There was a time when no one in Ireland was ever scared. People were just afraid. It's different now. I've even had the odd scary moment. The latest one occurred because I needed a haircut. My regular barber shop had gone out of business.

This was helped no doubt by a recent sign on the premises which read “Barbers Wanted Imediatly (sic)”. There must have been a poor response. It’s a pity because they had a friendly Polish girl there who, as well as being excellent, was the first barber ever to trim my eyebrows and any hair that might be in my ears. Asking permission first.

For some time I made casual attempts at finding an alternative barber shop, but without urgency. The time came when it was imperative I had a haircut, with an event on the horizon.

It was in that context I happened to notice barber shops on Talbot St in Dublin one afternoon as I walked through and so decided on the spot to get the job done and dusted there and then. One should hasten more slowly.

Both staff and clientele were young, very young. A girl lay back on a chair, her hair streaked with jets of wet mauve. A young guy was peering critically in a mirror at his fluorescent Mohican. I was turning for the exit when a young girl called me to a chair.

She had no English. Through gesture and sound I tried to get across to her that all I wanted was to have the hair tidied up. Another girl on the staff, with broken English, attempted to assist me.

My barber took out a machine I was not familiar with and began to cut swathes. I had visions of soon being as bald as peers. Worse. I might end up with a Mohican, of whatever colour. I interrupted. She assured me through gesture that all was well. I did not believe but I was stuck there. It was the nearest I’ve had to a panic attack in years but it turned out fine. Then I felt so guilty I left a decent tip.

But boy, was I scared?

Scared is past participle of the verb to scare and is thought to have originated in the Middle English skerren, believed to be from the old Norse skirra, to frighten. inaword@irishtimes.com