Joe's Barbershop(10/10/2017)

I am a fan of Terry Francona. He was once the manager of my hometown baseball team the Philadelphia Phillies. Francona also managed the Boston Red Sox to two Word Series championships ending the "Curse of the Bambino". Furthermore, he has been successful as skipper of the Cleveland Indians, leading them to the 2016 World Series and American League historic 22 game winning streak earlier this year. In spite of his baseball success, the reason that I am a fan of Francona is that his Uncle Mario gave me my first haircut in a small barbershop in Southwest Philadelphia. This makes me an authority on Terry Francona. Each season that Francona's teams make it into the post season I don the cap of his team and enjoy telling anyone who will listen about my connection to this soon to be Hall of Fame manager.

When you meet my uncle, what you see is what you get. There is nothing phony about him and once you meet him, you never forget him.

Although Mario the barber gave me my first haircut, he did not become my permanent barber. The man who cut hair my hair throughout my childhood and early adolescent years was my Uncle Joe.

When my brothers and I were kids, a trip to Joe's barbershop was like visiting the playground. The shop had three barber chairs. Since my uncle was the only barber, two of the chairs were unoccupied. We always had a great time spinning the chairs and using the lever on the side to raise and lower them. In the rear of the shop, against the wall was a magazine rack containing old DC comic books. I enjoyed reading about my favorite heroes Superman, Batman and the Flash. Uncle Joe never ordered any new comics so I was happy to read the same comics on every visit.

One of my favorite areas to explore in the shop was the drawer beneath the cash register. I wasn't searching for loose change but something much more valuable - Bazooka Joe bubble gum (my mouth is watering as I write this). The gum package displayed a red, white, and blue color scheme. The packaging included a small comic strip with the gum, featuring the character "Bazooka Joe". My uncle awarded each child with a handful of Bazooka Joe gum after each haircut. Of course I always got my share shortly after entering the barbershop.

Another reward for visiting Joe's Barbershop was Mountain Dew soda. My uncle had a soda machine in his shop filled with this tasty soft drink. After our visit, we were able to help ourselves to a few six packs of Mountain Dew to take home with us. We enjoyed the soda but I don't think our mother appreciated the hyperactivity that came with it. If you watch an old commercial for Mountain Dew you will see children swinging on ropes, jumping off cliffs and racing through the woods. We exhibited this same behavior but in our living room.

The barbershop was a fun visit with many rewards. Uncle Joe never charged us for a haircut; he was a generous man. Sometimes, my uncle would come over our house for dinner and cut our hair in the living room. On one such occasion, I was running around the room uncontrollably (too much Mountain Dew) and tripped over the cord of my Uncle's clippers while he was cutting my brother's hair. This caused the cord to break and ruined his clippers. My dad paid my uncle to replace the clipper that was caused by my misdeed (I also paid but not with money - OUCH!).

There was a time when my uncle gave up his car and commuted from his home in Southwest Philadelphia to the barbershop in Northeast Philly by public transportation (SEPTA). This posed a problem when SEPTA went on strike. When this happened, my uncle moved in with us and shared a room with me.

I enjoyed when he came home from work, which was usually after we had dinner. My mother would always have his dinner warm and waiting. When she asked him what he wanted to drink he always replied, "just something cold, get me something cold". There was something about the way my uncle ate soup that irritated my mom. I could not resist. On the night that my mom served soup for dinner I had to ask her aloud, smiling from ear to ear, if she liked the way Uncle Joe ate soup - just as he was taking a mouthful. I did not finish that sentence before the longest arm in world history reached around the table and knocked that goofy a## grin right off of my face.

One of my favorite memories were the pizza pies that my uncle would bring home on Fridays. I don't remember having pizza too often when I was child but we always had when my uncle stayed with us.

The barbershop was not the only place where we saw my uncle. Often on Sundays, we would go to my grandmother's house for dinner. We always arrived early in the afternoon. When we entered the house, my uncle always sat in his favorite chair in front of the TV. In fact, he was often facing two TV's. One was the portable that he put on a tray table. This way he could view two games at the same time. Sometimes he would even have a game on the radio as well.

Although my uncle was an avid sports fan, he always rooted against the home teams. On one visit, my dad had noted that every time the Phillies came up to bat my uncle switched the station to another game. He switched back when the Phillies opponent batted. Looking back, I think this was just his way of getting a reaction from us and having a little fun.

