Reading Nicholas Lima’s “That Good Haircut Feeling,” I was most intrigued by the sections that compared Michael’s barber shop to the one Nicholas frequents in Deer Park, Ohio. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the mundane practice of getting a haircut and the profound culture-bridging interaction with Michael. One technique the author used to capture audiences was to incorporate dialogue. This choice provided an intimate view of the experience and makes readers invested in the experiences of characters. Integrating dialog between Michael and Nicholas during the haircut grabbed my focus and made me more receptive to the last third of the work, which explored how this one simple haircut forced the protagonist to audit his motivations, desires, and outlook. Writing this piece was an act of self-discovery for the author. Nicholas uncovered the importance of having a strong sense of purpose to underpin one’s ambitions. This meaning is what enables a person to be resilient in the face of hardship. Reading this essay, I discovered the power of seemingly minute moments. It is a lovely reminder to remain open to what each moment has to offer.

While this piece recounted a darling moment and genuine life lessons, I found the work a bit clunky. It read more as a diary entry than a finished work. At times, an unpolished and imperfect tone can cultivate a sense of vulnerability between writer and reader, but in this case the writing took me out of the piece and dumped me back into the real world.