Blue Suspenders

June 17, 2023

I showed up ready for the transformation. Wow, that sentence is giving me life. I was referring to the process of changing my hair from its naturally curly state to straight; reading the words “I showed up ready for the transformation” just hit with an unexpected impact. I would say that I digressed, but that is absolutely not the case. I needed to both write and read that sentence.

I scheduled an appointment to get my hair done. I love going to the shop not just for the results, but for the experience. Can we pause again on that sentence please? “…not just for the results, but for the experience”. Isn’t that exactly what the journey is all about? I love going to the shop because I get to spend time talking about things that matter with my hairstylist. Our families go back years. She asks about my family to make sure that everyone from my dad to my son is getting along just fine. She shares stories with me about her parents, her travels, and the exciting things happening in her life. I regale her with stories about my adventures, the people I meet, and all of the ways God shows up and out. We talk about therapy and working through the difficulties of life from grief to tragedy. And I believe that most of us agree that spending time in a salon with the right people can be a form of therapy.

Depending on the time of day, you can meet a whole host of characters sitting under dryers undergoing a process, kicking back in the waiting room looking like a Before picture, or bouncing out the door with a new attitude. This particular time, a gentleman showed up in the shop. My angle towards the mirror caused me to hear his voice before I could see his face. As she slowly ran the flat iron through my strands, I heard her say “How you doin’ Mr. W?”. My stylist used his full last name, but I respect his privacy. This man has no idea the impact he made on me or the fact that I am writing about him. He answered back like a gentleman from a different era. His words were slow, clear, and intentional. They exchanged niceties. Once again, my hairdresser was checking to see how this one and that one was doing. He responded “Oh they are doing just fine”, like a man with southern roots, although I have no idea from where he originates. Just then she slowly turns the chair and I get a full view of Mr. W.

Blue jeans, a freshly pressed button-down blue shirt, and a pair of blue suspenders. He wore a clean pair of tan shoes and sported a phone case on his hip. With a nod of our heads and a smile, we acknowledged each other. I spoke first “Hello sir”. He replied in a way that did not require an auditory response from me; a simple nod of respect for his age, experience, and stature communicated all I needed to say. For those of you who know, you know. As he walked away, my hair magician said “I have been in the hair business for over 40 years, Mr. W has been in it longer. I buy all of my drapes, clips, combs, etc. from him. You see, back in the day salesmen would come into the salons and sell us all of our supplies. Most people purchase their items online, but I still buy my items from Mr. W. He is the last of his kind. People don’t do business like this anymore.” Wow, what a privilege to witness their exchange and to meet Mr. W.

During this appointment, we talked about healthy boundaries and being mindful not only of the energy we bring, but of the energy we allow in our space. Some energy is too expensive if it costs us our peace. I am so thankful for the beautiful souls I crossed paths with during my beauty shop session. I left with a new ‘do and positive feelings because of the people in the room. I came ready for transformation and certain that the entire experience would fill my joy cup as much as my results.

Jodi