A veteran’s story about the power of a haircut

John Yang:

Finally, tonight, an animated story for Veterans Day from our partners at StoryCorps. Since the 1970s, a man known as Dreamer has been giving free haircuts to fellow veterans in Los Angeles. Dreamer spoke with his friend Paul Crowley, about the day they first met.

Paul Crowley:

When I showed up, I was washed. You've been drinking. I was totally out of hope. And part of that was the way I looked and shaved in a couple of weeks. My hair was filthy and scraggly. But getting the haircut made me feel for lack of a better word normal, which I hadn't done in a long, long time.

Dreamer:

When I first ran into you, I saw a guy that could at some point rise above it. And I've just felt it, I can help you. Abraham Lincoln once said never underestimate the power of a haircut. Of course he never said that but he should have said it.

Paul Crowley:

I try and help you out.

Dreamer:

Yeah.

Paul Crowley:

And I mean I'm not cutting hair. But when I'm there at the trailer, I've watched the guy that just came right off the streets not doing too well. And the only thing he has to pay you with is an orange.

Dreamer:

Whatever you got, we'll make a deal. I got rubberband balls. I've got pebbles, rocks, washers.

Paul Crowley:

I've never seen you turn anybody away. It's amazing to me to see the guys that come in, in the beginning. And then after they've been there a little while they're going out to look for work, and they walk in with a suit and a haircut you given them the day before and can't even recognize them compared to the day they walked in.

You impress me from the very start, and I respect what you have imparted to me. It's what has made me into a better person, because of my interaction with you.

Dreamer:

Thank you, buddy. We're going to move forward. That's why we comb our hair backwards.

Paul Crowley:

That's right.

John Yang:

For more stories like this, you can go to storycorps.org.