Three Generations, One Barber
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – The bell above the downtown barbershop door jingled Friday as three generations of the Long family stepped inside, continuing a tradition more than three decades in the making.
For former Sandiette Rita Moore, it wasn’t just another child’s first haircut. It was the third generation of Long men in her chair.
Moore first began cutting Terry Long’s hair in 1991, when she operated a small shop out of her home.
“He lived just down the road,” Moore recalled. “So it was convenient for him to come here and I would cut his hair.”
When she later began cutting hair in Crockett, Terry followed. Over time, Moore also began cutting the hair of his son, Travis.
And last Friday, she welcomed Travis’ 11-month-old son, Tanner Cole Long, for his very first trim. Tanner handled the milestone with curiosity and a grin.
“Oh, he just smiled and was just as happy as he could be,” Moore said. “He moved a little bit, but that’s normal.”
Travis said Tanner was more interested in watching the scissors than worrying about them.
“He’s really curious,” Travis said. “He was wanting to turn and see what Miss Rita was doing the whole time.”
Tanner sat in his father’s lap while his grandfather Terry stood nearby. Nicole Long, Tanner’s mother, helped keep him entertained — along with a set of car keys that proved a useful distraction during the final minutes of the cut.
For Moore, what made the day especially meaningful was seeing all three generations together.
“It’s unusual for the grandfathers to come on the baby’s first haircut,” she said. “Very few actually. I think he’s probably the first one that I’ve had all three generations in the shop at one time.”
For Travis, the moment felt bigger than a haircut.
“If somebody can cut three generations of hair, that’s special,” he said. “Some people it might not mean anything, but to me, that’s special.”
He said he was glad to be the one holding Tanner during the trim.
“I kind of wanted to hold him while she cut his hair,” Travis said. “That made me feel good.”
The moment may have meant even more to Terry Long.
According to Travis, Terry took advantage of a small envelope to save some of Tanner’s hair — something Travis said he didn’t even realize was a tradition.
“He stuffed it full of hair,” Travis said with a laugh. “Tanner’s his first blood grandbaby. He means a lot to him.”
Though not one to show affection loudly, Travis said his father lights up simply being around his grandson.
“Just knowing he’s around and in his presence — man, he lights up,” he said.
Now with four barbers in the shop, Moore says business remains steady and the camaraderie strong. The shop caters largely to longtime customers who prefer classic, old-school cuts.
“I’m kind of old-fashioned,” Moore said. “Old school. I tend to stay with those.”
Finding traditional barbers isn’t as easy as it once was, she added.
“It’s rough getting barbers now. You can hardly get one from barber school anymore. It’s kind of a thing of the past.”
But moments like Friday remind her why she keeps working.
“It makes you feel old and good at the same time,” Moore said with a smile.
While the outside world sometimes moves a little faster every day, time moves a little differently inside the old barbershop downtown. Time is measured not in hours, or days, but in generations.
Sometimes, you see them grow up, right in the barber chair, one cut at a time.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
