Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Today I am grateful for hairdressers. I used to be one, so I guess I’m grateful for me today, too. Look, let’s face it! When things open up and we are able to go shopping freely, go to the pool or gym and eat in a restaurant, we’ll be very happy.
But if our relatives and/or friends come in for a long sought-after hug, they better step back! Because we’ll all be racing to our phones to get a hair appointment! Seriously!
Some of us will have an outgrowth almost three months long, which gives the hombre look a whole new meaning. There is supposed to be color, not white! Others of us will wonder if that was our picture flashing across the screen to send money for poor helpless animals in various states of distress. I’m beginning to look like a basset hound.
Things are rough out there. Some days I don’t even want to shower, not to mention style the locks. My hair potions and lotions have gone the way of my bra. Neglected and useless.
I was scheduled to get a haircut yesterday. In order to stay spiky and perky (hair anyway) I make appointments for every five weeks. I already have my next one, which is a good thing. Because by next week I’m cutting this mop and I’ll need her to “fix” it for me. No way can I contort enough to get the back correct with it being this short.
Who cares? I don’t see the back. And I’m not going anywhere. The back will do just fine on my pillow or on the back of my recliner, so I’m cutting it. It will be a major pain, which is why I’m scheduling it for next week. I need to think about where I’ll line the mirrors up and whether I’ll be brave and use a razor or smart and use a scissors. I don’t feel much of either these days, brave or smart.
For the full three years we lived in Jakarta, Indonesia I did my own hair, including perms and cuts. No way was I going to a salon there and try to explain what I wanted. But remember I’ve been trained and I’m good at it. The only thing is my hair was longer then, so it was easier to work with. Now I’m going to be cutting a bunch of sputnik spikes that are as difficult to grab hold of as a Russian in space.
Back in the dark ages, when I worked as a hairdresser, I was on 50% commission. The country was in a recession and I was a single mom. Some folks look at hair appointments as luxuries so they were the first to get cut when times were tough. Pun intended. But when customers didn’t come in, I didn’t get paid. Just like your hairdresser isn’t getting paid now. They might be able to get unemployment, I’m not sure about that, but it won’t be the same.
I got to thinking about how it would feel if it were me working as a hairdresser and wondered how I might help. Kind of like the great suggestion to buy gift cards from restaurants you frequent, in order to help them out right now. But if I do that with the hair salon it would help the shop, which is also cool, but not my hairdresser personally.
I very much appreciate her flexibility to work me in when I’m desperate. And she doesn’t balk at me getting my fingers in my hair to check it out before I leave, so that’s worth a lot. Cutting a hairdresser’s hair, former or not, is a challenge! I’m also sure there have been times that I’ve been a little short of cash and tipped less than I should have.
So, I’m sending her some cash! Today. Not a ton. But some. We can call it tip-ahead! Or if that doesn’t work for you, just another pay-it-forward. I hope everyone reading this will share it. . .and then do the same for their hairdresser, because soon we will be more grateful for them than any other individual on the planet! You’re not sure if you should? Go look in the mirror! That oughta convince you.