Hard Work and Haircuts
LIke many a mom, particularly those that spend the bulk of their time in the house or behind the wheel of a mini-van, I tend to neglect some things that I probably shouldn't, particularly if they only involve me.
Such as haircuts.
But the other day I finally picked up the phone to make an appointment with a hairdresser a friend had recommended. I managed to slide into a cancelation slot the next day. Score!
I have had many hairdressers over the years. Most were ladies, some were men. I've had my hair cut in kitchens, shopping center walk-in boutiques, and nice salons. I've never had a hairdresser look like this guy.
Head-to-toe Harley Davidson gear with the motorcycle to match, a bit balding with gray fuzzy hair, and round black glasses. He walks over and asks what I want done to my hair. I tell him something easy since I have three kids.
He says no. Then he proceeds to lecture me on how I will only get out of my hair what I put in. No effort means boring hair. If I want good hair I have to put some time into it.
Considering my hair care routine for the past ouple of months consisted of washing it, toweling it dry, and throwing it up into a bun, his expectations were going to really wreak havoc with my morning routine.
But by this point the scissors were already flying around my head and hair was falling all over the place. I'm in for whatever cut he gives me.
If you've ever had your hair done at a salon you know what happens next. I looked great leaving the salon and kept my fabulous hair for the next day.
But then I had to wash it.
And that's when I discovered that my new hairdresser was a weasel. A haircrafting genius, yes, but also a weasel.
He'd given me a haircut that COULDN'T be left to drip dry or be effectively thrown up in a forget-it-all bun. At the very least I was going to have to blow dry it with a round brush.
And you know what happened?
I got fabulous hair. Seriously, with just a little TLC, it lays like a dream. That's it in the picture after a blowdryer and a round brush. Way better than the rather long shapeless mess I had when I went in.
Thank goodness the man didn't let me settle for easy. He insisted on making me work for fantastic.
It's a good lesson that I forget all too often. It's easy to coast your way into "good enough" in a lot of areas. But if you want stellar results or even ones that make you proud of yourself, you're going to have to exert a little effort.
I'm going to have to exert a little effort.
And that's a lesson worth remembering.