AUSTIN, Texas — Byron Jenkins remembers the time when he was a teenager and his father told him to cut someone's hair.
"My dad said, 'Well go ahead and do his hair, then I'll straighten it up,'" Jenkins said as he laughed to himself, "And he had to straighten it up sometimes."
Fast forward more than 60 years later and it's safe to say Jenkins has honed in on his skill. Jenkins said he's cut the hair of state lawmakers such as Rep. Lloyd Doggett and even former Texas governor Preston Smith.
"He lived in Lubbock when [Smith] was governor and he drove up that great big old limousine out for the shop, and get out and come in and thereby treated me pretty well," said Jenkins.
Throughout his life, Jenkins said he and his family sang together, cut hair and traveled. He was part of a Barbershop quartet.
"I had 13 barbers in my family," said Jenkins.
Jenkins moved from different barbershops, and for the last 15 years, the 87-year-old eventually settled and made a name for himself at Raenne's Beauty Salon in southwest Austin.
Raenne Grizzle said her salon was full of ladies before Jenkins came in, but welcomed him with open arms.
"I'm the only man, I told her, I said, 'Would you work with a man?,' 'I get along with men better than I do women,' that's what Raenne told me," said Jenkins.
Jenkins is a character who cracks jokes and brings joy to his staff, according to Grizzle, "He'll walk in and he'll come in singing. He always sings, 'I'm so happy, and here's the reason why..."
It's a positivity Jenkins has held onto - especially after about a month ago when he received the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Jenkins was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, and while doctors were recently able to remove most of the cancer, he will still have to go through surgery next week to take out what remains.
But Jenkins says he isn't worried.
"I'll just leave it up to the Lord and then I know he'll take care of me," said Jenkins. "He always has."
For Grizzle, she said it was a reset for Jenkins and herself.
"I think we can learn from all of that, that it takes things like that to just get us back to a good perspective in our lives," said Grizzle.
Jenkins said he's only looking ahead, and hopes to tap back into his other passions like singing and painting.
For now, he'll continue making his clients and coworkers who have become family, laugh, and keep rooting for the Texas Longhorns.
Above all else, Jenkins is remaining optimistic.
"I hardly ever think negative about anything; I'm always thinking positive," said Jenkins.