Rebecca Does Hair

Written By: Crispen Eschobar


Rebecca Thompson, proprietor of The Master's Touch Hair Salon in Chattanooga TN, has been cutting hair for 18 years now. I had asked Rebecca what made her want to cut hair or how did she know she was going to do this kind of work. Well, Rebecca stated that when she was a teenager, a fellow classmate by the name of Clinton Schmidt handed her a pair of scissors and said, "Cut my hair." Rebecca told me that she looked at Clinton as if he was crazy but decided to just go with it. On Rebecca's first try she did a pretty good job and decided to pursue this skill even if it was just a side thing at first. After all, Rebecca was just in high school at the time and came to a conclusion that it would get even better if she stuck with it. Later, Rebecca enrolled in University of Beauty in Cleveland TN and transfered after six moths to Claremore OK where she graduated with a 97 percentile 1992. Rebecca's first paying job, cutting hair was at JC Penny Styling Salon in Claremore, OK. Rebecca learned and absorbed so much from 20 different stylists and was told by the JC Penny manager that she had a natural talent for cutting hair.

It was only five years ago when Rebecca had met her current business partner Cynthia McIvor in Ooltewah, TN where they were both employed by Great Clips. Rebecca and Cynthia hit it off and found themselves being cut out of the picture at Great Clips, so to speak and later was lead to open up their own shop together as business partners and named it The Master's Touch Hair Salon.

Rod Edmunson head of Shears Point Inc. has opened a door for Rebecca at the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute where she cuts hair for the patients enrolled there in down-town Chattanooga. Rebecca has decided to take on this barber role while maintaining her clientele at her shop with Cynthia.  As head of Shears Point, Rod is taking his company to higher grounds. With Shear Point providing hair styling and cosmetology services to companies or facilities, Rod is bound to surpass the market in this trade. Rod is wanting to provide these services to prisons which will spread the name of Shears Point and gain more clientele to his business. It was only about a little more than a month that Mr Edmunson came to The Master's Touch Salon and asked Rebecca if she would like to cut hair at the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Facility. Rebecca gladly obliged and stepped up to the plate. Rebecca is glad to do this work helping the patients in more ways than one.

I was invited to visit for a day to see how a normal shift would go for Rebecca. I had a lot of fun interacting with the staff and the patients there at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute. Everyone was really nice and welcoming towards me. I saw that the patients were happy to see Rebecca and every patient was pleased with their new hair do's. Both the staff and the patients like Rebecca and are very glad when she is working there said a member of the staff. There was this one patient, because of legalities I am not permitted to mention her name but this lady was so sweet and funny and was glad to have Rebecca cut her hair and style it because the former barbers had said that they didn't know how to help her. I noticed that Rebecca has a uniqueness about the way she interacts with her customers not only at her salon but with the patients there at Moccasin Bend as well. I was curious why the patients were so happy to just be around Rebecca. I observed each patient that got their hair cut even if it was just a male patient receiving a facial hair grooming or a simple shape up which didn't last long but the time that was spent was like watching a tv sit-com. Rebecca loves to make the patients laugh and sometimes she probably makes them think. Rebecca believes in G-d strongly and shares it without even actually saying a word about religion. Rebecca has been chosen by Pastor Desmond Taylor at Mercy & Truth Ministries to lead the youth group and teach. Rebecca's love and understanding for people and her way of redirecting a conversation is amazing and is shown by the way she carries herself professionally with her customers at her shop. The teenagers and adults in her church and the patients there at the mental health facility become happy at her presence because she knows how to talk to them and they love her for it. I believe that Ms. Rebecca Thompson is the right person for the Moccasin Bend Mental Health facility and I believe she will be there for many years to come. This is Crispen Eschobar signing off: "Life is beautiful so, smile and live it to the fullest. Be blessed...