I was just as afraid as a young toddler when I got my first and only haircut in the Congo. Why was I so afraid?
I was afraid because I could get a scalp disease or sometime worst. The year was 2001. The AIDS pandemic in Africa was just beginning to make the headlines. I asked myself, could I get AIDS from a haircut?
We do not have electricity in our village of Bulape. Therefore, a haircut is a manual procedure. It is done with a comb and a double-edged razor. It had been quite a few years ago since I had gotten a manual haircut in the rural South (US). But a razor brought back memories of knicks and blood.
I insisted that the young man purchase a new razor for my haircut. He did so I reluctantly got my first and only haircut. Today, I plan ahead and use a rechargeable razor.