Going Back To My Roots (in more ways than one)

       ::photo above taken spring of 1995. Wasn't Stephen adorable? ::  

Just so I won't become a woe-is-me whiner, I will talk about my day at the salon to break the pity party I was having over the weekend.

  Ahhhh, how refreshing! I had forgotten how it can be. The smell of coffee, always ready. Fresh baked muffins. The hugs. The laughter. The tears. And ... I'm a little ashamed to admit, the town gossip. If you've ever seen "Steel Magnolias" you get the picture.  I spent the morning with my friend who I have known all my life, the one who inspired me to give up my dream of being a writer - - an artist (maybe I should be mad at her) and become a "hair - artist" instead.  In the 80's this woman had the most happening chain of salons in the Birmingham area.  She is now the proud owner of a brand new, 2 chair salon, just steps away from her home. It's the perfect setup, really. She sees her children off to school every morning, and is always there when the bus brings them home. If business is slow, she can go in the house and do some housework. Have a play-date with her husband. Start dinner. Whatever. The only bad part is, and this can be most irritating, customers will show up on Sundays when she is closed and just walk over to the house and knock on the door.  Her poor hubby can't walk around the house in his underwear for that reason. How sad that must make him.  Like me, she is too nice to tell them to come back during business hours. She stops whatever she is doing and goes out to the shop to do a haircut. I have worked for her, off and on for a long time now. I forgot to mention, I am going to start working with her again. Not doing hair very much, as I do NOT want a demanding cliental again. Getting out of the hair business is like getting out of the Mafia. Almost impossible! I haven't worked full time in a salon since Stephen was 2 and I STILL have clients calling me. I only do senior citizens for the most part. Mostly, just because I love and adore them so much. I feel, as a younger person, I owe them something.  I miss my grandparents terribly, and I feel close to them by being around the elderly.  (Sorry for rambling there) I am going to help her with her book work and orders, etc. It is something to help me get out of the house, and make a little money and be in the world again!  It won't be everyday, or even every week.  

Now to the second part of "going back to my roots." For the first time in almost 10 years, my hair is it's natural color again.  I can cancel my membership with Blondestar. I am a brunette again.  Well, okay ... we foiled in a few blonde chunks around my face. But only a few.  The darn digicam is broken, so I can't show any before and after shots. Actually, it took forever to find a picture of me without blonde hair. (I was also a bottle blonde in the mid 80's) So only for a few short years in the 90's, I was true to my hair color.  Just a hint for those wanting in stay in "style" -- brunette is HUGE this fall. Even natural blondes are going brunette. [I wouldn't advise that for everyone, as some people with fair complexions would look like death with dark hair. And for goodness sakes, I can't stress this enough:: GO TO A PROFESSIONAL for your haircolor needs, when you are making a change that drastic.]  Curls are making a big comeback. That will make the hubby happy. He's been saying for years, "But I like you hair when you just scrunch it and leave it curly." Speaking of which, he's not happy about the brunette thing. Or the length, just above my shoulders thing. But, if he says anything, I'll just pull out the old list of things I am not pleased with, add a few more to it just for good measure, and he'll let it go.    All in all, today was a good day. I feel [and look] like me again. Today was like therapy. I refuse to tell you the negative things. Yes, a little bad news has happened. But I refuse to obsess today about things I cannot change. But who knows what the next entry to this journal will bring?  

By the way, thanks for all of the kind words and emails after my last entry.  What would I do without friends?  My friend told me today while I was highlighting her hair, "Mia, you seem so much better with everything than you used to be. Your attitude is so healthy. You're smiling more than you are crying. You're staying positive. Have you been getting therapy? Are you on meds?"     

I simply stated::  

I have my AOL Journal. I really think this has made all the difference for me.  I mean that.