One time I found a rubber snake in my grandmother's basement. I enjoyed playing with the toy as it helped keep me occupied while my grandmother prepared dinner. On our next visit, I was unable to find the toy snake. When I asked my grandmother what had happened to it she said that my uncle used it to scare the pigeons off the porch roof. I raced upstairs to the front bedroom and looked out the window only to discover the rubber snake melted all over the roof. The temperature was over 90 degrees.

My uncle loved the beach. My Aunt Joesephine had a house in Wildwood, NJ that we visited several times during the summer. There were three buildings on the property consisting of four units. My aunt rented three of the units and her family lived in the main unit. When we visited, we always woke up early in anticipation of going to the beach. We played on the front porch waiting for my father to awake so we could start our day of fun. On the porch was the office that my aunt used to store my cousin's toys and many other miscellaneous items. The room was very small. One morning we opened the door to get a toy. Suddenly all of the toys began rising in the shape of a small hill. Slumbered beneath the pile was my uncle. He used the office as his sleeping quarters when he stayed at the shore. He was a simple man that did not require much in the way of creature comforts. He was just happy to have a place to stay where he could go to enjoy the beach.

Once while we were staying at my aunt's house my uncle took me to the beach with him. He watched me while I played in the ocean. When I got hungry, we went on the boardwalk and got something to eat. When we finally went back to my aunt's house, it was early evening. Both my grandmother and aunt were angry and reprimanded my uncle for keeping me out so late. I didn't mind because I had a great time!

Uncle Joe often boasted of his football prowess. He was noted for stating that he would break his nose before he would let anyone get around his end (I think he did break his nose on several occasions). He played football at the school he and his brothers attended, Scotland School for Veterans Children. His coach at Scotland was a man by the name of John Whitehead. Whitehead was also a graduate of Scotland. My uncle and his coach became close friends. Years later Mr. Whitehead would go on to win the Division II national championship at Lehigh University and enjoy many other outstanding seasons. My uncle traveled to all of the Lehigh games both home and away (From Engineer to Mountain Hawk) .

One year he invited me to go along with him. On the drive to Lehigh, my uncle stopped at a service station for gas. When the attendant was finished pumping the gas my uncle rewarded him with a generous tip. This was the only time I had ever witnessed tipping at a gas station. My uncle was very generous. If he had it, you got it. We visited with Coach Whitehead in his office and the coach gave me a Lehigh cap (which my uncle seized as soon as we left the office). I enjoyed the experience and began attending Lehigh games with my son. I continue to attend several games each year.

A few years ago, my wife and I were looking for a short vacation spot to spend with our young daughters. We decided on one of the country's oldest vacation resorts - Cape May, NJ. This quiet seaside resort is known for its grand Victorian houses and access to one of America's top beaches.

Cape May is a two-hour drive from where we live. During our ride, I told my daughters about my Uncle Joe. They were mesmerized by my stories and insisted that they meet him. I wasn't so sure. It had been a few years seen I last saw my uncle and wasn't certain on how I would be received. I compromised and told them we would drive by the farm where Joe lived.

When we arrived at the farm, I pulled into the produce stand that was along the road. As my wife and daughters browsed the produce, I took a stroll to the front of the house. A large porch that encircled the house drew my attention. I continued to stare into the porch for several minutes until I noticed a man awakening from a noontime slumber. It was my uncle. He peered through the screen, gazing in confusion. I motioned for him to come outside. When he did, he recognized me instantly and greeted me with a large smile and warm hug. In no time, we were inside the house having a friendly visit with my uncle and his wife and his new family. It was fun to listen to his stories of travels to Yellowstone National Park, Disney World, and Maui.

I could tell instantly how happy he was with his new life living in Cape May. My daughters enjoyed the visit and took to my uncle as if they had known him all of their lives. My uncle has always had a special effect on children. I think it stems from his generosity and sincerity. When you meet my uncle, what you see is what you get. There is nothing phony about him and once you meet him, you never forget him.

I was glad to visit with my uncle that day. I thank my daughters for their persistence. We could see that Joe had a wonderful life. He enjoyed the simple pleasures of living on a farm, feeding wild birds, and watching ocean sunsets. We should all be so lucky.

A funny thing happened the day after I learned of my uncle's passing. We were on our way to attend a Phillies baseball game. We had just entered I95 on our way to the ballpark. As the radio played, I heard a traffic report that there was a multi vehicle accident on South I95. I quickly took the next exit and detoured proceeding east towards Roosevelt Blvd. I stopped for a traffic light as I approached the boulevard. I looked to my left and a chill ran through my spine. I was across the street from Joe's Barbershop. Perhaps he was saying good-bye.