Dreams. We all have them. But how many of us actually get to live them.

About 10 years ago Clipperman had a dream. It was to own his own business. I remember the day he told me. I was sitting in his barber's chair at the shop he was working at " Slish i'm going to open my own shop" I responded " Your crazy. You don't have the dough to pull that off" he didn't respond to my statement he just kept cutting my hair. A month later he asked me to take a drive with him about a few blocks away from the shop he was working at. We get to this store front. He takes me into this space, it had chairs, couches to sit on, & televisions "THIS DUDE WENT AND GOT HIS OWN SHOP!!!!! I was impressed a little jealous but mostly impressed. Clipperman had went and done what nobody thought he could. And he' s been doing it now for ten years.


Recently well actually yesterday. Clippermans business was put into jeopardy by a an employee who has no dreams of his own , just contempt for the man who has given him a chance to make a living and feed his family. This was the scenario . All employees in Clippermans shop pay him rent on a weekly basis. This cat was waaaaaaay behind. Clipperman tried to reason with him. But you know how NIGGAS!!! can be his response" F@#^&k you F@#$K this shop". Clipperman decides right then and there this guy has got to go and tells him to pack his shit and leave. The employee leaves but comes back a couple of hours later and has the nerve to start cutting hair. Clipperman calls me since I was too lazy to go to work yesterday and says " Slish i'm about to fire this cat but i'm not sure whats gonna go down. Can you come through." I'm thinking shit I don't know what i'll be able to do that employee is like 6 '1 or 6'2 if a fight breaks out all I can hit are his knee caps. I say " I'll be there in 5 minutes" To make a long story short cause this is a very long story we ended up calling the police and having this unruly barber removed from the premises. Last thing he said to Clipperman in HOOD terminology was " Your gonna get touched. I'll see to it and i'll get away with it." I say" My man don't do anything stupid" Barber says" "Too late for that now" and drives off I looked at Clipperman & I mean really looked . For the first time his spirit had been broken. To him his dream had come to an end right then and there. Clipperman says to me " Slish I ain't built for this shit. I have to die in order to make a living its not worth it. F&%K IT !!!! I'm DONE!!!!!! They can have it." He gets in his van and drives off.

I sat in front of his shop and started to think to myself " Clipperman may be many things but he's no quitter he proved that to me 10 years ago when he opened his barber shop. As his friend I can't let him quit. Every year his shop stays open gives me the hope that one day i'll be able to do the same thing & own my own business. I realize then Clipperman is a pioneer and has given jobs to men that would probably be locked up or making minimum wage. I've always admired him for that. I may not tell him. But I do .


I won't let him quit. I just can't.