My wife and I met when we were students at Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University) in Flagstaff. While there, we knew a student named Rudy, although he didn’t attend long enough to graduate.
Rudy was a slightly built Navajo who was a few years older than most students. I don’t know what his source of income was, but I remember he was so poor that he had to skip some meals in the cafeteria. I recall several times seeing Rudy get a glass of water, pour sugar into it and drink that in place of a proper meal.
Rudy was accomplished enough as a barber that he gave haircuts to fellow students for $1. The one time he cut my hair, I was apprehensive when I saw his trimming technique. While most barbers use a straight razor for trimming, Rudy curved an old-fashioned double-edge razor blade between his fingers and used that to trim around my neck and ears. He must have known what he was doing because I survived with both ears and no blood-letting.
My roommate Ron became close friends with Rudy, and they spent time bumming around together. After Rudy dropped out of college, he went to Mexico City to study art. Ron received several letters from Rudy, one of which included a photo of Rudy in the bull ring, where he had jumped during a bull fight. Although Rudy may have not been sober at that moment, he was a genuine free spirit.
