationships and experiences so afforded me as a barber. I have learned and honed a skill that will always be with me and I will pass on to my son and will continue to utilize in the capacity of service and charity as I have decided to dedicate and donate my services to local charities, and community out-reaches, churches, group homes, etc., from now on. I will always be able to be a barber. I enjoy it. But there is so much more to me and for me.

As you may or may not know, my passion is writing. I am a poet. I am an author. I am an artist. I am a motivational speaker. I am a community activist. I have books and CDs. I have blogs and a website and products and materials that I have created that represent my talent and I believe provide a service that is relevant and much needed today. I have done television and radio and theater and have performed across the country for much longer than I have been cutting hair. I speak life. I believe in the power of affirmation and positivity and my gifts and talents reflect that. One of my few regrets in life is that I have unsuccessfully not been able to merge these two lives of mine. Those who know me as SEE the Poet, don’t really know me as C, the barber and vice-versa. I have no grand reason for this other than that I believe that I was not able to do both successfully due to my ambitious expectations and desire. You have to dedicate time to becoming a “best” at anything and I have not been able to give my “all” because my time has been split between the things I loved and wanted and the things I thought or was told that I “needed” to do. I was told to be practical and I took that as a sentiment that maybe I wasn’t good enough or maybe I was not ready or maybe … Well I’ve made so many reasons and excuses as to why I “couldn’t” or why I “shouldn’t” do this or try “that”. I must try now. I must do now. I must go now.

Well, there aren’t many details that I can give you guys because I don’t have any. This is my faith step. This is my faith jump! I didn’t plan this date and I didn’t save for it or have a backup plan in place. I just know what my heart is telling me, has been telling me, to do. I have to follow my heart. I have to follow my mind. I’ve been in this season of the “process” for a very long time and I feel like it is time to step out. I haven’t been able to sleep or eat or think properly over the past few months, knowing that it was time to move on, time to go, but I didn’t. I feel like a hypocrite while telling others to step out, believe, trust, or go, and I haven’t. I must be an example, not just an expression and ACTION SAYS IT ALL!

So again, THANK YOU. I believe in you. I hope, wish, and pray the best for you. I look forward to being able to share my progress with you. My number and email and information will remain the same. I will be available for communication and as always, encouragement and motivation, and inspiration. As I begin to do more I will definitely post that info on my site or blogs. My products will be available on my site, http://www.seethepoet.net . My blog is http://www.seethepoet.com . My numbers won’t change. I really want you to know that I appreciate you and I hope that I added value to your life or made you feel good or even just gave you a great haircut. I pray that you understand that if this caught you by surprise, you know that I had no intention or alternate way to make this step without “just doing it”. If I was ever more than just the person who cut your hair, as I expect that I was, I am confident that you support this decision. If you need me to recommend a barber that can take over servicing you, I will do that for you. Now I must go. I must do. I must be.

Thank you for the time we shared. I am so excited about what comes next, I hope to share that time with you as well!

Sincerely,
-see