Saturday, August 30, 2008

Half a century of curls and comb-outs

After serving in the Army, Al Padilla went into business in a non-traditional way

Jackie Schlotfeldt News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jschlotfeldt@news-bulletin.com

Belen Time has a funny way of passing quickly and, in the blink of an eye, days become weeks and weeks turn into years and, before you know it, decades have passed by.

It was that way for business owner Aurelio "Al" Padilla, although if you had talked to him 50 years ago, he probably wouldn't have imagined he'd be where he is today.

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Padilla's journey began in the late 1950s when poodle skirts, bobby socks and beehive hairdos were all the rage. It's hard to believe 50 years have come and gone since Padilla immersed himself in a profession that was, at that time, most likely to employ women.

And oh, how times have changed from that first day Padilla opened his own hair salon in a tiny building across from Sugar Bowl Lanes on Becker Avenue.

It was the late 1950s, where Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" and "Come on Let's Go" were climbing the charts and Elvis Presley was entering the U. S. Army, putting his musical career on hold for two years while he served his country overseas. Arnold Palmer won his first of four Master's golf tournaments that year, and actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando lit up the silver screen.

As in most eras, the styles told a tale, and the 1950s made a bold statement with music, dance, hair and dress that will not soon be forgotten.

When Padilla began his career half a century ago in 1958, he didn't realize he would be styling hair for the long haul.

How it began

After joining the U.S. Army at the young age of 17, Padilla found himself cutting hair for his fellow soldiers, not because he had a desire to do so, but more as a way to get around KP duties.

"I never thought about this profession until I went into the service," Padilla said. "I guess I had a hidden talent because, before long, I was assigned to cut officers' hair."

Padilla served from 1953 to 1956, and when his tour was up, he came home to New Mexico and thought about how he could use his GI benefits. He decided to enroll in cosmetology school, remembering how his buddies in the service had encouraged him to do so.

"I was from a small town, and I never heard of a man doing that (type of work)," Padilla said. "I caused quite a stir in my family, and my father said I should get into something to make a decent living."

Despite the opposition he felt, Padilla enrolled in school and was one of 37 students, of whom he was the only man. Padilla said he threatened to quit every day.

"They wouldn't let me quit," Padilla said, smiling. "I think I was good advertising for the school."

Padilla graduated from cosmetology school in 1957, and at a New Year's Eve dance that same year, he met the love of his life - Dolores. "My life was never the same again," he said, glancing at his wife.

Although Padilla worked nights at the Twinette Salon, he decided to go to business school during the day, thinking he would pursue a career in accounting. But, when offered a three-chair salon, Padilla jumped in headfirst and decided to give a whirl.

"I was 22, had never been in business, but I thought, 'what the heck?'" Padilla laughs.

The cost of the shop in 1958 was $810, which was a lot of money at that time, Padilla said. While he ran the salon, his bride, Dolores, worked at Sandia Base for a few years before deciding to earn her cosmetology license and work with her husband. For the next 17 years, she and Padilla ran the business and began raising their family — two boys and a girl.

After 17 years, Dolores went to work for the Belen Consolidated School District in order for her family to have insurance and and for her to have retirement benefits. She spent 25 years working in the bookkeeping department and then as a department head before retiring in 2001. She never let her cosmetology license lapses; however, and today she still serves some of her regular clientele at the salon part-time.

How times change

Over 50 years in business, Padilla has seen the times change with the hairstyles. When he first began, the big thing was the beehive, or B-52 as it was sometimes called.

Growing up on a farm, Padilla wasn't used to being cooped up inside all day, in addition to the trouble he had in the beginning working with women's hair. It didn't take him long before he was comfortable with his work and built up a good clientele and even hired his first employee, Paula Weathersby.

As his business grew, Padilla purchased a larger place, the Delgado building off Tenth Street, and spent the next 38 years there before moving to his current location on Main Street.

"It has been quite a 50 years," Padilla said, reflecting on the past. "It's been unreal."

While the years have brought wedges, spiral curls, poodle cuts and today's simpler cuts, Padilla has seen it all.

"Women can wear whatever they want today," Padilla said. "Today they wear it loose and you have to be good at cutting hair because they (women) don't want to come in every week (to get it fixed)."

Padilla went on to say that his clientele has also changed over the years. Where once almost all of his customers were women, today, about 40 percent of them are male.

"It's not like working," Padilla said of his 50 years in business.

At 72, Padilla has no plans to retire, although he has cut back his hours just a bit. His daughter, Maria-Alicia Cordova, took over the daily operation of the family business after Padilla was elected to the county commission in 1998. He served two terms and loved every minute of it, he said. And he had complete confidence in his daughter's ability to run the business.

"She runs the shop well," Padilla said. "It's a pleasure to have my daughter work with me. She's a lot of help and support. It's wonderful."

Cordova said her father has taught her a lot about not only hair, but also about running a business over the years.

"It's wonderful to get to work with your dad," Cordova said.

Padilla said what's been the most wonderful part for him is the family atmosphere he's created with clients he's served for the past 30 to 50 years.

"They are really more like family than clients," he said.

Cordova said her 28 years at the salon have been wonderful for her and her family and they're grateful for the community support.

"You can't make it without the community," Cordova said.

"Despite being told I wouldn't make it in Belen, I did," Padilla said, smiling.

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