a little off the top

i tell the barber to take a little off the top, and he smiles and stands back with his clippers buzzing and says. but that's all you have. well, do the best you can i tell him. trim it up, i'm in your hands. give it a shot, put some of that wax on my head or something, how about a hot shave, i'm not really here for a haircut anyway, i just needed to sit down for awhile, get out of the sun and have someone to talk to, it's been that kind of day. okay, he says grabbing a hot towel to set upon my face, go ahead, talk. well, i tell him, it all began when i was a child. it started with my mother.