IT’S WHAT EVERYONE CALLS HER. She’s arguably the most popular stylist at Center Barber & Beauty Shop, the legendary fixture in the Santa Fe hair world. “T! Phone for you!” is a common cry in this 50-plus-year-old business (“…steeped in a rich tradition of Master Barbers and experienced cosmetologists,” as its site reads)—family owned for three generations, and just next to Pyramid Cafe, where T has her daily salad and hummus.
My dad bred huskies. We would have 10 or 20 dogs in the house all the time. Later it was Rottweilers. We lived in La Cienega, which, surprisingly, is not that different than when I grew up there. Very peaceful, which we needed, because I have my three other siblings and we were constantly playing and yelling outside, playing all kinds of sports until it was dark.
A good friend owns a barber school down in Albuquerque, and he said, “Go talk to them.” I had been working for the City of Santa Fe at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center for nine years, and wanted something new. So I went. They said to “Come in on a Saturday, hang out, and see what you think.” I went and watched how they interact with people, and realized that it was all about those relationships. It wasn’t about hair: It was about the people.
Then they handed me the clippers, pointed to a guy, and said, “Cut his hair.” Yikes! I didn’t even know how to hold the clippers, but I started cutting, loved it, and immediately asked, “When can I start?” Now I’m at Center Barber, an old family-run business. It’s a good place to work, and what really keeps me coming back are clients…my people.
These clients will come in after a year and a half, sit down, and I’ll ask about their kids. They say, “Oh, you still remember me?” And I respond, “Of course I remember you!” I remember all of these relationships. That’s what’s this is all about.
I’m extremely competitive. I’m on a volleyball team and we play every week. Let me tell you, the last game we had, I was very frustrated because I had several plays coming towards me and one of the guys on our team jumped in front of me. I was capable of getting the ball myself, thanks, but he had to be my superhero, I guess, which I did not need. And worse, most of the balls he tried to pick up went into the net!
Santa Fe has changed, but I still love it. What I don’t love are the self check outs at all the markets now. You stand there behind someone for fifteen minutes as they try to match the tomato they’re holding in their hand to the twenty varieties on the screen. These poor people are not trained to be checkers!
Tradition… that’s the best thing about this place. I love the bandstand concerts. I grew up seeing them all because my mom sells tinwork on the Plaza. She’s had the stand for years. There is the row of Native American vendors, and across the street, right next to the bandstand, is her spot. My sister sells there, too. My mom likes to show people how it’s done, so she sits and punches tin right on the spot…traditional religious New Mexican crosses and mirrors and hearts. They punch tin, cut it up, and make it into cool designs. But I never did that; I have plenty to do with my clippers and shears.
It was always Frito Pie at the Five & Dime when I was a kid. Then ice cream at Häagen-Dazs, then sit in the Plaza and listen to music. At the end of the day, my mom would close her stand, we’d unfold lawn chairs, sit down, and listen to the music. I still do that, and they still have awesome bands, like Ozomatli.
Zozobra is another great tradition. We’d go to my grandma’s house, order a pizza, turn on the TV, and watch Old Man Gloom burn, y’know?
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Photo SFM
