When I was in college we all needed cheap haircuts. We were just poor college kids trying to keep our cuts “tight.” Believe it or not, I once had hair (my sweet mullet). I remember one guy in our hallway did cuts for $5 on weekends and made BANK! We all needed that fresh cut for whatever our weekend plans were.
Being the former intramural champion and future business entrepreneur that I am, I kicked the tires and tried my hand at cutting hair. A set of clippers and a semi-steady hand. I had one client. He trusted me. He actually requested I clean up his fade.
It’s because I never charged him for his cuts.
The most popular guy on our campus at MVNU, was not only one of my best friends, he trusted me to keep his hair “tight.” We even tried the Bobby Brown “lean” at one point and it went horribly wrong.
Ya know what, he let it go. He trusted me. He cared about me.
Because that is who he was.
I won’t forget where I was the day I got the news that would forever change my life. There was a knock at my apartment door. The friend said “there was an accident and Ron and Darrin didn’t make it.”
I was crushed.
The entire MVNC (now MVNU) campus was crushed. The news rocked our world.
The days that followed were a blur. In the days that followed, stories of their impact and moments here would emerge.
Our friend group would be forever changed. The brightest stars in our village were gone but their legacy and non verbal lessons of how to treat others lived on.
I still carry them with me today.
Someday I know I will be with Ron again. I’ll grab the clippers and tighten up his fade. I’ll screw it up. He’ll let me know it’s okay.
They’re home now.
Love you Ronnie and Darrin. Save a spot in that dorm room of heaven. I’ll be there soon.
You are long over due for a fresh cut and fade.
AARON CONRAD 